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

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.

In Of Dice and Men, journalist David M. Ewalt chronicles the development of Dungeons & Dragons from the game's roots on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria of the 1980s that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, to its apotheosis as father of the modern video-game industry. As he examines the game's surprising history and assesses its profound impact on our culture, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp 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.

DAVID M. EWALT began playing Dungeons & Dragons when he was ten years old. Now an award-winning journalist, he writes about games for such publications as Forbes and New York magazine, talks about games on television and radio, and plays games in and around his Brooklyn, New York, home. Join him or find out more at davidmewalt.com.