War Diary Magazine

War Diary was announced with very little fanfare in the spring of 2014. According to the magazine's own website:

A new wargaming magazine, but decidedly old-school in our approach.

We don't publish any games, but then don't you already pay enough for games you may never play?

Published quarterly, each print issue of War Diary features articles on military history, game play and variants, game reviews, commentary, and insight from game designers and developers.

Please join us.  One year subscriptions (four print issues) for $28.00 (U.S. and Canada), and $36.00 (Overseas).

SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION INCENTIVE:  All subscribers will receive a discount code good for 25% of any purchase from Revolution Games!  Visit their website at http://revolutiongames.us to view their products. 1

The initial staff of the magazine, according to the website, included:

Roy Matheson, Editor. Roy has been a wargamer since high school, when he was first introduced to the classic Avalon Hill games Stalingrad, Afrika Korps, and Battle of the Bulge. During the "golden age of wargaming" he had articles published in Gamers Guide, International Wargamer, and Panzerfaust magazines. He also published Abwehr, a small wargaming magazine, for two years during that time. He is a U.S. Army veteran, having served for eight years as an intelligence analyst, and took early retirement from the federal government after a twenty year career spent writing legal briefs for the Social Security Administration.

Tom Cundiff, Associate Editor. Tom has been a wargamer since 1971, when he first played Avalon Hill's Stalingrad game. He is a graduate of Indiana State University, with majors in History and Foreign Affairs. His first article was accepted for publication in the Avalon Hill General, and he has had articles published in The Boardgamer, Moves, Fire & Movement, Panzerschreck, and Line of Departure. He is also the former publisher and editor of Old Soldiers magazine. He was also a founding partner in White Dog Games, and is a director at the Ernie Pyle Museum in Dana, Indiana (see erniepyle.org).2

Beginning with Vol. 3, No. 3 the magazine no longer carried a date of publication - perhaps homage to the difficulties in the modern age of maintaining deadlines which seems common among many of the smaller publications. Vol. 4 No. 2, which reached subscribers in the summer of 2020, contained the following editorial by the owner and founder, Roy Matheson:

 

After publishing fourteen issues, it is time to pause and look at where we've been and, more importantly, where War Diary is heading. War Diary was originally launched with little fanfare, and was intended to fill a void in my life after taking early retirement to help care for my mother...It was founded at the prompting of my wife, who knew that I had greatly enjoyed publishing a small amateur wargaming magazine years ago while a college student. It also fit in nicely with the skills that I had developed during my career writing legal briefs...

 

Notably, the magazine has evolved significantly during the course of publication. War Diary is now published in full color, and the quality of content, graphics, and presentation has improved dramatically. Our roster of contributing writers is ever expanding, and we are a welcoming platform for new writers.

The editorial went on to say that the subscription format changed, from four issue subscriptions, to three issues and a free game from Lock n' Load's "Battles on Demand" series. The move was a balance between the perceived desire of readers to acquire new games, and the editor's desire to focus on independent coverage of existing games (and not providing them in the magazine itself).3

 

In 2020, the numbering scheme changed from volume/issue format to a plain chronological issue number. Volume 4, Number 3 became Number 15.

 

Cover Gallery

 

Vol 1. No. 1
Spring 2014		 Vol 1. No. 2
Summer 2014		 Vol 1. No. 3
Autumn 2014		 Vol 1. No. 4
Winter 2015
Vol 2. No. 1
Spring 2015		 Vol 2. No. 2
Summer 2015		 Vol 2. No. 3
Autumn 2016		 Vol 2. No. 4
Winter 2016
Vol 3. No. 1
Autumn 2017		 Vol 3. No. 2
Winter 2018		 Vol 3. No. 34
 2018		 Vol 3. No. 4
2019
Vol 4. No. 1
2019		 Vol 4. No. 2
2020		 No. 155
 2020		 No. 16
2020
No. 17
2021		 No. 18
2021		 No. 19
2021		 No. 20
2022
No. 21
2022		 No. 22
2022		 No. 23
2023		 No. 24
2023
   
No. 25
2024		 No. 26
2024		    

 

Notes

  1. Publisher's Website at: http://wardiarymagazine.com/index.html
  2. Publisher's Website at: http://wardiarymagazine.com/contributors.html
  3. Matheson, Roy. "The State of the Union...or at least the magazine." War Diary Vol 4, No. 2, p.54
  4. Alternate cover:

    This issue also marks the point at which publication dates were no longer provided on the cover or title page. Dates shown here are from the copyright notice supplied on page 3 of each issue.
  5. Cover originally appeared on the website as:

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