Borden Battery Posted 3 June , 2005 Share Posted 3 June , 2005 SOLUTION: A comprehensive book of Great War Maps featuring all of the key battles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 6 June , 2005 Author Share Posted 6 June , 2005 Thanks for all your replies, comments, suggestions and information. For the reasons described above then I reckon Borden Battery has it right, a comprehensive book of Great War Maps would be a very useful addition to the bookshelf. Any authors and /or publishers interested? And don't forget Niall's book, Most Unfavourable Ground on the Battle of Loos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 7 June , 2005 Share Posted 7 June , 2005 If I may enter the debate.....what the author wants and want he gets unfortunately are usually different. I tried several publishers all of whom said they'd take it but every one except Helion asked or told me to reduce the number of words....something I was reluctant to do. I did want several large scale maps including some trench maps found in war diaries but I was over ruled by Helion. So it all became a bit of give and take....could have as many photos as I wanted but the large scale maps was a bit of a non starter. Please don't think I'm getting at Helion as I'm highly delighted to have found a publisher who wasn't worried by the number of words. Also having been involved in costing several books there has to be a balance between cost of producing and what the public will pay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 7 June , 2005 Author Share Posted 7 June , 2005 Niall, point taken and not having a pop at you and understand the restrictions placed on authors by publishers mostly in terms of cost. The sketch maps in your book, Most Unfavourable Ground, accompanying each chapter are very useful. However, I am sure will see from the foregoing that there are a lot of us who find it frustrating not to be able to refer to a map detailing all that is covered in the text of a book so that locations between chapters etc can be put in to context and movements of units followed. This gives a much clearer overall picture. It seems odd that with the technology available today such maps cannot be reproduced for a reasonable sum and some of the maps that are used are constantly reproduced versions of ones that were originally produced years ago with any errors or ommisions faithfully reproduced as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 8 June , 2005 Share Posted 8 June , 2005 Mr Squirrel (if I may use that)...entirely happy with your comments and agree with them....wish some publishers would perhaps consider listening to what the public want.... If I may relate a stroy about a WW2 book called A Guide to the Arnhem Battlefields by John Waddy (he was a company commander in 156th Btn in 1944)....he told me he wanted a big map of the area with the places marked that related to the tour...they refused and he ended up paying for a map to be printed himself and he sold it seperately from the book! I did try and use a few of the map photos from the IWM but not knowing how big Helion were going to print them has in my view sort of negated their use....if those photos had been full page perhaps it might have helped and put up the cost!!!! Don't have a book to hand to mention a page number but hope you can work out what I going on about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 8 June , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 June , 2005 Niall, know exactly what you mean. Thanks for the reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 8 June , 2005 Share Posted 8 June , 2005 Mr Squirrel (if I may use that)... This is a great thread, Niall the $$ are in the mail, but I just had to comment that Mr Squirrel gave me a good laugh this morning. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 8 June , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 June , 2005 Good to know that I can give somebody a laugh in the morning other than the wife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 9 June , 2005 Share Posted 9 June , 2005 Or it is the mourning???? Sorry couldn't resist the pun especially when talking about our better halves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 9 June , 2005 Share Posted 9 June , 2005 I have ordered this from N & M Press, takes a long time to get to the US. Thanks for you input Niall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 9 June , 2005 Author Share Posted 9 June , 2005 Niall, thanks for your comment............I work as a Funeral Director so it is quite apt really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Just got my copy this weekend. (Thanks Niall). It looks like the book is packed with info - great maps and pictures. I am ready to get started. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Mine still hasn't come, N & M Press is really slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 I ordered mine from N&M Press on Thursday and received an e-mail to say it's been sent out today. Looking forward to a good read. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 16 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 August , 2005 Paul, believe me, it is worth waiting for. Have to agree about N & M being slow on some items. Have been waiting 3 months and 7 weeks respectively for my last two orders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 17 August , 2005 Share Posted 17 August , 2005 I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for the feedback...I hope those that have read or got a copy enjoy it....I tried my best! I am of course willing to sell signed copies to anyone who needs a copy....please contact me.....or indeed sign copies for those that already do.....I'm at the South Cheshire WFA on September 16th for a talk on Loos. Also if any has any other 'constructive criticism' apart from maps- I'd be happy to hear or read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 17 August , 2005 Share Posted 17 August , 2005 I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for the feedback...I hope those that have read or got a copy enjoy it....I tried my best! I am of course willing to sell signed copies to anyone who needs a copy....please contact me.....or indeed sign copies for those that already do.....I'm at the South Cheshire WFA on September 16th for a talk on Loos. Also if any has any other 'constructive criticism' apart from maps- I'd be happy to hear or read it. