diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES b/RELEASE-NOTES
--- a/RELEASE-NOTES
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+hstzaar 0.8.1 10/08/2011
+- added "about this program" dialog 
+
 hstzaar 0.8 30/06/2011
 - fixed crash on clicking Cancel button of file dialogs
 - fixed incorrect behaviour of AI Level 2 (wrong comparison)
diff --git a/hstzaar.cabal b/hstzaar.cabal
--- a/hstzaar.cabal
+++ b/hstzaar.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:    hstzaar
-version: 0.8
+version: 0.8.1
 
 category: Game
 
diff --git a/hstzaar.glade b/hstzaar.glade
--- a/hstzaar.glade
+++ b/hstzaar.glade
@@ -148,6 +148,25 @@
                 </child>
               </widget>
             </child>
+            <child>
+              <widget class="GtkMenuItem" id="menuitem6">
+                <property name="visible">True</property>
+                <property name="label" translatable="yes">_Help</property>
+                <property name="use_underline">True</property>
+                <child>
+                  <widget class="GtkMenu" id="menu3">
+                    <property name="visible">True</property>
+                    <child>
+                      <widget class="GtkMenuItem" id="menu_item_about">
+                        <property name="visible">True</property>
+                        <property name="label" translatable="yes">About this program</property>
+                        <property name="use_underline">True</property>
+                      </widget>
+                    </child>
+                  </widget>
+                </child>
+              </widget>
+            </child>
           </widget>
           <packing>
             <property name="expand">False</property>
@@ -200,6 +219,71 @@
           <packing>
             <property name="expand">False</property>
             <property name="position">2</property>
+          </packing>
+        </child>
+      </widget>
+    </child>
+  </widget>
+  <widget class="GtkAboutDialog" id="aboutdialog1">
+    <property name="border_width">5</property>
+    <property name="window_position">center</property>
+    <property name="type_hint">normal</property>
+    <property name="gravity">center</property>
+    <property name="program_name">HsTZAAR</property>
+    <property name="version">0.0</property>
+    <property name="copyright" translatable="yes">Copyright (c) Tom Hawkins &amp; Pedro Vasconcelos 2011</property>
+    <property name="comments" translatable="yes">A computer program to play the board game TZAAR designed by Kris Burm in 2007 as the final part of the GIPF series of abstract strategy games.
+
+Programmed using the Haskell programming language, the  GTK+ toolkit and the Cairo graphic libraries.
+Windows installer assembled using Inno Setup.
+</property>
+    <property name="website">http://www.dcc.fc.up.pt/~pbv/stuff/hstzaar</property>
+    <property name="license" translatable="yes">
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+are met:
+1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+3. Neither the name of the author nor the names of his contributors
+   may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
+   without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHORS ``AS IS'' AND
+ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
+OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
+OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
+SUCH DAMAGE.
+</property>
+    <property name="authors">Pedro Vasconcelos &lt;pbv@dcc.fc.up.pt&gt;.
+Based on the HTZAAR program by Tom Hawkins &lt;tomhawkins.org&gt;.
+</property>
+    <child internal-child="vbox">
+      <widget class="GtkVBox" id="dialog-vbox2">
+        <property name="visible">True</property>
+        <property name="spacing">2</property>
+        <child>
+          <placeholder/>
+        </child>
+        <child internal-child="action_area">
+          <widget class="GtkHButtonBox" id="dialog-action_area2">
+            <property name="visible">True</property>
+            <property name="layout_style">end</property>
+          </widget>
+          <packing>
+            <property name="expand">False</property>
+            <property name="pack_type">end</property>
+            <property name="position">0</property>
           </packing>
         </child>
       </widget>
diff --git a/src/GUI.hs b/src/GUI.hs
--- a/src/GUI.hs
+++ b/src/GUI.hs
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@
   Pedro Vasconcelos, 2011
 -}
 module GUI (gui) where
-
+import Data.Version
+import Paths_hstzaar(version)
 import Graphics.UI.Gtk hiding  (eventSent,on)
 import Graphics.UI.Gtk.Gdk.Events
 import Graphics.UI.Gtk.Glade
-import Graphics.Rendering.Cairo
+import Graphics.Rendering.Cairo hiding (version)
 import Data.Function (on)
 import qualified Data.IntMap as IntMap
 import Data.IntMap (IntMap, (!))
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@
 data GUI = GUI {
       mainwin  :: Window,
       canvas   :: DrawingArea,
+      aboutdiag :: AboutDialog,
       statusbar:: Statusbar,
       progressbar:: ProgressBar,
       menu_item_new :: MenuItem,
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@
       menu_item_show_moves :: CheckMenuItem,
       menu_item_random_start :: CheckMenuItem,
       menu_item_ai_players :: [(RadioMenuItem, AI)],
+      menu_item_about :: MenuItem,
       open_file_chooser :: FileChooserDialog,
       save_file_chooser :: FileChooserDialog,
       contextid :: ContextId
@@ -110,6 +113,7 @@
          Nothing -> error ("unable to open glade file " ++ show path)
          Just xml -> 
              do mw <- xmlGetWidget xml castToWindow "mainwindow"
+                abd <- xmlGetWidget xml castToAboutDialog "aboutdialog1"
                 fr <- xmlGetWidget xml castToFrame "frame1"
                 sb <- xmlGetWidget xml castToStatusbar "statusbar"
                 pb <- xmlGetWidget xml castToProgressBar "progressbar"
@@ -123,7 +127,9 @@
                 msh<- xmlGetWidget xml castToCheckMenuItem "menu_item_show_heights"
                 msm<- xmlGetWidget xml castToCheckMenuItem "menu_item_show_moves"
                 mrs<- xmlGetWidget xml castToCheckMenuItem "menu_item_random_start"
+                mab<- xmlGetWidget xml castToMenuItem "menu_item_about"
                 -- fill in dynamic parts
+                aboutDialogSetVersion abd (showVersion version)       
                 bd <- drawingAreaNew
                 containerAdd fr bd
                 m<- xmlGetWidget xml castToMenu "menu_ai"
@@ -145,8 +151,8 @@
                 fileChooserAddFilter svf ff
                 cid <- statusbarGetContextId sb "status"
                 widgetShowAll mw
-                return (GUI mw bd sb pb mn mo ms mq mun mre mpa 
-                        msh msm mrs (zip (r:rs) (map snd aiPlayers)) opf svf cid)
+                return (GUI mw bd abd sb pb mn mo ms mq mun mre mpa 
+                        msh msm mrs (zip (r:rs) (map snd aiPlayers)) mab opf svf cid)
 
 
 -- | connect event handlers for GUI elements
@@ -162,6 +168,10 @@
                                return (eventSent x)
 
          onDestroy (mainwin gui) mainQuit
+         onActivateLeaf (menu_item_about gui) $ 
+                        do { dialogRun (aboutdiag gui)
+                           ; widgetHide (aboutdiag gui)
+                           }
          onActivateLeaf (menu_item_quit gui) mainQuit
          onActivateLeaf (menu_item_new gui) $ newGame gui gameRef 
          onActivateLeaf (menu_item_open gui) $ 
