Books we would like to see produced

Thank you very much for theese good informations! ;)
I think that a good thing should be to continue the perfect job started with the Putnam books: for example a book like "Macchi aircraft since.. Or Heinkel aircraft since... etc..." What do you think about that?
 
lucamax said:
Thank you very much for theese good informations! ;)
I think that a good thing should be to continue the perfect job started with the Putnam books: for example a book like "Macchi aircraft since.. Or Heinkel aircraft since... etc..." What do you think about that?
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I think that a lot of us would like to see further such books in the Putnam style. Heck, I wish that Anova (who currently own rights to the Putnam books) would reissue the existing titles; even non-updated would be acceptable, at least at first.
 
Reprinting Putnams would be a good idea. Especially I'd like to see the one on Polish aircraft reprinted as there seems to be no other comparable book available, at least in English.

As for other books that I'd like too would be thorough development and technical history on the B-26 Marauder and A-20 Boston/Havoc. And similar books on the He 111 and Ju 88. Though this is a secret projects forum, I find it extremely perverse that while we have e.g. a 900-page quadrilogy on the Me 262, we have next to nothing on the Ju 88.

And of course, a truly comprehensive account of the Bf 109 is wholly absent.
 
A few Putnams dealing with naval aircraft or manufacturers who built a lot of naval aircraft are still available from the Naval Institute Press here in the U.S.A. Of course, the Polish title is not one of them.
 
Jerzy B. Cynk's book Polish Aircraft 1893 - 1939 is still available at fairly reasonable prices.
 
Me I would love to see a great book on the Heinkel 280 or on all his aircraft and projects.
 
Johnbr said:
Me I would love to see a great book on the Heinkel 280 or on all his aircraft and projects.
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I have not read this one myself, but in case you are not aware, there is this book about the He 280:

http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=0887403441

0887403441.jpg
 
I really doubt that putnam style books will reappear in the future for a number of reason:

With the exception of specialist technical libraries, (such as run by the military and universities) very few libraries now buy these sort of publications - often due to the high cost in relation to the number of people who would borrow such books.

Books such as Putnams are very expensive to research, write and publish, the author may put several years of full time work into each book, plus research staff, etc. The publisher has to pay for this as well as publishing and distribution costs as well as trying to make a profit from this work. Without the sales to libraries this becomes very difficult and now books like these are scanned and available free via the internet often within weeks of release thus further reducing sales. (I noted that Japanese Secret Projects was available via file sharing sites before my copy arrives here in the southern hemesphere)

There simply is not the profit to be made with these sort of books anymore so you can wish all you want but the world has changed to one that does not support the production of these sort of books.

Though on a forum such as Secret Projects there seems to be plenty of support for this sot of publication in reality we are a relativelly insignificant market. I am not happy with the situation but that's the way of the world now.

Wish all you want but it wont change the availabilty of these sort of books.
 
I have to say that best books on such specialist topics are labours of love, i.e. they are not done for hire. I doubt that even the old Putnam authors had any paid research staff.
 
Pasoleati,

The books may be a work of love but it was still these peoples full time job, they needed to earn an income. Just look at the number of books in the Putnam range that have the same author -it's was their job and they needed to make it pay, many also worked as aviation journalists or similar jobs. To think they did all the work required for a book of these standards in there spare time is a joke and, to be honest shows your, naivety in regard to how these books came into being.

As for researchers - yes they did (and still do) hire the researchers who knew where to look for information photo’s etc especially if the information was not locally available (there was no internet when the bulk of the Putnam books were written so somebody actually had to be where the information was held, read it and assess it value for the intended books(s) - travel cost both money and time, it is still often cheaper to get some-one who is on site and who knows the filing/archiving systems used by the repository.

You also need qualified people to proof read any book like this and they don’t come cheap. Also no word processors so usually had to hire typists.

Books like Putnam’s are a business product, they take a lot of planning, research and work to put together and it was done by professional writers with an extended range of people to support the production of any book.

This is why books like Putnam’s are being produced less and less because there is no longer the money to support all the people required to put together such works - even though through technology it has become an easier cheaper option.
 
Hmm, I know a few recent authors on military and aviation history (non-Putnam), and I can safely say that none of them hire any researchers! They have written very extensive histories, either as a hobby along a "day job", or after they have retired from their professional careers.

As for Putnam, e.g. Peter M. Bowers was a Boeing employee during the time he wrote several Putnams. I think Francis mason was a long-time employee of Hawkers. And so on.

As for typists, plenty of authors mention how their wives/daughters did the typing.

So, let's put it this way: do you have proof on a single Putnam author as having written books for Putnam as their full-time job?
 
Pasoleati,

Your not that bright are you, You are comparing work done now with all the technology available to the old manual methods used to produce most of the Putnam books. A bit like comparing an Airbus 300 to a ford tri-motor.

