Osprey\'s september pool - RAT won !!!

[Uwe Bahr]

Avete all,

hopefully this time they follow the very, very clear poll result:

[url:1dgztq2d]http://www.ospreypublishing.com/content2.php/cid=153[/url]

Greets - Uwe

[Praefectusclassis]

Excellent! I wonder if they have an author already...Come to think of it, Philip de Souza would be no surprise. He wrote for them before.

[Graham Sumner]

Well I do sometimes find it odd that many people who spend hours and hours writting on RAT often complaining about some of the books they have just read, do not write these things themselves!

So come on guys why not make an offer yourselves, earn yourselves some cash and I will be happy to do the illustrations for you

Graham.

[Narukami]

Graham,

I'm waiting for the announcement of your forth coming book "The Hollywood Roman Army Guide." (A title your suggested in another thread, in jest no doubt.)

I still think that's a great idea whose time has come, but perhaps in this I am in the minority.

Oh well, I can afford to be patient...

:wink:

Narukami

[Robert Vermaat]

Hey, where's that Byzantine cataphract that we so clearly won in an earlier poll?

[Graham Sumner]

Hi David

I certainly would like to do something along those lines but getting the images, or more importantly finding out who owns the copyright (which is not always the studios anymore) and then forking out loads of cash for permission to publish the pictures can prove both time consuming and costly! If you have ever read my book for Brassey's this explains why the chapter on movie uniforms only had two film scenes in. Universal Studios wanted something like $300 for the use of a single image from Spartacus so I declined but that was after I had paid the British Film Institute for two slides from the movie which had the reconstruction of the Auxiliary C helmet.

I suppose nowadays it is possible to screencap images direct from a DVD but I would need someone like Tarbicus's advice here and I guess I would still have to find out who owns copyright on many of the films.

One thing I have found out for instance is that the Roman Legionary uniforms in Jerusalem in 'The Robe' look pretty much the same as in A. Forestier's 1920's book on the Roman Soldier, so someone in Hollywood had done their homework as far as uniforms were concerned.

Graham.

[Graham Sumner]

Robert wrote:

Hey, where's that Byzantine cataphract that we so clearly won in an earlier poll?

Waiting for you to write it Robert!!!

Graham.

[Crispvs]

Ahh - Unfortunately for me, a book on daggers is not exactly what we would normally expect from Osprey. In any case, once I have done the research I know I still need to do, I think I will need a greater format than Oprey would be able to provide.
Mind you Graham, I think you too have had problems with Osprey's rather limited format and have plans for something more comprehensive don't you?
:wink:


Crispvs

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

Mr,Sumner,
I was closely following the thread recently where you did just a small bit of info on the Hollywood Roman costumes. I've seen most all of the films and enjoyed them very much so was interested in your take on them. I remember you liked some of the salt mine soldiers' helmets from
"Spartacus" and recently watched the film looking closely for your observations. Probably very cost prohibitive but would be a very interesting edition.

[D B Campbell]

hopefully this time they follow the very, very clear poll result

I hope so. I've been suggesting that precise title to them for months (maybe even years, actually)!

[Narukami]

So true Graham. Securing rights takes a lot of time and effort, and at $300 a photo, a potentially money losing proposition.

Sometime Hollywood can be so pig-headed when it comes to money and their properties.

The folks at L2 Design Group wanted to produce a new game based upon Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. However, the game rights now belong to Sony (something they obtained along with the film rights) and they insisted that the new game follow their film in matters of look and content. The game's developer wasn't interested in that approach. Sony would not relent and L2 has decided to release the game anyway, only without any overt reference to Starship Troopers. (Its new tentative title: On The Bounce.)

I wonder if a book such as "Hollywood Roman Army Guide" would stand a better chance with an university publishing house. Perhaps they receive a "special deal" being a primarily academic rather than commercial enterprise.

And yes, I do have a copy of the Brassey book -- an excellent reference work! A chapter on Hollywood Romans would have been a perfect addition.

Narukami

[Graham Sumner]

Uwe wrote:

hopefully this time they follow the very, very clear poll result:

Still lags behind a couple of other past proposed titles which scored even higher and have yet to see the light of day!

David wrote:

So true Graham. Securing rights takes a lot of time and effort, and at $300 a photo, a potentially money losing proposition.

And that was nearly ten years ago!

And yes, I do have a copy of the Brassey book -- an excellent reference work! A chapter on Hollywood Romans would have been a perfect addition.

Glad you liked it. The chapter was almost there but I did manage to get permission to use some Pics from 'The Fall of The Roman Empire' from an attractive sounding French lady from the company who now own the rights to that film, in exchange for a copy of the book.

Crispus wrote:

Ahh - Unfortunately for me, a book on daggers is not exactly what we would normally expect from Osprey. In any case, once I have done the research I know I still need to do, I think I will need a greater format than Osprey would be able to provide.
Mind you Graham, I think you too have had problems with Osprey's rather limited format and have plans for something more comprehensive don't you?

Has someone been talking? :wink: A three pronged offensive actually. Surely one must come off but then Lord Chelmsford and Phil Sheridan probably thought the same!


Graham.

[Robert Vermaat]

Robert wrote:

Hey, where's that Byzantine cataphract that we so clearly won in an earlier poll?

Waiting for you to write it Robert!!!

If only... :wink:

[Mithras]

What a great idea!!

Chapters based on equipment errors, or on actual films - going chronologically!??

Graham,

I'm waiting for the announcement of your forth coming book "The Hollywood Roman Army Guide." (A title your suggested in another thread, in jest no doubt.)

[Caius Fabius]

I have to admit I would like to see an Osprey format book (or two) on Roman Civilian clothing, especially women's fashions. So many female reenactors keep asking for something like that. Something with pretty color pictures....
maybe a series of postcards or something....