Famous Game & How It Got That Way, Philip
E. Orbanes seeks the answer to these questions and more. THE GAMER'S BOOKSHELF
MONOPOLY: THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS GAME
& HOW IT GOT THAT WAY
by Philip E. Orbanes
(Da Capo Press, 262 pages with photos, $26)
In the World of Games, no
proprietary game has reached the pinnacle of success enjoyed by Monopoly.
Which begs the question "Why?". Where did this phenomenon come from? Why did Monopoly,
out of all the boardgames released into the marketplace, connect so strongly with
generations of consumers? What accounts for the rise from "mere" game
to cultural icon? In his new book, Monopoly:
The World's Most Famous Game & How It Got That Way, Philip
E. Orbanes seeks the answer to these questions and more.
Few people are more qualified to embark on such an undertaking. Orbanes knows the game industry from a variety of perspectives. Not only is he a noted game designer (Cartel, Infinity, Forbidden, Trumpet and more) but Orbanes has served in executive positions in several game companies including tenures at Gamut of Games in the 1970s right up to today where he guides Winning Moves. More to the point for insight into Monopoly, Orbanes' resume includes a stint as a Vice President at Parker Brothers.
Although an unabashed fan of the game, it was only in college while visiting game designer Sid Sackson that Orbanes discovered that there was something BEFORE Monopoly. In his book, Orbanes delves into the shrouded origins of the game illuminating its beginnings and tracing the game's path and development against a background of popular history. Orbanes charts the influence of the Single Tax theory of Henry George on Elizabeth Magie Phillips who incorporated this theory into her design of an "educational" game she called The Landlord's Game. The popularity of this game on college campuses in the early 20th Century, spurred by the many homemade versions constructed by fans of the game, gave the game an "underground" fan base which expanded as more and more people were exposed to it - including Charles Darrow . It was Darrow who ended up making the Parker Brothers deal (and receiving erroneous credit as its creator instead of, Orbanes argues, what we would call, more accurately, the "developer"). All of this is told against the backdrop of the growth of Atlantic City and the events of the turbulent times including the World Wars with the Great Depression sandwiched in between. But Orbanes doesn't stop there.
In bringing the story of Monopoly to the present day, Orbanes goes into the rise of Monopoly overseas with special emphasis on the role of John Waddingtons Ltd. in spreading the impact of the game into Europe (including the part Monopoly played in smuggling escape equipment to British prisoners of war in Nazi prison camps). He follows the rise and fall and rise of the fortunes of Parker Brothers and how Monopoly helped keep the company vital. He tracks the start of the Monopoly World Championship competitions (including some highlights of some of the superior plays in a few crucial games) in which the author was judge.
The volume has photos sprinkled throughout the text with the center of the book devoted to an impressive photo gallery of such rarities as The Landlord Game, early self-produced versions of the pre-official-Monopoly, early Monopoly editions and more. The appendixes provide more insight including a listing of various Monopoly editions and spin-offs, the original rules to the game as written by George Parker in 1935, rules for Finance (another offshoot of The Landlord Game which Parker later acquired and kept in the line for decades) and still more.
Monopoly: The World's Most Famous Game & How It Got That Way is a book that transcends its subject. While fans of the game will find the book a worthwhile read, the strength of the book is how deftly Orbanes combines the growth of the game with the flow of history to better understand and appreciate the reasons behind the hold on the consciousness of both American and international audiences Monopoly enjoys to this day. The book is engaging, engrossing and entertaining and well worth a slot on the bookshelf of any gamer and anyone else interested in popular history. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Herb Levy
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