It is quite easy to put together a book now using the internet and computer assisted publishing, it was very different up to the 1980's. Agrred many of the authors had a background in the aviation industry but when they produced most of there work they were proffessional writers. Some of the self published books on aviation that nearly always end up being marketed via e-bay are example of the type of author you refer to - but most are absolute crap.

You have the idealised, nearly fairytale, view of how these books came to be written with the author rushing home after work and churning out extensive work of aviation history. Yes there were a few like this but not many and they took many years to do each book.

Books like the Putnams are most often contracted before any work takes place with the publisher approuching an appropriate person to undertake the task. The Publisher wants the turnover of their investment quickly - so they choose proffesional writers/historians to do the job - not some amatuer who thinks they can do the job.

I have worked in publishing and know what goes into the creation of published item, including the required researchers - do you think Lockheed-Martin, the British Ministry of Defence or Dassault Avaition would allow anyone to go through their archives - in many cases you have to be an accreditted historian or reseacher to get through the door and the due to the pre-computer filing systems it can take weeks, month or even longer to find appropriate information. This is what reseachers do they find the data that the author then uses to create their books.

A challenge - who are these authors you know and the books they have written I will compare them to the Putnam range for quality of input. I take it they do use primary sources of information, not other people books, articles or just the internet.

To my original post - Putnam style books have fadied away because the publishers are no longer funding the processes and staffing required to create these books. If these were still being written at no cost to the publihers then there would be new Putnam books every few months But that aint happening is it - why because of what I ahve put in these post. With respect to your theory on how these books are created new books should still be appearing every few months but its many years since the last of these books - tell me why this is so.

You have only just entered this forum and seem to have an attitude - your not from the Black Sun supporters group are you?
 
What is a "Black Sun" group?

As for authors I know more or less:

-Marc Rikmenspoel (books on e.g. Belgian volunteers in Waffen-SS)
-Mark Yerger (the leading English language author on Waffen-SS biographies)
-Henrik Lunde (author of an excellent book on the Norwegian invasion)
-David Glantz (author on Eastern Front campaigns)
-Graham White (the author of the two books on the R-2800 and R-4360, he had exclusive access to P&W archives)
-Daniel Whitney (author of the ultimate book on the V-1710, far more detailed than any Putnam)

All of these conduct primary research, e.g. Lunde used sources in 3 different languages. And none of them are full-time authors.

And I checked what Rene Francillon wrote in his Putnam book on Japanese aircraft. He thanked his wife for tolerating his research during vacations as it deprived her and their kids those vacations. And the research took 12 years. Now, do you honestly believe that his 12 years of research was under a full time writing contract?

Peter M. Bowers was a full-time Boeing employee from the late 1940s to 1988, the period during which he wrote all those Putnams. Again, where is your "full-time author"?

And as for my theory why there have been no new Putnams recently: they were text-heavy books with austere illustrative (by current standards) element not catering for either modelers or semi-illiterate modern "readers" who need fancy pretty pictures in colour.
 
Even if no new Putnam-style books are ever published, I think that the existing ones should each be reprinted once, to the same quality standards as the previous editions. The print run will be small and the prices quite high, but still less than some used copies have been selling for on eBay and similar sites.
 
Hoo-2b-2day said:
Your not that bright are you

You have only just entered this forum and seem to have an attitude
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And you are not very literate, are you? Mistaking "Your" and "You're" is pretty gross for someone who claims to have "worked in publishing"...

Consider this a warning, Hoo-2b-2day. I do not like the tone you have employed with this new member, whoever he is.

You may not agree with what he wrote, and are as much entitled to your opinion as he is to his, but opinions can be debated without flinging insulting words at people's face.
 
Hoo-2b-2day said:
I have worked in publishing and know what goes into the creation of published item, including the required researchers - do you think Lockheed-Martin, the British Ministry of Defence or Dassault Avaition would allow anyone to go through their archives - in many cases you have to be an accreditted historian or reseacher to get through the door and the due to the pre-computer filing systems it can take weeks, month or even longer to find appropriate information. This is what reseachers do they find the data that the author then uses to create their books.
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I can't vouch for Puttnam authors of the past but all the aviation authors I know (full and part-time) do their own research.

E.g. Tony Buttler hasn't used any paid researchers for his books. Couldn't afford them! Lots of people helped him out with pictures, info, etc, but the legwork of visiting archives was all his.
 
Folks, I apologize if my tone has offended anyone, though I do stand by the content of what I said as it does represent what I have learned from those fellows listed. :)
 
Hey guys. Going strictly back on topic.

I'd really love to see a mini-In Action or Ginter book on the P6M Seamaster. Seems to me like there's a real dearth on whole books regarding the Seamaster.

