Gary Brueggeman\'s website

[Dagann]

yes sending him a mail is a really good idea.

We are still waiting for his book, which would have been released a long time ago, but nothing came.

[Publius Nonius Severus]

After tracking down Gary's current e-mail address and our e-mails bouncing around in cyberspace for a while I have received an update from Gary on his site and latest efforts. He has given me permission to share it with you so I have posted his reply below. Gary also has a question for RAT community as well.

Dear Peter,

Thanks for the note. As I am sure you know, my site is largely inactive just now. For many reasons. In part, because I cannot find a free permanent site that would ensure its survival beyond the time I wish to continue keeping it up. (I'm 65 and won't want to keep at this for too many more years.) Publishing was and continues to be a factor. I have a general offer to publish whatever I want to work up -- potentially a series of books -- but they must be of "interest to the general public." Frankly, I'm not so sure I want to do that. All of the really interesting stuff is esoteric and, consequently, of interest to just a select few. Putting a lot of energy into something for the general reader is not really where I want to spend my time. So I am undecided about the publishing angle.

On the other hand, I gave a lecture last year and wrote up a 20 page journal article on the Roman Camp. I am considering testing the publishing waters using that as a basis.

Pirating was a problem, as I think I mentioned to the Roman Army Talk group once before. I think I know how to protect some of the material but that takes a lot of time and fiddle that I just don't have a lot of enthusiasm for.

Another problem with the website is space. My illustrations are huge and I need many megs of space. To squeeze things onto the existing site I had to reduce every image to the lowest quality and even then I could not put up everything I wanted to. Not only is reducing every image a lot of extra
work, I don't like the results. Before I spend months re-working the site I'd want to have a site large enough to handle my needs. I haven't done an active search for some months but the last time I did I couldn't find anything.

A site you have to pay for is not what I want. In part, because it would disappear as soon as I quit keeping it up. And, as I said above, I'm not going to stay at this for many more years. What I'd really like to find is a permanent home for the material under the care of someone who would at the least continue to make it available.

An alternative I am considering is turning the expanded site into some DVD's and offering them for sale. That would probably be the best solution for me, though I'm not sure just how much interest there would be out there in the marketplace.

So that's about it for now. You are welcome to share the information with those on the board. The old e-mail address you used is from the site. I really don't use it anymore and only check it once in a blue moon -- I just today got your February mail, for example. For those who really want to correspond, my email is garybrueg *AT* charter.net. Although the site is not very active, my interest is and I welcome correspondence.

Now a question for you and the whole group. Does anyone on the board have any archery experience? I am mulling over an aspect of missile warfare and would like to bounce a few questions off someone who has actual experience.

And finally, Peter, a personal note. Since I have let the site become dormant I am not much in touch with readers. I tend to forget that for some folks the site is still interesting, useful and even valuable. It was good to be reminded. Thanks.

Gary

I am encouraged by the possible journal publishing angle as well as the DVD idea. I wished him luck in his website and other possible website endeavors as well. As Gary requested, If anyone has any archery experience and is willing to discuss it with him let me know or contact Gary directly. I will post updates as I received them.

[richsc]

I'd certainly buy the CD, or books: has he approached Osprey? This sounds like it's up their alley.

[Praefectusclassis]

Approach Ancient Warfare
As for his site problem, I would be more than willing to set him up on a subdomain of Romanarmy.com (like Brueggeman.romanarmy.com). I have oodles of space available and I'm not likely to give this site up anytime soon.

[jvrjenivs]

I'd also surely buy a DVD if he gonna publish his goods on that way, and wish him al my luck with republishing the stuff.

If he needs any help with republishing on the web, I'm voluntering to help him with a new website set-up, etc, althrough I think that a sub-domain on RomanArmy.com is well-deserved for his nice piece of information.