<p>While not a direct answer, check out the recent "<a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1932442960">Hobby Games, the 100 best</a>" book.  It has games from the last 100 years and there is a <em>lot</em> of history contained within its page.  Each entry is written by a game designer as well.  </p>

<p>I enjoyed the book very much, learned a ton.</p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-19T21:23:41.910Z
2010-10-19T21:23:41.910Z
Pat Ludwig
<p>I think <a href="http://www.librarything.com/work/171618" rel="nofollow">A History of Board Games Other Than Chess</a> is one of the definitive books in this category. The Library Thing page I linked to also has several related books to check out.</p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-26T04:31:16.483Z
Published in 1952 per Amazon
Pat Ludwig
CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-20T20:08:44.767Z
2010-10-20T20:08:44.767Z
Don Kirkby
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Charles_Bell" rel="nofollow">R.C Bell</a> wrote several books on board games, though I don't think they were as structured as the Oxford book that Jeremiah already mentioned.</p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-20T20:07:48.027Z
2010-10-20T20:07:48.027Z
Don Kirkby
<p><em><a href="http://www.warehouse23.com/item.html?id=DSP034" rel="nofollow">Dork Tower #34: A Brief History of Gaming</a></em> is a comic book featuring the early history of board games. <a href="https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/John_Kovalic" rel="nofollow">John Kovalic</a> is the author/illustrator (he is also a game designer) who created Dork Tower, a comic book that frequently features gaming of all kinds.</p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-28T15:33:41.343Z
2010-10-28T15:33:41.343Z
livingtech
<p>I am currently reading (and very much enjoying) <em>A World of Chess: Its Development and Variations Through Centuries and Civilizations</em>, by Jean-Louis Cazaux and Rick Knowlton. It's very much specific to chess, but of course chess was and continues to be a big part of the history of board games. What I'm finding particularly awesome about the book is that it goes into the mechanics of chess in each of its many incarnations over the times and places its been played. Anyone interested in this topic (history of board games) will absolutely find it fascinating.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-09T17:24:33.837Z
2018-02-09T17:24:33.837Z
livingtech
<p>Is there a good book about the history of board games? </p>

<p>Preferably the book would cover all the way from the ancient games to the newest fads in the market.</p>

CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-19T21:33:53.767Z
Is the "book" tag something that's actually going to occur often enough to warrant a tag?
lilserf
CC BY-SA 2.5
2010-10-20T20:15:10.350Z
@lilserf The beta is a good test of which tags will occur often enough. If a tag only occurs once, it will eventually be automatically deleted. If it occurs only a few times by the late beta, we should consider removing it or merging it with something more general. If it's used reasonably often, and there are no obvious merge targets, then it's probably a good tag. This is something that doesn't need to be fixed immediately, but we can wait and see how it's used; extra tags don't cause much harm.
Brian Campbell
<history>
History of board games
lavonardo
# History of board games

(Asked by: username_0 on 2010-10-19)

Is there a good book about the history of board games?

Preferably the book would cover all the way from the ancient games to the newest fads in the market.

**Tags:** history

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Is the "book" tag something that's actually going to occur often enough to warrant a tag?  
> **username_2**: @username_1 The beta is a good test of which tags will occur often enough. If a tag only occurs once, it will eventually be automatically deleted. If it occurs only a few times by the late beta, we should consider removing it or merging it with something more general. If it's used reasonably often, and there are no obvious merge targets, then it's probably a good tag. This is something that doesn't need to be fixed immediately, but we can wait and see how it's used; extra tags don't cause much harm.  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2010-10-19. Score: 8

While not a direct answer, check out the recent "[Hobby Games, the 100 best](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1932442960)" book. It has games from the last 100 years and there is a *lot* of history contained within its page. Each entry is written by a game designer as well.

I enjoyed the book very much, learned a ton.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2010-10-20. Score: 4

I think [A History of Board Games Other Than Chess](http://www.librarything.com/work/171618) is one of the definitive books in this category. The Library Thing page I linked to also has several related books to check out.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Published in 1952 per Amazon  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2010-10-20. Score: 2

[R.C Bell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Charles_Bell) wrote several books on board games, though I don't think they were as structured as the Oxford book that Jeremiah already mentioned.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2010-10-28. Score: 2

*[Dork Tower #34: A Brief History of Gaming](http://www.warehouse23.com/item.html?id=DSP034)* is a comic book featuring the early history of board games. [John Kovalic](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/John_Kovalic) is the author/illustrator (he is also a game designer) who created Dork Tower, a comic book that frequently features gaming of all kinds.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2018-02-09. Score: 0

I am currently reading (and very much enjoying) *A World of Chess: Its Development and Variations Through Centuries and Civilizations*, by Jean-Louis Cazaux and Rick Knowlton. It's very much specific to chess, but of course chess was and continues to be a big part of the history of board games. What I'm finding particularly awesome about the book is that it goes into the mechanics of chess in each of its many incarnations over the times and places its been played. Anyone interested in this topic (history of board games) will absolutely find it fascinating.


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