A REASONABLY PRICED reprint of Stan Piet's book would be nice too. Beats paying 43-something on Amazon for a used copy.
 
XP67_Moonbat said:
I'd really love to see a mini-In Action or Ginter book on the P6M Seamaster. Seems to me like there's a real dearth on whole books regarding the Seamaster.
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I concur with this. Surprisingly the only space Squadron Signal devoted to the Seamaster was a chapter of #1074 (PBM Mariner In Action — which also had a chapter on the Mars...).
 
Stargazer2006 said:
XP67_Moonbat said:
I'd really love to see a mini-In Action or Ginter book on the P6M Seamaster. Seems to me like there's a real dearth on whole books regarding the Seamaster.
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I concur with this. Surprisingly the only space Squadron Signal devoted to the Seamaster was a chapter of #1074 (PBM Mariner In Action — which also had a chapter on the Mars...).
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'Martin P6M Seamaster' by Stan Piet / Al Raithel, Martineer Press 2001

To be found on Amazon, try Bookfinder for more copies

I have a copy. It's a good read.

Part of WB Abbott's review on Amazon:
This is the only full-length book on the subject I know of and it is superb. The story of the P6M's genesis, the competition with Convair (which Martin's design won), the challenging and expensive development, the cancellation and wisdom in hindsight all recieve balanced and thoughtful description and commentary. Cockpit photos, cut-away drawings, plans for the -1 and -2 models and many, many, photographs in color and b&w provide a lot of reference material for the model builder or student of technology. The crash reports on the two development aircraft that were lost are described, including a heart-stopping diagram showing how the wings struck each other in the first loss.
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...so get your own copy today B)
 
Thank you, T. Turtle. Money is a bit tight at the moment, but I will contact Mr. Piet as soon as I can to get one.
 
Two more for the list, or maybe combined in a single volume... Putnam-type books on BAC and Hawker Siddeley. The Putnams on the predecessor companies are excellent references, but with the exception of Hawker, the narrative stops at the formation of BAC and HS.
In the meantime, can someone point me in the direction of a decent history of the HS Trident, both built and unbuilt versions...


cheers,
Robin.
 
Skyraider3D said:
Not very secret projects related, but the book I'd like to see is:

Bomber Pilot Aerial Victories (of World War 2)

A detailed compilation of all aerial victories scored by bomber pilots (during WW2). So little attention has been given to this and I know not a single book dealing with this topic. But bomber pilots shot down plenty of aircraft and the record of certian pilots and aircraft is quite amazing. Hans-Ulrich Rudel for instance became a double ace with his slow Stuka and sluggish beasts like the SB2C Helldiver scored more aerial kills (by the pilot) than they suffered losses due to enemy fighters! Fascinating stuff, I find.

Any recommendations on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
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Why just the pilots? One could analyse victories by gunners as well, which would also draw heavy bombers into the mix. I've seen brief descriptions of RAF bomber gunners nailing night fighters, for example - including a co-operative effort by two Lancasters (one of which jumped the night fighter which was too fixated on the other) with implications that it wasn't the only time something like this happened, and an alleged double (and possibly triple) kill by one rear gunner from 617 Sqn - but alas all unattributed in the sources where I read them. Now if only I lived in the UK, I could search for the squadron histories and the after-action reports (if they still existed) and make some sense (and a book) out of the claims... Alas, there is a family to raise and food to be kept on the table elsewhere in the world...


Wishlist, seeing as we're at it:


American Secret Projects: Hypersonics, Ramjets/Rockets and Missiles.


An updated version of Gunston's 1976 Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft, especially worthwhile IMO now that military aviation has reached its centenary. I appreciate that it would be a much bigger volume than the original!


A second Friedman book on British cruisers, covering the 19th Century to WW1 (I heard somewhere this is currently "underway", but I've heard no more about it - ETA THIS IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON, AND I HAVE PUT MY MONEY DOWN).
 
pathology_doc said:
An updated version of Gunston's 1976 Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft, especially worthwhile IMO now that military aviation has reached its centenary. I appreciate that it would be a much bigger volume than the original!
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Along the same vein, an updated version of Taylor's 1969 Combat Aircraft of the World, a book that I still refer to on occasion, in spite of its age.
 
To everyone who suggested Stan Piet's Seamaster book, thank you. It was well worth the price.
 
I too, thank you for the info on the SeaMaster book. I've gotten my copy now, and even managed to get a pic of me reading it in to a local free newspaper. They were doing a profile on local business owners, and wanted me to pose with a book I'd actually be reading (as opposed to a best-seller, etc.)
 

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I would like to see updated versions of those Salamander books from the 1980s such as Warplanes of the Future and Rockets and Missiles I would also like the Project Tech Profiles to continue so we can all get our fix of AEW, P1154, P1121, BAC VG projects etc
A comprehensive and up to date book on the Eurofighter Typhoon and the same for the poor neglected Hawk 200.

