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Remembered Today:

Pen & Sword Home Front series


Moonraker

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In my local paper there's a letter from local author Dave Bilton appealing for information about the Great War in the area. He writes "I've been approached by Pen & Sword books to write a book for a planned series that will look at life [locally] on the Home Front".

Has anyone heard anything about this series and its geographical scope?

The author's previous titles show he is very well qualified for the task, and I wonder if he's a member of the Forum?

Moonraker

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No, but sounds interesting. I already have a book on the home front in WW1 published by pen and sword and authored by David Bilton

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I've been commissioned by Pen and Sword to produce a volume on Swansea. The contract does not restrict me to the 'Home Front' though I plan to cover that in some depth (records permitting) as well as mentioning three Swansea linked land units as well as sailors and airmen etc.

I'll also be covering conscientious objectors, treatment of aliens, food shortages, the effects on industry, munitions workers etc. Basically, anything I can dig up that adds a bit to the story. Two VCs as well...

P&S have - I think - asked people they have worked with before to chip in a work on 'their' town/city. Some authors have accepted, some have declined. I know Carmarthen is being done as well as Birmingham, I think. There probably are others.

Bernard

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  • 3 months later...

Correct... I am putting together Birmingham in the Great War.

Which will also include soldiers accounts of life in the various fronts, POW escapes, VC's and I might add tenuous VC links to Brum. Oldest, youngest, largest families all serving, brothers etc.

Volunteer units,, munitions, Hospitals etc etc.

Terry

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I believe Pen & Sward are trying to cover the major Cities/towns of Uk

Richard

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Roni Wilkinson at P&S told me they have commissioned 40 titles in this series.

Bernard

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I had a picture of Victoria Square, Birmingham, on Armistice Day, Monday 11 November, 1918, and it has been used for the cover.

Terry

Very sorry if any rules have been broken, by uploading it

The GWF will be getting an acknowledgement

post-66-0-30987900-1375014060_thumb.jpg

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Very nice! I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but it's worth buying for that alone

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For the info of GWF members P&S recently had an interview with a monthly writing magazine about the Great War 'home front' series. Roni (at P&S) was still asking for those who had appropriate knowledge of their town or city during the Great War to get in touch. Didn't have to be published authors but needed to be good researchers and well versed in their town wtc.

So, if its you, contact P&S.

I know that, as regards Wales, Swansea, Carmarthen and Cardiff have all been commissioned. There may be others I'm not aware of.

Bernard

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Don't know if it's Pen and Sword or not but the superb page 'Small Town, Great War. Hucknall 1914-1918' on Facebook is to become a book

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Same here, Terry! Writing starts 1 August and ends 30 November...

Bernard

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Good luck to both of you.

Roni approached me to do a Manchester one but I had to decline due to the timetable. I'm in the middle of writing my third book which I hope to punt towards publishers in the early autumn.

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Then keep scribbling, John!

Bernard

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  • 1 year later...

A friend who is writing Salisbury in the Great War has a deadline of August 2015 to submit text and illustrations to Pen & Sword. This suggests a publication date of early 2016, which does seem a bit late to benefit from the amount of interest there has been relating to the centenary of the start of the war.

(Of course I understand that there was no way that the publisher could have produce what, 40?, 60?, local titles all at once.)

Moonraker

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I understand that Pen and Sword has commissioned over 100 of these. 'Swansea in the Great War' was published in October 2014 and sales are slightly north of 820 to date which I am very pleased with.

Reviewed recently in Morgannwg (The Journal of Glamorgan History) as 'an important study' and 'outstanding' which I am also happy with!

Bernard

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The Home Front in the Great War by David Bilton was published by Pen and Sword in 2014 it is a reprint from 2003 published by Leo Cooper. Though it is supposed to be a general book it concentrates on Hull in the last part. This does not detract from being a good book. Good illustrations. Congratulations to Bernard for the good reception in Morgannwg and many more sales .

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