RIP Don Featherstone

This is the 200th post on our blog and it seems appropriate to dedicate such an auspicious event to a man who remains an absolute inspiration to me in my wargaming life - Donald F. Featherstone (Wikipedia link).

Don Featherstone doing what he did best - sharing his passion for the hobby

Sadly Don passed away yesterday at the age of 95. Don's passing was announced this morning on the Old School Wargaming Group on Yahoo! and is already making strong headway across the blogosphere. That so many people are commenting on his passing is a clear indication of his popularity and influence on our hobby. It isn't stretching the truth to describe Don as a father figure of the wargaming hobby, so significant is his impact in terms of published works, organisation and participation.

War Games, a Featherstone classic

I've been wargaming for over 30 years and my very first experiences are tied to borrowing Don's books from my local public library. I can't begin to describe how much I've taken from reading his books (over, and over and over!) Many of them I've eventually bought over time and added to my collection of classic wargaming books.

I wrote a post a while back about the value of Don's work and what it has meant to me. You might care to read it if you're interested. If I had to single out one theme that runs through all his books it is community - sharing our hobby, enjoying it with others and respecting their views. Sentiments as relevant today as they were a long, long time ago when Don first started out.

Sorry to see you finally failed the biggest saving throw of them all Don, you'll be sorely missed!

Cheers,
Millsy