Designers & Dragons: The '70s
A History of the Roleplaying Game Industry
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Narrated by:
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Colby Elliott
About this listen
Designers & Dragons: The ’70s is a comprehensive picture of the beginnings of the RPG industry. This second edition expands the original single book into a series of four, and we’ve added over 50,000 new words to this volume alone. Learn about the colorful history of TSR and the wave of D&D inspired games (and gaming companies) to follow, and dip your toes into war gaming trivia. Regardless of your gaming background, Shannon Appelcline’s meticulously researched history won’t disappoint.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2013 Shannon Appelcline (P)2020 Last Word AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
2015 Gold ENnie Award Winner - Best RPG Related Product
"I could have easily finished everything in one go…and is, by definition, a must-buy for every role-player out there." (RPG.net)
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By: Anita Elberse
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Pure Invention
- How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World
- By: Matt Alt
- Narrated by: Matt Alt
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Japan is the forge of the world’s fantasies: karaoke and the Walkman, manga and anime, Pac-Man and Pokémon, online imageboards and emojis. But as Japan media veteran Matt Alt proves in this brilliant investigation, these novelties did more than entertain. They paved the way for our perplexing modern lives.
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great book ruined by ending
- By Grant Holder on 06-07-22
By: Matt Alt
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The Untold Story of the Talking Book
- By: Matthew Rubery
- Narrated by: Jim Denison
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Histories of the book often move straight from the codex to the digital screen. Left out of that familiar account is nearly 150 years of audio recordings. Recounting the fascinating history of audio-recorded literature, Matthew Rubery traces the path of innovation from Edison's recitation of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" for his tinfoil phonograph in 1877 to the first novel-length talking books made for blinded World War I veterans to today's billion-dollar audiobook industry.
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A Historical Review of Audiobooks
- By Jean on 07-20-17
By: Matthew Rubery
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Meatball Sundae
- By: Seth Godin
- Narrated by: Seth Godin
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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New Marketing, whose tools include things like MySpace, You Tube, Web sites, permission marketing, cable TV, and viral techniques, is reshaping our world. But many companies try to use the tools without first getting their organization and products in sync with them. The result: what Seth Godin calls a "meatball sundae". A big, ineffective mess.
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Meatball Godin
- By Oliver Nielsen on 09-11-08
By: Seth Godin
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Printer's Error
- Irreverent Stories from Book History
- By: Rebecca Romney, J. P. Romney
- Narrated by: J.P. Romney
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Since the Gutenberg Bible first went on sale in 1455, printing has been viewed as one of the highest achievements of human innovation. But the march of progress hasn't been smooth; downright bizarre is more like it. Printer's Error chronicles some of the strangest and most humorous episodes in the history of Western printing. Take, for example, the Gutenberg Bible. While the book is regarded as the first printed work in the Western world, Gutenberg's name doesn't appear anywhere on it.
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Porn for Ye Old Bibliophiles
- By George M. Liveakos on 03-24-17
By: Rebecca Romney, and others
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Before and After the Book Deal
- A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book
- By: Courtney Maum
- Narrated by: Courtney Maum
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Everything you've ever wanted to know about publishing but were too afraid to ask is right here in this funny, candid guide by acclaimed author Courtney Maum. Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book has over 150 contributors from all walks of the industry, including internationally best-selling authors Anthony Doerr, Roxane Gay, Garth Greenwell, Lisa Ko, R. O. Kwon, Rebecca Makkai, and Ottessa Moshfegh, alongside cult favorites Sarah Gerard, Melissa Febos, Mitchell S. Jackson, and Mira Jacob.
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A gem for early-stage writers
- By Ludmil Mitrev on 03-20-21
By: Courtney Maum
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The Click Moment
- Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World
- By: Frans Johansson
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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On the one hand we aren’t surprised by the uncertainty of everyday life, but on the other we believe that success can be analyzed and planned for. It is a revealing paradox. The implications are explosive and they obliterate every common-sense notion we have about strategy and planning. The Click Moment is about two very simple but highly provocative ideas.
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Outstanding book!
- By Anilyn Karel on 08-26-24
By: Frans Johansson
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The Book You Were Born to Write
- Everything You Need to (Finally) Get Your Wisdom onto the Page and into the World
- By: Kelly Notaras
- Narrated by: Kelly Notaras
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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A guide to writing a full-length transformational nonfiction book, from an editor with two decades' experience working with authors from all walks of life.
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Both Funny and Informative
- By Emily C. Maher on 02-15-21
By: Kelly Notaras
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Trade-Off
- Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don't
- By: Kevin Maney
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In Trade-Off, Kevin Maney shows how these conflicting forces determine the success, or failure, of new products and services in the marketplace. He shows that almost every decision we make as consumers involves a trade-off between fidelity and convenience between the products we love and the products we need.
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No Trade-Offs for Reading Trade-Off
- By Joshua Kim on 06-10-12
By: Kevin Maney
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World Without Mind
- The Existential Threat of Big Tech
- By: Franklin Foer
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Franklin Foer reveals the existential threat posed by big tech, and in his brilliant polemic gives us the toolkit to fight their pervasive influence. Over the past few decades there has been a revolution in terms of who controls knowledge and information. This rapid change has imperiled the way we think. Without pausing to consider the cost, the world has rushed to embrace the products and services of four titanic corporations. We shop with Amazon, socialize on Facebook, turn to Apple for entertainment, and rely on Google for information.
