Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It

Author(s): David M. Ewalt

Popular Culture

The Hobbit meets Moneyball in this definitive book on Dungeons & Dragons--from its origins and rise to cultural prominence to the continued effects on popular culture today.
HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS.
Ancient red dragons with 527 hit points, +44 to attack, and a 20d10 breath weapon, to be specific. In the world of fantasy role-playing, those numbers describe a winged serpent with immense strength and the ability to spit fire. There are few beasts more powerful--just like there are few games more important than Dungeons & Dragons.
Even if you've never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture. Released in 1974--decades before the Internet and social media--Dungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures, and is still revered by millions of fans around the world. Now the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player.
In Of Dice and Men, David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game's roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he chronicles the surprising history of the game's origins (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D's profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences. An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and memoir, Of Dice and Men sheds light on America's most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.

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"Incredibly endearing and sentimental. Of Dice and Men underlines the history, brings everything back to games, and gives non-believers a chance to understand what it is that makes TTRPGs so powerfully fun." -Rascal News "An engaging book that fuses history and memoir. [Ewalt] tracks D&D's turbulent rise, fall and survival, from its heyday in the 1980s... to the 21st century." -The Wall Street Journal "The core of Ewalt's story is his experience of role-playing games. He explains it about as well as anyone could, short of experiencing it yourself." -Seattle Times "Dungeons & Dragons has been a huge part of my life. The book sheds light on the world of [D&D co-creator] Gary Gygax, and it also lets the reader into the mind of somebody questioning how cool this game is." -Vin Diesel "A fascinating history of D&D written by an author who authentically loves the game. Whether you know what d20 means or not you will love this book!" -Felicia Day, actress, producer, creator of The Guild and Geek & Sundry "David Ewalt's wit, insight and infectious love of D&D make him the perfect guide to the most significant game of the twentieth century. The book is a joy to read." -Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist "The best book I've read since the Monster Manual." -David X. Cohen, executive producer of Futurama "A fascinating window into the storied history of fantasy pen and paper gaming. A must-read for anyone curious about the genre." -Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare "David Ewalt writes about the world of fantasy role-playing junkies with intelligence, dexterity, and even wisdom. (I am unable to speak to his strength, constitution, or charisma.)" -Ken Jennings, author of 100 Places to See After You Die and Maphead "It's almost impossible to explain how Dungeons & Dragons works, and harder still to explain how it feels. This book comes as close as any I've ever read." -Chuck Klosterman, author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and I Wear the Black Hat

David M. Ewalt is an award-winning journalist, author and speaker and an authority on the intersection of games and technology. He is the author of the books Defying Reality: The Inside Story of the Virtual Reality Revolution and Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It. He previously worked as the Editor in Chief of Gizmodo and wrote for The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Forbes. Find out more at DavidMEwalt.com.

Joe Manganiello holds a BFA in acting from The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. He won critical and popular praise for his role as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on HBO's hit series True Blood. Joe has appeared in films such as Magic Mike and What to Expect When You're Expecting, and played Flash Thompson in the Spiderman film series. He went toe-to-toe with his childhood hero and Evolution foreword author Arnold Schwarzenegger in David Ayer's film Sabotage. He can be seen in the highly anticipated Magic Mike XXL and starring in Ryan Murphy's Scream Queens on FOX.

General Fields

  • : 9781668050101
  • : Scribner
  • : Scribner
  • : 272.0
  • : 01 June 2024
  • : h213mm x w140mm x s20mm
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : David M. Ewalt
  • : Paperback
  • : English
  • : 793.93
  • : 336