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Point taken Paul, ................

Posted by Cees Broere on Mon Apr 19, 2004 12:53:04 PM

In reply top Re: The problem with aviation authors..... posted by Paul on Mon Apr 19, 2004 06:51:22 AM

and I agree with you up to a certain point. But it is too easy to tell me that I should write a book myself. The fact that I spent a lot of time on a certain aircraft type doesn't mean I am not interested in other types, but this is happening constantly (as earlier mentioned on this thread about the B17/B24, Hurricane/Spitfire, Beaufighter/Mosquito etc. etc.)

I know what it takes to write a book and the enormous effort needed to make the end result worthwhile. Several of my friends in the Dutch aviation community are authors with several titles to their name. They spend days or weeks on end in archives researching their subjects and verifying these from other sources (and that in their spare time because you cannot make a decent living in Holland by writing aviation books).

But in this case I am a customer and deserve to expect some objective information by the author of a book and as a result also have the right to have an opinion about it, it is our money (the enthusiasts) the publisher is after in the end.

Perhaps the books should be divided in two classes: books for novices or people new to the hobby (or otherwise) and experienced (armchair historians). And I should be banned to buy the first category.

You cannot expect me to read a book while still in the store, the owner wouldn't like that. Besides, the Warpaint book itself is fun to read with a lot of interesting photographs but for the (in my view useless) comparisons with the Lanc.

I do not dislike the Lanc or any other type (people seem to think I do), but I would appreciate if things are put in their proper context. I'm not interested in what the author thinks (or has copied from someone else). Especially if it's all based on myths, one-sided opinions etc. etc. An aircraft is as good as the way it is used (take the Defiant for instance as already mentioned). It's just at which side of the fence someone is looking.

Although I am editor of our museum quarterly publication for which I also write a lot of articles, but only because that is the only way to fill 12 pages because of a lack of other peoples activities in writing something, I do not call myself an author and it is also something that I don't like to do (writing that is), it just has evolved into that.

I feel that I am not the person to write something that hasn't been published already nor do I have the time to spent weeks in the UK for research. I make a living by working for an insurance company as the bills will have to be paid as well.

What I want to say (by using a lot of space) is that when someone buys a book he/she expects to get something worthwhile for the (these days) high prices paid. I don't mind paying a higher price for a good quality book than for biased authors opinions.

It is all too easy for a publisher to compile a book by extracting information from other books and design a new jacket and hey presto! Just take an ordinary book off the shelf and look at the sources used by an author, the list of other books reffered to is almost enless and makes you wonder. This is only for a certain segment of the publications and I hasten to add that I have a very high esteem for aviation books from the UK, and my bookshelves are full of them.

Luckily not everyone has the same opinion in their appetite of books but a book covering a certain aircraft type should do just that.

My hard earned cash spent on many aviation related things only of course.........

Cheers

Cees

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