The Last King of Scotland - Shut Up & Sit Down

Review: Last King of Scotland

(After the SU&SD primer on wargames earlier this month, Brendan’s refusing to go back to Matt Thrower’s house, which is strange. He seems very nice. This time we sent Paul to visit, for a closer look at an adorable little entry wargame.)

Thrower: Do come in. You may leave your shoes on if you wish. I lost a caltrop earlier.

Paul: Thank you so much for the dinner invite! It smells delicious.

Thrower: You’re welcome. Some of my oldest survival rations were beginning to moulder.

Paul: I… oh. What’s that box, there, buried under the camouflage netting? Wait, why is there camouflage netting in your kitchen?

Thrower: I’m glad you asked about the box. That’s my newest game, The Last King of Scotland. I was hoping we might play while dinner finished.

The modern wars in Africa provide a rich arena of different and unique gaming situations beyond WWII in North Africa (where most wargames have concentrated their examination of wars in Africa). Some of these wars were short affairs of a few months, while others raged for twenty years or more. Each of these modern African wars shaped the political and military future of the continent and they are still finding their way into today’s headlines.

The African Wars series provides a means for understanding these wars that shaped modern Africa and current world opinion.

The Last King of Scotland, the first in the African Wars series by designer Dennis Bishop, simulates the Uganda-Tanzania War of 1978 – 1979 that ousted Uganda’s President for Life, Idi Amin Dada. With a seeming fascination for all things Scottish, Idi Amin referred to himself as the “uncrowned king of Scotland”. When Amin fled Uganda, in a sense he truly became “The Last King of Scotland.”

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