Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/index.php)

- Books and Magazines (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/forumdisplay.php?f=16)

- - JG 300 book (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=1684)

...Jean-Yves Lorant tells me that the French edition of his JG 300 opus (Vol 1) is on sale from today ( most notably at Le Bourget - Paris Air show). Co-author and illustrator is Richard Goyat. Entitled "La bataille aérienne d'Allemagne " (Air Battle over Germany) the publisher is Larivière and the work comprises 360 large format pages, with profile artwork by Sundin/Goyat and covers the period to 16 September 1944 in 10 chapters.... I was given a run-down of the book's many (stunning) photographic highlights but won't spoil anybody's anticipation ...(sorry)
I expect this news means the Eagle Editions version is imminent..

The Eagle Editions site is showing June, 2005.

Ed

Thats a great news, the French edition was not expected before September!

Sorry Olivier, but who told you or where did you see that the French edition was not expected before September?

In fact, the very first day the authors met at his request the French editor, they were told that the first volume should be ready for the Paris Air Show (or Salon du Bourget). And this is just what happened...

Richard Goyat

Re: JG 300 book-English Version

We at Eagle Editions are very excited about the JG 300 book Vol. 1 being in our warehouse any day now. Translated into English from the original French manuscript, the book is 400 pages with almost 30 full color Tullis profiles, printed on glossy heavy weight paper, the photos are large and stunning!
We have taken a long time to produce this book, including over 18 months in translation and the results are amazing! Rare photos are large and clear. We also have the leather bound limited edition available as well, signed by Hajo Herrmann.
We will have copies available at the Nats in Atlanta, of course, along with three sheets of decals in all three scales available to compliment the beautiful full color profiles by Tom Tullis.
Visit our site at http://www.eagle-editions.com and go to news and new releases to click on the hyperlink for the decals!
The Eagle Editions Ltd. Team
Patty, office manager and customer relations

judyc, thank you ! Please let us know when this book is available, I will definitely order one.

Hello ! ! Hello! ! !

I am a happy man who have received the sample of this fantastic book from the hands of Jean-Yves Lorant.

It is and it will be a must for a long long time. I am s^re it will be like a bomb, something of really new since a long time

80% of the the photos were never published before, for the last 20% you will not recognize because they are of a great quality

There are many profiles, superb profiles of Claes Sundin which are not as we are in the habit of seeing

But the best is how was written the text, naturally you must know French to understand the quality of the text , I am sûre that Neil did his best to To transcribe the sharpness of the French of the author.

Many French authors would read this to learn to write in good french, but there is not only that. it is a vivid text very easy to read, and every line You learn something, and the photos are always near the text and sometime a profile is also there. It seems that the author was always among these pilots.

It's great for the eyes, for the reading, for learning how was the life of these german pilots in the 2 years of the end of the war.

The only thing which I am disappointed is my bad English because it is diifficult to say, to explain how is great this work..

Thank you

Your excitement and comments about the quality of this book came through clearly. Sounds great!

Ed

Thank you Ed.

it is a really a excitment to see for example the photo and and the profile of the green 1 of hajo Hermann, but it's better to read the visit of Goering to to JG 300
because it's funny, because you understand the stupidity of this man, because Jean-Yves write vividly with a great sense of humour that you can't say it's not possible the author had participated to this scene, but believe me it is written in great French. Mr Lorant always has this quality in its narrative, to be a teacher, precise and simple. Every photo is always useful never superfluous.

Hi,

I got my copy of the French edition this morning from the postman : WOW !!!
I can't say more !! A very high quality book with a large format, paper, printing and so on... large pictures...
A very good summer of reading !

Thank you very much Mr Lorant and Mr Goyat

Friendly
VonAlles

So if I understand right the two editions will have different Profiles?

Claes Sundin and Tom Tullis for respectively the French and American publication?

Will they cover the same ground or differ in subject?

Have I misunderstood?

no, you've understood correctly...as I understand it, the EE version has quite a bit more artwork and presents a number of additional photos over the two volumes....

My French edition is 350 pages (50 less than the one from Eagles Ed) and include 15 profiles most of them copyrighted by Claes Sundin. I m not sure if Richard Goyat also do some profiles or not in the book...

