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What books would you like published?
#46
Moneybags? Confusedhock: Hell if I had the funds to do all that I wouldn't need a book, now would I? LOL If someone wants to commission me to do so, I'm all over it...
See FABRICA ROMANORVM Recreations in the Marketplace for custom helmets, armour, swords and more!
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#47
Quote:Salve,

How about English Translations of Junkelmann's 'Legions of Augustus' and his Gladiator Book? They should be sure-fire sellers.

Vale,

Celer.

There is supposed to come out a second edition of "Das Spiel mit dem Tod - So kämpften Roms Gladiatoren" in December 2007 and supposedly it will be then also published in English. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this is not just a rumor.
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#48
:lol: :lol: :lol: @MattL

Hell, if someone was to sponser me I would do it too! :wink:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#49
Aah yes, if only specialist books on ancient military matters could sell like Harry Potter, then we could afford to pay authors to jet off round the world. Hey, in that case I would come with you, just to keep an editorial eye on things. Pity those damned kids and Joe Public just don't seem to get quite so excited about Roman tombstones! :wink:

Seriously though, this book would actually have a lot of specialist academic merit but I'm not convinced it would have wide enough appeal to make it commercially viable. Of course, it wouldn't actually require the author to visit all the sites. The 750 known ones are presumably predominantly in museums, which could probably provide images of most of them. It would actually be a huge picture research job tracking all those down, and then of course museums are now much more aware of the value of such resources and charge accordingly, so those picture fees would soon mount up.....Sorry guys. Sad

Phil
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#50
Phil, can you give us some examples of the books you publish. That way we might have a better idea. Or, if not applicable, examples of other books that you would like to have published.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#51
Jim, in response to your request for examples and more guidance:

Ancient Warfare is quite a new area for Pen & Sword, so there are not that many existing examples to point to, but they are keen to expand into this area. That's what I am now there for. We published Brian Carey's Ancient Warfare last year and we have a new book from him coming on Zama (although it actually gives a good overview of all three Punic Wars) in a few months. There will also be books on Alesia and Carrhae later this year. These were commissioned by my colleague before I took over and they look great (I am editing the first of these right now). I didn't want to give away too much about what I have commissioned in the few months I have been here so far - publishers are terrible copy-cats - but the subjects include Alexander's Army. Hellenistic battles, the wars of the Alexander's successors, Belisarius, Thracian warfare, Mithridates the Great, Carthaginian armies and I am just commissioning the first couple of titles in a new series on Rome's conquests.

The usual P&S format is heavily text-led - about 70,000 words or more, but not usually so heavily illustrated as the Osprey or the legendary Motnvert books (which I keep hearing about but have not yet been able to get my hands on). Nothing is set in stone though. I want to get a lot of tactical maps and diagrams in where possible.

There are no right or wrong answers, I'm just trying to get a handle on what it is that my fellow ancient warfare nuts want it terms of subject areas. If I say I don't think something is impractical (or don't answer each suggestion) please don't take it personally. I really appreciate the input and I'm amazed by the response so far.

Phil Big Grin
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#52
A picture/diagram paints a thousand words....... Big Grin
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#53
Yep. More expensive to produce than a thousand words though! :wink:
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#54
Hmmmmm, I thought it was all done on computer these days? :roll:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#55
A (revised) reprint of The armour of imperial Rome by H. Russell Robinson Big Grin
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Jvrjenivs Peregrinvs Magnvs / FEBRVARIVS
A.K.A. Jurjen Draaisma
CORBVLO and Fectio
ALA I BATAVORUM
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#56
How about collecting together a bunch of already published non-English papers and articles, and have them translated to make a compendium, or even a few themed compendiums or volumes? The only writing time is the translation, and then the proof reading. There is a call for it (me, e.g.), and putting a whole bunch into one volume would make it a more attractive buy.

excellent suggestion, I'd stand in line for some of those! And possibly some of the out of print articles and monographs from various organizations, all collected for each access.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#57
:lol: :lol: :lol: I knew someone would say that! :wink:
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#58
Quote:We published Brian Carey's Ancient Warfare last year .
saw a review of that one (not good) but I cant remember where.
** Vincula/Lucy **
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#59
Quote:
philsidnell:15mm39wy Wrote:We published Brian Carey's Ancient Warfare last year .
saw a review of that one (not good) but I cant remember where.


Well, at the risk of sounding like I'm passing the buck, I wasn't involved in that one (before my time - always the new boy's excuse!) and I have to confess I haven't read it myself, so I would be interested to hear exactly what the review said if you do remember where it was. Was it perhaps a little general, trying to cover too much? I do know it is selling well for us, though. Like I said, this is a new field for Pen & Sword which is why I'm keen to get some input from people like yourselves. I'm sure you will all let me know when I get it wrong!

cheers

Phil
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#60
Hi Phil,

Great idea! I know you and I have discussed this but would love to see a book on teh calvary taking in tactics, training and even charging! Yes, we've discussed this in another thread and I think I recall you were actually working on such a book?


Also, what about a coffee table type book with actual photographs of actual finds of swords, helmets, armour. I have a polish book which shows wonderful images of such finds but I would love to see a book that cpatures a lot more.

Cheers
Rubicon

"let the die be cast "

(Stefano Rinaldo)
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