Politics of Play

Historically deep, theoretically acute and empirically sure-footed, Aggie Hirst has written a brilliant genealogy of the sublime pleasures and terrifying horrors born from the incestuous relationship of the ludic and the martial. After Politics of Play, the 'wargame' can no longer be treated as harmless fun or felicitous oxymoron but as the structure of feeling and agent of violence that increasingly defines the 21st century. * James Der Derian, Michael Hintze Chair of International Security, University of Sydney *
There has long been debate about what constitutes a theory of Wargaming; that debate can take a breather now, for this book constitutes the most comprehensive body of theory extant at this time. Merely reading the table of contents illuminates the wide range of topics important to the subject and forms a firm foundation for a formalized academic discipline of Wargaming, something debated and desired by the community for decades. My hat is off to her, and my applause is loud and sustained. * Peter Perla, Center for Naval Analyses and author of The Art of Wargaming *
Dr Hirst has written what we all have been wanting to read: a comprehensive theory of modern professional gaming. But, in addition to that, she has done so by building a very practical snapshot of the current thinking on professional gaming by some of the best practitioners in the field. This will be a fundamental reference text to understanding professional gaming, and a historical document that describes what the designers thought, and what we did, in this time of resurgent gaming. It will be a reference for theorists and historians alike. * Ed McGrady, Center for Naval Analyses *