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A follow-up to my previous post. Every inch as good as I hoped it would be. If you are interested in Loos, you need this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Moretti Posted 22 September , 2005 Share Posted 22 September , 2005 Maps: yes. Essential that they be clear. The problem is that too many of them show only towns, rivers etc. and not the fact that people had to climb fairly steep slopes to get where they were going, or the fact that the steep slope was what made going there advisable in the first place (probably a reason for people saying "what'd they spend two hundred thousand lives on that tiny piece of ground for?" and suchlike). The problem is, of course, that those maps I've seen that show ground relief are (in black and white) hideously cluttered or (in colour) hideously uneconomical. So I have bought a road map of France and Belgium (with land relief) and I am now looking for toy soldiers to push around it. What I would like to see is for the "Line of Fire" series of battle documentaries (on DVD and video) to be massively expanded to include all our favourite conflicts - their 3D maps are excellent from the point of view of showing relative deployments AND movements of forces during the battles. Unfortunately, until books become animated like those in the Harry Potter novels, we're just pipedreaming (or dependent on computers and DVD/video players). I shall have to suggest this book as an acquisition to our local university library (my OH is, as I have previously mentioned, one of the librarians) and/or the public library as well. As for ordering it for myself, that may be down the track a bit, I'm afraid. Right now I have a long list of books (gleaned from this messageboard!!!) 'on order' at my local book store, (for which the shopgirl is grateful as it helps pay her wages while depleting mine) but no indication of when they are coming in, and I usually have to wait an eternity for them. That being said, all the recommendations I have had from here have turned out to be nothing less than outstanding (though I am still waiting for a few clear days of utter relaxation before I finish the Haig diaries). Plus my bookshelf is as full as a front-line trench right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 23 September , 2005 Share Posted 23 September , 2005 I have to say that I found the maps unusually disappointing - but then I do like a good map .... after all a good map helps put so much in context, particularly in showing positions and advances. Loos & Lens are covered in the G H Smith series which are good value colour print maps at around £3. Loos, unfortunately, falls near the intersection of several trench maps. Those looking for an atlas of maps covering most major battles should consider the excellent "Topography of Armageddon" by Peter Chausseaud - well worth £30 but in monochrome. The N&M CDs are also worthwhile - the trench maps for that level of detail albeit expensive if you are only loking for Loos 1915. Likewise the Official History maps CD (Western Front) also provides useful maps of the key battles through the war and in the case of Loos identifies key points of the action. I always think it sad that the CD didn't look to include the sketch maps which are bound into the text of the official histories. Although they are included in the reprints it would be nice to have colour versions on CD. The two Battleground Europe volumes on Loos (Hill 70 & Hohenzollern) by Andrew Rawson are well supplied with maps (Hill 70 particularly so) which would fill the gaps in Niall's book. The book does fill what was one of the biggest gaps in WW1 historiography and is very welcome for this reason alone and furnishes a wealth of useful and relevant material, not least in covering the medical side of the battle - something usually overlooked by most authors. For anyone interested in Loos it must be regarded as a principal secondary source with a wealth of detail such as the relevant operational orders which are rarely made available in this way without resort to the official histories and the archives at Kew and elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 26 September , 2005 Share Posted 26 September , 2005 The book does fill what was one of the biggest gaps in WW1 historiography and is very welcome for this reason alone and furnishes a wealth of useful and relevant material, not least in covering the medical side of the battle - something usually overlooked by most authors. For anyone interested in Loos it must be regarded as a principal secondary source with a wealth of detail such as the relevant operational orders which are rarely made available in this way without resort to the official histories and the archives at Kew and elsewhere. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well said Martin, i have just started reading it and agree with this summary. Interesting to hear over the w/e that the Corrigan book on Loos is still missing in action. Niall, it was great to have you on the bus over the w/e, and very many thanks for your contributions which helped make it a much more interesting and enjoyable trip for all concerned. regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priv Posted 26 September , 2005 Share Posted 26 September , 2005 Just wanted to add that I am entering the closing chapters of this winderful piece of work and would like to congratulate Niall. There is not much else I can add that hasn't been said before - a fantastic book and a MUST for any person with WW1 interest. It is too often the case that people skip straight from Mons and the subsequent actions to a brief note on Ypres then straight to the Somme, forgetting this major action and learning curve for the New Armies, and the first major sign of things to come. Well Done ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 28 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 28 September , 2005 Was lucky enough to meet the man himself on Sunday near Chalk Pit Cemetery - Most Unfavourable Ground is a superb reference for anyone wanting to study The Battle of Loos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 28 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 28 September , 2005 That should be Quarry Cemetery - had a problem reading my notes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 28 September , 2005 Share Posted 28 September , 2005 Just wanted to add that I am entering the closing chapters of this winderful piece of work and would like to congratulate Niall. There is not much else I can add that hasn't been said before - a fantastic book and a MUST for any person with WW1 interest. I'd like to thank everyone for their comments especially the comment above from Priv......didn't realise it was an aid to getting rid of surplus gases!!! Only joking we all (including me) have finger truoble.....or should that be trouble..... It was a pleasure to meet forum members at Loos...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 28 September , 2005 Share Posted 28 September , 2005 I have lost all hope that N & M Press will ever get my copy here, must have been 4 months since I orderded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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