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5-Star Book with a 1-Star Title
- By David Larson on 09-18-17
By: Franklin Foer
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The Art of Business Wars
- Battle-Tested Lessons for Leaders and Entrepreneurs from History's Greatest Rivalries
- By: David Brown
- Narrated by: David Brown
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Based on the chart-topping Business Wars podcast, stories, and lessons from history’s greatest business rivalries, interspersed with audio clips from the podcast. Using Chinese military genius Sun Tzu’s strategies as a guide, Brown examines why some companies triumph while others crumble....
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Just a repeat of the pod cast…..
- By Vm2008 on 02-01-22
By: David Brown
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The Stephen King Companion
- Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror
- By: George Beahm
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper, Claire Christie
- Length: 24 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The Stephen King Companion is an authoritative look at horror author King's personal life and professional career, from Carrie to The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. King expert George Beahm, who has published extensively about Maine's main author, is your seasoned guide to the imaginative world of Stephen King, covering his varied and prodigious output: juvenalia, short fiction, limited edition books, best-selling novels, and film adaptations.
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A Kingopedia: Books, Movies, Bio and Art
- By tru britty on 02-28-16
By: George Beahm
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The original Dungeons & Dragons released by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) in 1974 created a radical new medium: the role-playing game. For the next two decades, TSR rocketed to success. But by 1997, a series of ruinous choices and failed projects brought TSR to the edge of doom—only to be saved by their fiercest competitor, Wizards of the Coast. Unearthed from Ben Riggs’s own adventurous campaign of in-depth research, interviews with major players, and acquisitions of secret documents, Slaying the Dragon reveals the true story of the rise and fall of TSR.
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Excellent History of D&D
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King of the Nerds
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Of Dice and Men
- The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It
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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.
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Interesting Topic, but Terrible Execution.
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Game Wizards
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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 pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
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Nice and grounded
- By Anonymous User on 06-22-22
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So You Want to Be a Game Master
- Everything You Need to Start Your Tabletop Adventure for Dungeon's and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Other Systems
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- Length: 17 hrs and 42 mins
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Thanks to tabletop roleplay, millions of fans are creating unforgettable collaborative stories. No matter what roleplaying game you want to play, this book is the key to unlocking endless adventure!
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Missing the necessary accompanying pdf
- By Heather Hamstra on 12-13-23
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The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters
- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Book 1
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In The Monsters Know What They're Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM's burden by helping you understand your monsters' abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game session begins. Just as soldiers don't whip out their field manuals for the first time when they're already under fire, a DM shouldn't wait until the PCs have just encountered a dozen bullywugs to figure out how they advance, fight, and retreat.
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Audible Got this RIGHT - Chapters have names!
- By Lego Man on 02-13-20
By: Keith Ammann
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Slaying the Dragon
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Overall
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The original Dungeons & Dragons released by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) in 1974 created a radical new medium: the role-playing game. For the next two decades, TSR rocketed to success. But by 1997, a series of ruinous choices and failed projects brought TSR to the edge of doom—only to be saved by their fiercest competitor, Wizards of the Coast. Unearthed from Ben Riggs’s own adventurous campaign of in-depth research, interviews with major players, and acquisitions of secret documents, Slaying the Dragon reveals the true story of the rise and fall of TSR.
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Excellent History of D&D
- By T.M. Lankford on 01-09-23
By: Ben Riggs
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- Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons
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The life story of Gary Gygax, godfather of all fantasy adventure games, has been told only in bits and pieces. Michael Witwer has crafted a dynamic, dramatized biography of Gygax from his childhood in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to his untimely death in 2008. Gygax’s magnum opus, Dungeons & Dragons, would explode in popularity throughout the 1970s and ’80s and irreversibly alter the world of gaming. Gygax’s involvement in the industry lasted long after his dramatic and involuntary departure, and his footprint can be seen in the role-playing genre he is largely responsible for creating.
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King of the Nerds
- By Chris Puckett on 12-08-23
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Of Dice and Men
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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.
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Interesting Topic, but Terrible Execution.
- By Diebold on 02-11-14
By: David M. Ewalt
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Game Wizards
- The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons
- By: Jon Peterson
- Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla
- Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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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 pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
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Nice and grounded
- By Anonymous User on 06-22-22
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Missing the necessary accompanying pdf
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- The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Book 1
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Audible Got this RIGHT - Chapters have names!
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What listeners say about Designers & Dragons: The '70s
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- RAW-ATX
- 01-02-22
the forgotten realm of where RPGs arize
Listened with joy. The creative process in groups is on full display. this book teaches how to aim and hit the cultural spirit of the times. it shows how the dungeon crawl of papers and pay checks supports the underground RPG industrial complex.it is both campaign and seduction.
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- Dave Adams
- 11-14-24
Voluminous and Intriguing
For Gen-Xers like me that played RPGs at their birth and since, this is a wonderful walk down memory lane. For those interested purely in the history and professional business relationships in the industry (as and after it became one) the detail is rich. The only downside is that, though the narrator is wonderful, and audio reading of dates and facts can get occasionally pedantic. That, however, does not impermissibly detract from the work. Enjoy!
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- Jeremiah Mccoy
- 03-17-23
A great history of the industry
One of the more comprehensive surveys of the TTRPG industry's early days and not just D&D.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Matt Moore
- 06-11-24
A Clear and Concise of RPG's Beginnings
Well narrated and a feep delve into the structural formation of the roleplaying-game industry, warts and all. An absolute must-read (or listen) of you enjoy RPGs.
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1 person found this helpful
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- michael sorensen
- 03-24-23
Poor quality recording equals frustration
Regardless of how many times I download this title the audio quality is extremely poor. There are constant gaps in the recording that ruin the listening experience. Really shoddy work.
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