Alan
 
Skyraider3D said:
Not very secret projects related, but the book I'd like to see is:

Bomber Pilot Aerial Victories (of World War 2)

A detailed compilation of all aerial victories scored by bomber pilots (during WW2). So little attention has been given to this and I know not a single book dealing with this topic. But bomber pilots shot down plenty of aircraft and the record of certian pilots and aircraft is quite amazing. Hans-Ulrich Rudel for instance became a double ace with his slow Stuka and sluggish beasts like the SB2C Helldiver scored more aerial kills (by the pilot) than they suffered losses due to enemy fighters! Fascinating stuff, I find.

Any recommendations on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...


IIRC Barrett Tillman's "The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two" goes into a lot of detail on the dogfights won or survived by SBDs against Japanese aircraft. I make the distinction because "survived" sometimes includes opponents who were driven off as well as shot down. And the SBD, too, appears to have a plus score in the air to air arena, if Tillman's figures are to be believed. Not sure it would have done so well against the Luftwaffe - the Germans seem to have built their aircraft a bit more solidly - but in the hands of an aggressive pilot and gunner who worked well together, it was no pushover.
 
AlanDavies said:
I would like to see updated versions of those Salamander books from the 1980s such as Warplanes of the Future and Rockets and Missiles I would also like the Project Tech Profiles to continue so we can all get our fix of AEW, P1154, P1121, BAC VG projects etc
A comprehensive and up to date book on the Eurofighter Typhoon and the same for the poor neglected Hawk 200.

Alan
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It's interesting to go through Warplanes of the Future and see how far off some of the guesses were. The quintet of Modern Air Combat, Modern Fighting Helicopters, Modern Land Combat, Modern Naval Combat and Modern Submarine Warfare made a nice, reasonably-priced set.
 
AlanDavies said:
I would like to see updated versions of those Salamander books from the 1980s such as Warplanes of the Future
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It'd be depressing to see how few new aircraft there would be in such an update.
 
Hobbes, I agree. The value would be in the knowledge that had since become public on the older designs and the more complete (albeit in some cases, depressingly final) service histories of designs that had barely entered service and not as yet seen combat.


When I was eight or nine, for example, and flying (well, holding in my hand and running with) my 1:72 Tomcat around the house, I never would have dreamed I'd see the day it was no longer flying, especially when the B-52 is, IIRC, still in the air. Gunston's Encyclopaedia of Combat Aircraft has the F-4 as a major frontline type and mentions the YF-17 as an aside possibly leading to development; the F-14 is still new; the -15 and -16 are just barely coming into squadron service; while the only side-view of the Tornado has the tripartite roundel and one of the stores in the cutaway view is the Martel downlink pod. And then there's the B-1, etc.


I think the content of a lot of those books would change radically, if only for what was known vs. not regarding the true nature and performance of Soviet aircraft.
 
pathology_doc said:
I think the content of a lot of those books would change radically, if only for what was known vs. not regarding the true nature and performance of Soviet aircraft.
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Not even to mention the fact that low-viz camo has rendered most military aircraft especially dull nowadays... :-\
 
How about a book on a very special, but interesting topic - engine testbeds! There were so many different aircraft carrying an additional or substitutional engine for test purposes (e. g. Avro 694 Lincoln with R-R Tyne in the nose, to name just one of them). Moreover it corresponds with a very similar topic -> Turboprop conversions - built and unbuilt.

What do you think about demand?
 
A biography of George Low. the time he spent at NASA (1960 - 1976) he was instrumental in many decisions - from Apollo 8 to the space shuttle.
 
I'd like to see abridged English versions of some of the Avico Press books...

There is also a noticeable gap on good English language sources for French and/or Austrian projects from WWI. Austrian projects were mainly ignored, while a lot of the French material is based on earlier English sources (from the 1920s) which were rife with poor research, and national rivalry/chauvinism.

I'd also love to see a comprehensive book on all Soviet Shturmovik projects (from WWI to the 1990s - close to one hundred projects and variants I suspect). I'd love to lay out such a book, but my lack of Russian language proficiency (and access to archives) would prevent me from finishing it.
 
boxkite said:
How about a book on a very special, but interesting topic - engine testbeds! There were so many different aircraft carrying an additional or substitutional engine for test purposes (e. g. Avro 694 Lincoln with R-R Tyne in the nose, to name just one of them). Moreover it corresponds with a very similar topic -> Turboprop conversions - built and unbuilt.

What do you think about demand?
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Yefim Gordon did that for Russian testbed aircraft (for Hikoki). It's something like 400 pages with 2-3 aircraft per page.
 

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