So if the two editions are same format i suppose this mean many more photos are included in the Eagles one! Grrr...I will probably not pre-order Vol2 but wait to compare both edition under close examination before taking any decision.

Olivier,

You'll not find more photographs in the American edition than in the French one. The number of pages has nothing to do with the number of photographs, but is due to the different formats used by both publishers. The French format is the usual one of the Docavia collection (about 23.5 cm x 31 cm) while the American one will be the usual Eagle Edition 21 cm x 28 cm.

Both editions are basically the same, the main differences being:

a) a slightly different layout due to the format of the books;
b) More profiles in the American edition, where they were made by Tom Tullis, while those of the French edition were made by Claes Sundin.
c) I contributed two profiles for both editions. In the French book, you'll find them pages 71 and 281.
d) There's an index in the EE version.

So, as you can see, there's nothing to worry about. Readers of the American and French editions will see the same story. I just hope it will be well received in both languages...

Richard Goyat

Could anyone tell me the best place to pick up the Eagle Editions version? The postage charge from Eagle themselves seems to be astronomical....are there any other known stockists that might be more reasonable on the shipping side of things? It looks to be an indispensible reference....can't wait to lay my hands on a copy of Vol 1.

Hi Nick;

Depending on your address and the weight of the book will determine the cost to ship. If you are in the US, UPS fee is a flat $10.50, but if you are in Europe, you can order from our distributor Helion in the UK.

The book is in customs, we have in our hands our first copy and it is really beautiful! 400 pages on heavy gloss paper, with three profiles by Richard Goyat - one on the front fly page and one on the end fly page and one more by Richard in the body of the book. Tom Tullis has done a total of 28 profiles many of which will be available in three decal sheets in all three scales to be released with the book at the IPMS USA Nationals.

The work and effort put into these volumes by all parties is phenominal, the results are well-worth the time and the wait. For example, the original manuscript was in translation from French to English for over 18 months!

We are very excited about this edition which will certainly set a new benchmark!

Cheers,
Judy and Jerry Crandall

Greetings Jerry and Judy and thanks for your reply to my post. I am located in New Zealand and wondered whether you can point me towards a distributor in this part of the world? Looking foward to the book very much. Thanks for any further info.

I am assuming that there is no sales agent for Eagle down under which makes it difficult to justify owning their books when the shipping charge can almost double the purchase price in some cases.

.."difficult to justify owning.." ..?? I sympathise..but I'm sure such thoughts will evaporate when you eventually get your copy..(!!)
and to pick up on Richard's post ('new & upcoming books..') about a dearth of new subjects...there aren't going to be many more unit histories like this one..

as far as postage costs are concerned there's no getting away from the fact that this is one very large and heavy book...I would imagine that the EE edition is quite a bit thicker than, say, Urbanke's Green Hearts..

My French copy just arrived -surface mail intra-European postage cost 20 Euros - that's a little less than a third of the purchase price..

Re: JG 300 book Down Under

Hi Nick;
You can get your copy of our JG 300 book from Airsail International in New Zealand at 649 579 2952 or from Technical Books Christchurch at 64 3 348 0220 or from Crusader Trading in Australia. We have about 7 book dealers in Australia. I would be happy to give you their contact information off board. Email me at eagle@eagle-editions.com and I'll give you the list.
Please know that the fees we charge for shipping to New Zealand or Australia are what we pay, this is air mail. We can ship by surface if you wish. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks but is quite a bit less expensive. The book itself weighs just over 5 lbs., so the package itself is just about 6 pounds.
Let me know what you find out!
All the best,
Judy Crandall
Eagle Editions Ltd.

Hello

Do these book cover any combats with RAF fighters ?

cheers

David

Larivière jacket image

:)Hello:)

One more time congratulations to you Jean-Marc & Richard, for this stunning book.

More than a very serious and detailed study on this unit, this publication is a real duty of remembrance for these young pilots send into the “Big Circus” often just able to take off and land down. The story of some of them is just incredible or on the other hand so simple.

The iconography, with a lot of unpublished pictures, is highlighting the value of the text.

So for those ready to count the number of new photos or compare such or such version, to criticized eventually such or such point , I would just point out the workload , the time spent , the sacrifices done , the time involved in such a project .

