Forthcoming books from Chris Shores

[Frank Olynyk]

The new Grub Street catalog arrived a day or two ago, and I thought people would be interested in two new books that Chris Shores is involved in. The first is the complete rewrite, mostly by Yasuho Izawa, of Japanese Naval Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces, 1932-1945. Dr. Izawa has performed a major review of the existing documentation, and Chris has edited the text, with additional notes from the Allied side. The book is scheduled to appear at a book launch at Duxford in May. This is not a reprint of the US Naval Institute edition of a number of years ago, but a brand new edition. It is listed as 480 pages. The Grub Street Army Units/Aces volume is 340 pages, and the original USNI edition of the Navy Aces/Units is 442 pages.

The second book is the long awaited update to Fighters Over the Desert. This will be a multi-volume series, to cover the entire Mediterranean Theater. The title is Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945, Volume One: North Africa, June 1940 -- January 1942. The publisher is estimating the page count as 416 pages; I believe Chris told me that the manuscript is currently about 600 pages long. The book is scheduled for September. Chris considers it the best work he has done to date. Work on the next volume (number unknown) covering May 1943 to the end of October 1943, will start slowly, as both Chris and Grub Street want to see what the sales are like. Assuming everything goes ahead smoothly, the third book will probably be Volume 2, starting January 1942 with an undetermined stopping point.

I would also like to point out three other Grub Street books, two by Andy Saunders (Spitfire Mark I P9374, scheduled for September; and Finding The Fallen, scheduled for October); and one by Andy Bird (Coastal Dawn, seheduled for September).

Check the Grub Street webpage for other forthcoming releases.

Other than being the author of an out-of-print Grub Street book, I have no stake in any of these books.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[mars]

Is there any publish date for "Fighters Over the Desert"?

[Frank Olynyk]

I am afraid that I do not understand your question. Fighters Over The Desert was published in 1969 by Neville Spearman, and was 256 pages long. It will never be reprinted. This first volume of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 covers the first 88 pages of Fighters Over the Desert. Everything in those 88 pages is in Volume 1 of MAW, and much more.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[mars]

Sorry, I mean Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945, Volume One: North Africa, June 1940 -- January 1942. and I now know it will be published in this September

[NickM]

According to Stone & Stone, Shores' new first volume of his new series is going to be published September 2011...we hope.

NM

[Edward]

Re: release date for the revised English language edition of Japanese Naval Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces, 1932-1945.

Frank Olynyk wrote: The book is scheduled to appear at a book launch at Duxford in May.

The Grub Street website has a page for the book which lists the release date as 19 October 2011. I hope that the May book launch is more up-to-date information.

Edward

http://www.grubstreet.co.uk/products...force-fighter/

[Frank Olynyk]

Edward,
Chris told me that Grub Street wanted it ready for the May Duxford release, along with Be Bold, the (auto?)biography of ACM Sir Frederick Rosier, to which he has/will supply an appreciation. And the paper catalog I received from Grub Street lists both with a May release date. So I think May is at least the currently intended release month.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[mars]

I guess there would be a delay for Mr Shore's book, here is from the stonebooks:
News from Chris Shores
19 April 2011
"I was with Grub Street yesterday, completing the proofreading, insertion of illustrations, etc, in regard to the Japanese Naval Fighter book. John Davies plans to launch it at the Duxford Air Show on 22 May.
"...[i]n regard to the first volume of my Mediterranean Air War series...I am very nearly finished, but am not prepared to rush under pressure and risk spoiling it. So I think that early next year is more realistic. However, it is coming along really well, and I am hoping it will prove to be the best thing I have done yet. While we are numbering the volumes chronologically, I have mentioned before that I will not necessarily WRITE them in that order. Writing something new is definitely more exciting for the author than rewriting, however extensive the latter, and to keep my own enthusiasm bubbling, I may do Vol 3 or 4 after Vol 1, and then return to 2 and 3 later."

[Jim Oxley]

Does anyone know what the format is? As in will it follow the old style like 'Bloody Shambles"; or 2nd Tactical Air Force?

I hope it's the former, I didn't care for TAC.

[Frank Olynyk]

Jim,
I passed your comment to Chris, and this was his reply:

=======================
Briefly, if anyone has the original FOTD or FOT, they will see at once that they are not the same format as the Grub Street books (they were Spearman books, of course).

Over the years I have had every sort of groan, whine and grizzle over the quality of the paper, the reproductive quality of the photos, which are also criticised as too cramped, too small etc, etc. All of which I have rather tended to agree with. So having worked with Classics on '2nd TAF', I was much happier with the A4 format, particularly so as it also better for maps, which I want to use quite a few of in this series, and for the paper quality and photo reproduction.

Therefore, when negotiating with Grub Street (as Classics also wanted the Mediterranean series), I sweated blood to persuade them to agree to a bigger format, better quality coated paper, better presented, larger photos.

This is precisely why I intend to see how Vol 1 does before I do any more.
=================================

Looking at my copies of 2ndTAF, aside from being too tall for the shelves I have built, the only complaint I would make is the extra wide margins which usually end up blank. I suspect Grub Street will modify the layout to reduce the margins. I like the pictures being near the associated text.

I have no idea what the format will be for MAW, other than it will not be that of Spearman or the earlier Grub Street books, but closer to that of Classics.

What is it about the 2nd TAF books that bothers you?

Enjoy!

Frank.