A new JG 26 Chronicle?

[Flupke]

Hello to all

Have you seen this : http://www.luftwaffe.be/ what’s new?

Hadn’t Don Caldwell written a very comprehensive study on JG 26?
I hope that this new enterprise will bring many “new” things to the light.

Interesting !

Phil

[Ruy Horta]

Looks like an ambitious plan for a new multi-volume work on JG 26.



Which work well combined with the other Kanalgeschwader, JG 2.

That brings me to a question that I really like to see aswered: what are the current developments for translations? Erik told us that he has dropped german as a language (what about JG 5 vol 3 btw?). But what about English?

Need to know, because if translations to either German or English are not likely, than I have to jump in with the French edition of JG 2 before they are out of print.

[Nick Beale]

Well, I learned a new French adjective from all this "photos époustouflantes" = amazing photos.

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Ruy Horta

That brings me to a question that I really like to see aswered: what are the current developments for translations?

...last time the subject arose, the appearance of the translations was tied-in to adequate sales of the original language editions. Seems slightly bizarre but one of the pitfalls of self-publishing I suspect..

[Ruy Horta]

Well the German sales seem to be lukewarm, so that might bring the JG 5 work to a stop. Will Vol.3 be published at all?

As for JG 2, it must depends on the popularity in France, but I won't keep my breath. Probably end up ordering the French language.

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Ruy Horta

As for JG 2, it must depend on the popularity in France, but I won't keep my breath. Probably end up ordering the French language.

..given the comparative lack of decent Luftwaffe subject matter in that language French sales are probably quite good. (the French edition of the JG 4 history currently available is a two volume re-issue...).

[Erik Mombeeck]

Hello,

Many thanks for your interest.

Yes, Jean-Louis and I decided to start also a very comprehensive study on JG 26. Certainly not because Don’s work is now become obsolete (he has done fantastic books), but we now have found so many new documents, that it would be a pity to keep that all just for us.

Now, some considerations regarding the publication in different languages.

German : I was pleased to publish the chronicles in German to be able to offer my veteran-friends the result of their support. I think that most of them enjoyed much the books, they often were pleased to (re) discover what happened to this or this comrade, to explain their children how they lived this very hard period of their life. As you know, my main topic is the human aspect; this is the reason why I feel important to publish as many war-time letters and accounts, post-war memories… which can give a more or less correct image of what happened 60 years ago… that is also what we want to develop in the JG 26 chronicle.

But I was a bit upset with the sales of JG 5 vol. 2 which was, I think, not too bad. I then realised that a great part of the potential readers unfortunately had passed away or were not any longer able to enjoy reading. That was not the case for the earlier books loke JG 1 and JG 4.
I don't think that the youth is not interested by this history, but it seems that they feel it difficult to spend much money for books on this subject. Nevertheless, my friend Hans G. Berger, former Stk. of JG 1, and professional translator pushes me to finish and finally publish the volume 3 of JG 5, what we are doing now.

French : this is our mother language, and since Jean-Louis and I really enjoy writing, this is important for us to be published in our language. Of course, JG 2 and JG 26 were stationed in France and Belgium which interests French speaking readers. The sales are motivating us to go further in French. Not, of course, that we earn any money with these books, we won’t ever, but we are able to cover +/- our costs. The Luftwaffe history is and will remain a hobby for us.

English : apparently, it is a very risky affair for an English or American publisher to start the publication of a German Fighter unit chronicle in several volumes. Thus, we are really thinking to do this ourselves but with big doubts too.
How many copies would we be able to sell? If we could be sure to have 500 readers, we would go but the figure of 500 (which sounds relatively small) seems, in fact, to be also difficult to reach.
Storage, distribution, how to get the money, weakness of the dollar face to the euro… that all would be other problems to fight with. And what is now a hobby could become a nightmare.
Nevertheless we have good cards in the hand like a very fine and expert translator, the support of many enthusiasts, and the will to do it…

Any consideration about the market for Luftwaffe books in English would be most welcomed. This would help us to build an idea and take a decision.

Best regards

Erik

[Franek Grabowski]

Well, it seems there is a solution to avoid extensive shipping costs.

[Skyraider3D]

I'd love to have a comprehensive book on JG 2, but the French language is putting me right off. My holiday knowledge of French simply isn't enough to fully appreciate such a book. Hopefully you will release it in English at some point. 500 sales should be relatively easy to achieve.

As an alternative please consider releasing an English text-only edition, to compliment the French book. Perhaps even in PDF format? This way you'd bypass all publishing problems. Just a thought?

[Erik Mombeeck]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for these interesting reactions! They really help to have a better view of the situation.
Of course shipping is one of the worse points: here it is getting harder and harder to find a company with acceptable price to send parcels. And to Australia, it becomes un-payable.

Franek, what is your solution?

Thanks Stig, you are right to publish the same book in different languages is certainly not a good thing. Nevertheless my experience with JG 2 in French has confirmed me that only a few English-spoken are ready to buy a French book. As far as I know there must be only max. 10 copies of JG 2 in the English spoken world. You’re among them Jim and Del.
Your idea to vote is great. Would you accept Ruy? The question could be : “Who would purchase a copy of JG 2 vol. 1 in English?"
Knowing that this book is covering the years 1934 – 1940, thus the rebirth of the Jagdwaffe, creation of JG 2 until the end of the Battle of Britain”. 300 pages, + 400 photos (most of them unpublished before), many first-hand accounts, colour art-work, losses and claims tables…
Of course that would not give a definitive idea on the figure (maybe some "jokers" would vote several times), but this would maybe interest many of us.

A book in Pdf ? That is an idea, but I think that we all like to have something in the hands else that a computer.

I’ll take my decision in April and let you know. In all cases, the vol. 1 is already translated by Neil.

Best regards

Erik