Albert A. Nofi | |
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Al Nofi presentation at New York Military Affairs Symposium
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Born |
Brooklyn, New York, United States |
January 6, 1944
Occupation | Historian Game developer Educator |
Nationality | American |
Subject | Military History |
Albert A. Nofi (born January 6, 1944), is an American military historian, defense analyst, and designer of board and computer wargaming systems.
A native of Brooklyn, he attended New York City public schools, graduating from the Boys' High School (now Boys and Girls High School) in 1961. Nofi attended Fordham University, earning a bachelor's (1965) and a master's (1967), and then received a Ph.D. in Military History from the City University of New York (1991).
From 1965 through 1995, Nofi was a teacher and later administrator in the New York City public schools. Working primarily in alternative programs, such as the Harlem Preparatory School, Park East High School, and Unity High School at the Door, he retired as an assistant principal in 1995.
During this period he also built a parallel career as an independent historian, defense analyst, and wargame designer, working primarily with James F. Dunnigan, Redmond A. Simonsen, and David C. Isby at Simulations Publications (SPI). As research director for SPI and associate editor of the military historical simulations journal Strategy and Tactics for over a decade (1969–1982), he produced numerous articles and a number of wargames. Nofi also designed the strategic-level Roman Empire wargame Imperium Romanum (1979) for West End Games.
In addition to work for SPI, Nofi has authored, co-authored, or edited over 30 books on a wide variety of topics. Among his collaborators are Dunnigan, Bela Kiraly, Richard L. DiNardo, Kathleen Broome Williams, and others.
In 1999 Nofi became a research analyst with the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), in Alexandria, Virginia, where he worked with game theorist Peter P. Perla. Nofi was the CNA field representative to the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, in Newport, Rhode Island, from 2001 until mid-2005, before returning to CNA. While at CNA he wrote "Recent Trends in Thinking About Warfare" and several other analytical papers. He retired from CNA at the end of 2006.