Game Wizards

By Jon Peterson,

Book cover of Game Wizards: The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons

Book description

The story of the arcane table-top game that became a pop culture phenomenon and the long-running legal battle waged by its cocreators.

When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success--and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep the lights on. Or join the rebellion as a member.

Why read it?

1 author picked Game Wizards as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I started playing Dungeons & Dragons back in 1977, and this book chronicles the rise of the game and the conflicts among the men who created it: Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

I saw a lot of this history from the outside, via hobby magazines and gossip, but Peterson's exhaustive and detailed research helped me understand what was really going on. He paints a fair picture of flawed people trying to understand the new type of game they invented, and come to grips with the new hobby community that grew up around it.

One comes away feeling a little sorry…

Want books like Game Wizards?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Game Wizards.

Browse books like Game Wizards

Book cover of Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It
Book cover of Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds
Book cover of The Unlikely Ones

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,118

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Dungeons & Dragons, RPG, and pop culture?

RPG 30 books
Pop Culture 165 books