The book is worthwhile for itself, because Jean-Yves succeeded to record and collect the souvenirs of those old men now and to gain their confidence.

How many of these former pilots of the Luftwaffe, even if some of them paid a high price 60 years ago, had their photos or personal documents stolen by so-called “Historians”?

I think, regarding the pages of the English draft I read and the hours spend to talk about it with both of you, that one of the greatest purpose achieved is that these men where not just “pilots of Me109G-6/As W.Nr xxxxxx, 9./JG300, shot down on 23 October 1944 , over Berlin at 09:15 by P-57 of 357th FG ” , but young men involved in the biggest European Aerial Battle , with the same reactions or jokes , hopes and fears the Allied pilots had on the other side of the Channel . They were just young pilots “on the other side “who had to do what they had to do because there was no other choice for them.

Et puis c’est un français qui l’a écrit ! On n’a pas les jeux olympiques mais on a l’histoire du JG300 :)!

So nothing else to add except buy it and read it. You will then notice the real value of this book.

Eric Larger

Hello,:grin:

I received yesterday my French specimen of this excellent book. I am in total agreement with the remarks of my friend Eric Larger who knew to find the words right to qualify this book. Only small flat, the modeler that I am would have liked a little more profiles colors and of a little higher size. This book is read like a novel and constitutes a beautiful homage to the forgotten pilots of the history.

Highly the exit of volume 2.

Impassioned of Luftwaffe : modelers, historians, researchers… keep a little money to acquire the brilliant book (on Fw 190 D-9) of the too modest Eric Larger who soon will leave to Japo.:bow:

Cordially

Bernard Perconte

Bernard i want to spend my money in jg300 book from Eagle and 190d from Japo but they don´t want :)

I can not wait for his publication.

Eagle Editions web page mentions that "JG 300" will be released at the IPMS Nationals, which I beleive is next week. Is this still true? WHen will copies be mailed to those of us who ordered it?

Should I grab a frosty six-pack of my favorite brew and camp out near the mailbox?

JUdy..Jerry...are you out there????

For whatever it may be worth, here's my initial impression of Eagle Editions' version of the new book on JG 300 by Jean-Yves Lorant and Richard Goyat, which will be released later this week at the IPMS/USA National Convention. Essentially the same review will appear on Hyperscale as soon as Brett Green, that website's editor, is able to upload it there.

Charles Metz

-------------

Jagdgeschwader 300: A Chronicle of a Fighter Geschwader in the Battle for Germany — Volume One: June 1943 – September 1944, by Jean-Yves Lorant & Richard Goyat; translated by Neil Page; illustrated by Tom Tullis and Richard Goyat

Publisher: Eagle Editions, Ltd.

ISBN: 0-9761034-0-0 (standard edition); 0-9761034-1-9 (limited edition)

Media and contents: Hard cover with sturdy dust jacket; four hundred 8.5" x 11" (21.6 cm x 27.9 cm) pages printed on heavy glossy paper; approximately four hundred photographs, most previously unpublished; twenty-six color profile paintings.

Price: US$75.00 (standard edition); US$165.00 (leather-bound and autographed limited edition)

Review type: First Read

Advantages: Simultaneously provides historical perspective, day-to-day descriptions of unit engagements, moving personal accounts by pilots, and detailed coverage of aircraft subtypes, camouflage and markings. Many photo captions include comments on camouflage and markings. Very well written, translated and produced.

Disadvantages: None

Recommendation: Highly recommended for Luftwaffe modelers, aviation historians, and casual readers interested in World War II.

Reviewed by Charles Metz

Impressions:

JG 300 was a highly unusual Luftwaffe unit that pioneered the use of single-seat aircraft in night fighting, served subsequently for nine months as a front-line nightfighter Geschwader, and then converted quickly to dayfighting, playing a major role in Reich Defense during the final year of World War II. Its Messerschmitt 109 and Focke Wulf 190 aircraft wore a great variety of camouflage and markings that make them exceptionally attractive subjects for modelers. This Geschwader’s complex story obviously provides fertile ground for a book of potential interest to a broad audience. However, it also complicates an aspiring author’s task, not only because of the breadth of material to be covered, but also because the different expectations of modelers, historians and casual readers provide so much opportunity for disappointing at least one of these constituencies. Fortunately for all of us, Jean-Yves Lorant and Richard Goyat have met the challenge wonderfully well.

