IAR-80 "le Heros meconnu"

[Blue-Max]

IAR-80 by Dan Antoniu and George Cicos (Editions TMA, Paris, 2008).
The book is hard cover, A4 size, 288 pages, round 500 b&w photos, 30 color profiles.
A more detailed presentation you can find here:
http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=4727

[Jukka Juutinen]

Why the intentional decision to reduce sales by publishing it in the gurglish (=French)?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Why the intentional decision to reduce sales by publishing it in the gurglish (=French)?

Let me see ... because there's over 60 million people in France? Because Romanian and French are related languages? Because no English speaker came forward and offered to translate it? Because quite a lot of people round the world can read and understand French, either because their country uses the language or because they learn it?

[Blue-Max]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Let me see ... because there's over 60 million people in France? Because Romanian and French are related languages? Because no English speaker came forward and offered to translate it? Because quite a lot of people round the world can read and understand French, either because their country uses the language or because they learn it?

Nick, it's a little bit of everything you have mentioned. But the main cause is the British/American publishers' lack of interest concerning the IAR-80 subject. I remember approaching Mr. Barry Ketley about the IAR-80 topic when he still was the chief editor of Hikoki Publishing. His response was very promising and a possible collaboration could have happened if he had stayed in the chief editor position. His successor, Mr. Michel Bird, had different views on this subject and so ... we now have a French edition of this book.

[Jukka Juutinen]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Let me see ... because there's over 60 million people in France? Because Romanian and French are related languages? Because no English speaker came forward and offered to translate it? Because quite a lot of people round the world can read and understand French, either because their country uses the language or because they learn it?

So you claim that the French edition will sell more than an English edition would sell?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

So you claim that the French edition will sell more than an English edition would sell?

Nowhere in my post do I say that. However, I would infer from Blue Max's reply that his French publishers are more optimistic about potential sales than the English one he spoke to.

[Jukka Juutinen]

Seems that British publishers are NOT the place to go for books like this as several publishers seem to have "Chevronized" publishing policy (=only relatively thin books that concentrate on pretty pictures).

[Blue-Max]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Let me see ... because there's over 60 million people in France? ....

You must also not forget the potential French language speakers from Italy, Spain and Portugal. Maybe also from Latin America ?! Anyway there is plenty of space on the market for an English edition.
But what seams pretty odd, is that TMA Editions can't supply the demands for this book. I personally know some ( quite unsatisfied) readers from Portugal and Spain who are still waiting for the book. We must remember that the book was initially announced for 2004 in "subscription" regime and was over and over postponed till May 2008.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Blue-Max

You must also not forget the potential French language speakers from Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Et quelques-uns en Angleterre, aussi.

[CJE]

Language may be a problem or not.
I possess books and magazines in 14 different languages, most of them I can't read.
There are photographs, many "self-explanating" or with captions where I can pick up a word or two, tables I can understand...
Language will never deter me from buying a book if the subject matches my interest.