Market research - 'Most Wanted' Luftwaffe books

[HGabor]

Originally Posted by MW Giles

Was the Lw system the same as the Allied, in that a nice intelligence officer asked you some questions at debriefing and then went away to write the report down, which was then presented to you to sign?

Check out Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces Over Hungary 1944-45 pages 12-19, 202-206 for detailed information on the Luftwaffe claiming process.

[Milos Gazdic]

Since many of us on this forum are either authors, or specialists, or highly knowledgeable enthusiasts, I believe the result of such a poll is not relevant.
Based on my experience - and probably others, too - it's primarily the modellers and the general history enthusiast who make up the bulk of the book buyers. Therefore, this poll should be (also) placed on modellers' forums, to gauge the interest of the potential buyers. My two-cent worth opinion. P.S. Great discussions, by the way...

I agree with Denes' statement. Modellers are probably the largest target audience for aviation publications.

I am neither author or a specialist, nor so knowledgeable enthusiast but I do visit this amazing forum fairly often to read what all of you esteemed gentlemen write and sometimes to post questions about the Fw 190 camouflage since that's where my interest mostly lies. I consider myself a modeller although I don't often have time for the hobby, but, in some short moments of freedom, I do think about or analyze the camouflage of certain airframes even if I ain't gonna apply it to that piece of plastic.

Anyhow, I have a Kallax (many of you probably know this product from Ikea's inventory) 5x5 segments shelf here in China where I currently live, completely filled up with aviation books (some books are laying here & there too, where they should not). About 2 or 3 segments (each segment is 13"x13"x13") are filled with magazines (Im Focus and mostly, other German & French ones). About four or five segments are filled with books dealing with American, Japanese, Italian, Soviet, and French or smaller airforces like Yugoslavia (showing some patriotism), Bulgaria or Hungary... The remaining segments are holding books about the Luftwaffe fighter force. My main, ultimate interest is Fw 190 & Luftwaffe camouflage, so I have purchased every single book about these two subjects in any & every language they have ever been published that I could lay my hands on. Even Spanish ones. I barely speak my own mother tongue & find ways of communicating in English, while also understanding about 11,3 words in German - or plainly, I was not built for languages & speaking although I love to talk a lot. But yes!!! English language books for a person like myself are the best option.

Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe (all parts published so far), all Fighter Unit histories I could ever find & purchase (again in any language and sometimes in 2 languages if they have been published in German first & English later)... are on these shelves... Hard cover books are adored but softcover books are equally loved! The thickness of the cover doesn't make a book better. "Don't judge the book..." as someone said once.

Back in my hometown of Belgrade, I have another bookshelf of identical size filled up with more aviation books (some even about bombers, twin-engined fighters, recce planes, trainers) & quite a few French (Fana / Avions...), Czech, Soviet and a few English-language magazines but sadly in the last 8 years, I check these publications too rarely.

I totally understand that in talking about any aspect of aviation one has to know all the other ones.. technical aspect, operational aspect etc... all of them influence - let's say - camouflage application on some given airframe. And that's why I don't buy only the books about those single-engined fighters or ground-attack aircraft types, but for sure such titles when well done are the books to which I return mostly!

My favourite books of all are JaPo "Dora" books. I dream about the day when the third volume will be published! Jerry & Eagle Editions did an equally great job and it is great to compare the two. And even more, I do dream about someone doing the same about "short-nosed" Fw 190s which I prefer over long-nosed cousins (I know how immense work that would be, but... hope dies last). I even hope that Part IV of the Classic Fw 190 series will be published one day... maybe under another "roof"?!

Good layout (probably because I am coming from a creative industry) means so much to me. Some books with great content that are not well laid out are painful for my eyes & brain... and I believe that Classic publications were appreciated by many because of that modern approach to the layout for the time when they were published. Applies to both soft & hard covered titles.

Good reproductions of the photographs, well done & researched profiles, modern illustrations for the technical aspects and well-written texts understandable by "everyone", in well laid out designs do make things more attractive.

Claes Sundin (one of those aviation artists that I really appreciate) published a dozen of profile books so far. I am awaiting the two latest to arrive from Germany. I would love his books even more if he would have analyzed each of his profiles in writing next to the profile & if he would have covered other views & details visible in the photos he studies for the available photos. It would give much more "weight" and value to these books. It would put them closer to JaPo/EagleEditions level/approach and I believe that this aspect makes those Dora books so loved by everyone.

I do agree that definite books about Bf 109s still don't exist although there are many of them out there. At least not in English. Even Fw 190s could see a slight update (short nose Classic ones).
JaPo approach to Bf 109s (JaPo does a segment covering airframes found in Czech territories but expanding it?)