This superbly translated and produced 400-page volume is only the first half of an effort that may be expected to endure both as the definitive account of Jagdgeschwader 300 and as a benchmark for future Luftwaffe unit histories. (Volume Two is scheduled for release before the end of the year.) However, this book will be not only respected, but also loved, because it is an eminently readable — often downright exciting — work that manages simultaneously to provide historical perspective, day-to-day descriptions of unit engagements, moving personal accounts by pilots, and detailed coverage of aircraft subtypes, camouflage and markings. Its approximately four hundred photographs are well reproduced, though the image quality of a few is necessarily limited by that of the original prints or negatives. Most of these photos have not been published previously, and all are exceptionally well captioned, often with carefully-considered comments on camouflage and markings.

The book is comprised of ten chapters that begin with a brief overview of nightfighting in the early phases of WW II, proceed through the foundation of Geschwader Hermann and its transformation into JG 300, and end four months after the unit’s conversion to the dayfighter role in May of 1944. The text and photos are complemented by an intriguing Introduction on the Luftwaffe’s criteria for acceptance of victory claims, numerous footnotes — more than a hundred in Chapter Ten alone! — that provide helpful detail without detracting from the flow of the narrative, twenty-six color profiles by Tom Tullis, two fly-leaf paintings by co-author Richard Goyat, seven appendices, and a detailed eight-page index. All of the color profiles are documented by photographs, and some of the camouflage and marking schemes that they portray are both surprising and spectacular. Eagle Editions is releasing decals for approximately half of these aircraft, the profiles of which can be seen at http://www.eagle-editions.com/decal88.htm , http://www.eagle-editions.com/decal89.htm and http://www.eagle-editions.com/decal90.htm .

Conclusions:

A marvelously successful example of multi-tasking, this book is highly recommended for Luftwaffe modelers, aviation historians, and casual readers interested in World War II.

Review copyright © 2005 by Charles Metz

and I think we can give a big Thank-you to Falkeeins for translating both volumes ............

thumbs up Neil !

E ♪

Has anyone received word on when our pre-ordered copies of this book will be shipped? I called Patty at Eagle Editions repeatedly today and just got a full voice mail recording. Last word I got from her was that the book would arrive mid-July...

I had preorder this book too and no info yet. About your phones, they have been attend Nats Expo in Atlanta these days.

..did any Atlanta visitors see the book in fact ? (John perhaps..?)

Haven't seen anything mentioned on Hyperscale as of yet/posted my own inquiry; but the Crandalls and crew may be enroute back to Montana ? give them another several days, the book should be just around the corner.....

Greets all ! Erich ~

Yes, I have a copy in my hot little hands. They bought 45 copies to Atlanta and they were all gone by Friday. The "pre-orders" are being shipped now.

It is an excellant, well-produced volume. It goes through mid-September 1944. Great stories, text and photos, most not previously seen. There are also, apparently, some new losses and claims not previously listed.

John ~ did you happen to see a copy of the special ed? (leather bound) if so what are your thoughts?

John I did not see one although I think they had one there. I'm too rough on my books to get one of those!

I just received email notification that JG 300 is on the way. Looking forward to it.

You will be surprised by the book one of best written on luftwaffe unit

Eric

Well I arrived home and found a rather large and heavy box on my door step tonight!

Yes it has arrived!! book 17/300 and it looks and feels great - I cant wait to read this over my vacation which starts next week!

I took a quick peek and here is what I found.

It is a very heavy book with a dark leather ver embossed in silver. The book contains many many pictures of planes and their pilots including some very nice color shots! There are also many color plates, loss & victory lists...

Cheers

Hi everybody,

Just want to say that this book is excellent. Got the Docovia edition. For me it's the book of the year.

One thing that make me wonder is the big difference beetween Luftwaffe pilots Mustangs Claims and actual USAAF admitted loses.

Reading the introduction from the author does not answer the question : there is too much difference beetween claims and loses. And the first hand stories by the pilot stating the actual damage inflicted to the mustangs could not led to misinterpretation : These aircrafts claimed shot down could not have survived such damage in many of these cases...

So what the experts interpretation ?

Thank you for your answers

Laurent