Posts: 3,063
Threads: 218
Joined: Feb 2010
Reputation:
2
Quote:Vindex post=317041 Wrote:Any book on a specialist topic without a decent set of footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography - preferably dominated by primary sources not other books from the same author - particularly if they are claiming to have something new to say.
Hmmm ... I've read so many books recently that are simply padded with unnecessary footnotes (of the "look how well-read I am" variety) and bulked out with pages of equally unnecessary bibliography (of the same variety) ... :roll: (Of course, I wouldn't dream of naming names.)
Which is why the operative word is "decent"...
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
Posts: 3,616
Threads: 130
Joined: Apr 2004
Reputation:
52
Quote:To add to the previous title-count, I just went through the Amazon entries for Alexander the Great - 69 modern histories, not counting novels and childrens' books!
Oddly, some publishers are more keen to commission books on well-worn topics, as it implies that there is substantial interest, and less keen to commission books on a topic that isn't tried and tested.
A few years ago, when I tried to drum up interest in a book on Rome's German Frontier, one publisher asked me to list all the books that could be seen as "the competition"; when I explained that there weren't any (in English), it all went rather quiet. The implication seems to be that, if there isn't already a book about it, then it must mean that nobody's interested in it. :roll:
Posts: 329
Threads: 22
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation:
2
Quote: The implication seems to be that, if there isn't already a book about it, then it must mean that nobody's interested in it. :roll:
Oddly, the opposite appears to be true of "Pen and Sword", which was one of the main reasons for me signing an extended deal with them. They wanted to cover areas that had previously been unexplored. (Resists urge to enter 'Star Trek mode'!)
Ian (Sonic) Hughes
"I have described nothing but what I saw myself, or learned from others" - Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
"I have just jazzed mine up a little" - Spike Milligan, World War II
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
77
Quote:Sonic Wrote:Is there any historical person where, if a new 'biography' was available, you'd just ignore it completely?
How about Cleopatra VII?
Quote:I don't think I've finished any book on Constatine yet (hope I don't shock anyone!!).
Quote:They do get to be a bit of a trudge once you reach the Christian doctinal controversies...
Agreed, Nathan. The ones I've read tend to focus or reduce his 30 year reign to two events - his conversion to/ legalization of Christianity and his founding of Constantinople. Too many books about Constantine, Theodosius, perhaps evn Julian.. or 'the fall of the Roman empire', or even 'Late Antiquity' in general! Why not a book about 'Late Roman Gaul', or any such a region. Or books about Licninius, Magnentius, Valentinian I? Ian, I suppose you have your eyes set on Magnus Maximus? ;-)
Posts: 329
Threads: 22
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation:
2
Quote:Too many books about Constantine, Theodosius, perhaps even Julian.. or 'the Fall of the Roman Empire', or even 'Late Antiquity' in general! Why not a book about 'Late Roman Gaul', or any such region. Or books about Licinius, Magnentius, Valentinian I? Ian, I suppose you have your eyes set on Magnus Maximus? ;-)
At some point in the future I should think Magnus Maximus might feature.
At the moment though I'm too busy finishing 'Valentinian and Valens'. Mind you, I think I might be going over the top on maps: two emperors plus campaigns in Africa, Britain, along the Rhine, along the Danube, and in the East ... I am currently drawing what I hope is the last map. It's number 33! ad:
Once this is finished, it's recovery time before the next magnum opus!
Ian (Sonic) Hughes
"I have described nothing but what I saw myself, or learned from others" - Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
"I have just jazzed mine up a little" - Spike Milligan, World War II
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
77
Quote:Once this is finished, it's recovery time before the next magnum opus!
No haste. I'm currenlty reading your Stilicho, and Aetius awaits!
Posts: 1,470
Threads: 253
Joined: Sep 2007
Reputation:
3
Rather than a book about a specific named person I would like to see a book like:
The Augustin Roman Officers Guide similar in content to the "The Army Officers Guide"
Of course a lot of material would have to be "best guess".
Posts: 4,861
Threads: 129
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation:
32
Wait the book on Aetius came out? I looked for it in July but couldn't find anything.
I'm gonna have to draw money out of my Subarmalis fund for this.
Posts: 329
Threads: 22
Joined: Jun 2007
Reputation:
2
It came out in May in Britain/Rest of the World but possibly didn't reach the US until July. Glad to see that you're interested, but I'm surprised that you'd take the money out of the subarmalis fund! Are you sure about this?
Ian (Sonic) Hughes
"I have described nothing but what I saw myself, or learned from others" - Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
"I have just jazzed mine up a little" - Spike Milligan, World War II
Posts: 4,861
Threads: 129
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation:
32
80 dollars isn't much anyways. I planned on making my own with 2oz Leather and stuff anyways.
I just gotta wait for my mom to pay me back, she borrows money form me all the time. I should really start charging interest.
|