Someone mentioned a few fighter units that have never been covered in any language (ie JG6) - great opportunity! Translations of all / some German or French language Unit history books?

More books like Japanese LO+ST (I think also someone mentioned books of unpublished photos... wondering who is purchasing all the amazing & not so amazing photos selling on evilBay?) In depth discussion about each & every airframe seen in photos... at least to the Rodeike level in his 190 Bible but maybe even deeper? I believe such books would always sell.

Please keep in mind that I come from a very poor country and I am not a really rich person so every purchase for me is a substantial expense but I do believe in the value of the books. And after all, they give me pleasure so I keep on buying them... although my smarter and prettier half believes I have more than enough.

Another book that I would like to mention as a great one (for the end) would probably be Natter by Brett Gooden. Again single type history, like all those sought after Classic books but really researched in depth. Once you have it - you believe you don't need another book on the subject.

I hope I didn't write too much nonsense and didn't overly bother you? Just trying to express what an ordinary, non-expert buyer (calling himself a modeller) might like.

Or as they say in my hood "My 2 Maos"
米老鼠

[Dénes Bernád]

These are the key words, Milos: "I do believe in the value of the books. And after all, they give me pleasure so I keep on buying them..."
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

[richdlc]

Originally Posted by Milos Gazdic

I even hope that Part IV of the Classic Fw 190 series will be published one day... maybe under another "roof"?!

Unfortunately unlikely to happen. Me, Robert (Forsyth) and Eddie Creek have discussed it, but you'd need someone to write the text

Originally Posted by Milos Gazdic

More books like Japanese LO+ST (I think also someone mentioned books of unpublished photos... wondering who is purchasing all the amazing & not so amazing photos selling on evilBay?)

Hideki Noro tells me he is working on volume 2.

Also I (Chandos Publications) have several exciting projects in general in the pipeline already.

thanks for the comments!

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by richdlc

Unfortunately unlikely to happen. Me, Robert (Forsyth) and Eddie Creek have discussed it, but you'd need someone to write the text

....I've always thought Vol IV was to be a 'photographic' compilation. I still wonder why nobody ever wanted to 'do' or even 're-do' Rodeike's 'Jagdflugzeug 190'. Having said that, 400+pages of photo captions is a lot of text..

[Milos Gazdic]

Isten hozott, Dénes. I was afraid that all this blabbing will be too much...

hello richdic,
I didn't know that vol4 was called off. I somehow thought there is still a chance for it.
If someone has done the research & compiled the photos & documents, putting the book together & even writing up captions maybe ain't that big of the work an ignorant guess.
It could be even done as an "open source" style project between a few artists. I would not mind doing the layout in InDesign if they need help & helping them set the editable proxy text files that go as captions so people can edit them on the go Anything for another Fw 190 Bible.

I am super excited if we gonna see "LO+ST sequel". One on TV lasted 6 seasons and was an ultimate hit. I would love NoroSan's one much more!

Thanks to all researchers, historians, writers, illustrators, publishers... for providing all those great and not so great (I buy such ones too, so don't worry) books!

[Jukka Juutinen]

It is mentioned in this thread that lack of sourced prevent this and that topic to be studied. But, let's remember the recent book Secret Horsepower Race. Many, many times before that book one could hear claims that that topic lacked sources. Then came Calum Douglas who dug deep into the archives and found mountains of new information creating a masterpiece. After that case one may really ask that how much untapped material still is to be found on other Luftwaffe topics in the archives, but researchers have not delved thus far deep enough. And in the case of the Secret Horsepower Race, another crucial aspect pertaining to the authoritativeness of the book is that he is an engine-designer himself.

[Siko54]

Great post Jukka. I think there is heaps out there still but as you say, finding it and putting it together is the hard bit. I am still hopeful of seeing a comprehensive publication on the JU188 and the long-range recon missions flown on the Ostfront.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

It is mentioned in this thread that lack of sourced prevent this and that topic to be studied … After that case one may really ask that how much untapped material still is to be found on other Luftwaffe topics in the archives, but researchers have not delved thus far deep enough.

You can ask, but if you have unexplored topics in mind then identifying unused source material would be of more help for prospective authors.

[Jukka Juutinen]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

You can ask, but if you have unexplored topics in mind then identifying unused source material would be of more help for prospective authors.

For example in the case the Secret Horsepower Race, Daimler-Benz archives were apparently very crucial. One may ask that the D-B archives might contain material very useful for researching German aircraft too.

Years ago a Finnish researcher told me that for German aircraft, the key archive is at the Deutsches Museum, not BA-MA.