'Napoleon's Last Army' update - Lombardy Studios
Napoleon’s Last Army Multi-Volume Series Cancelled. Two New Books in Production
"Lombardy Studios announces that the series of books first mentioned in 2015 under the name Napoleon’s Last Army is officially cancelled. Instead, two exciting new publications centered on Napoleon’s Hundred Days reign are now well underway.
Two New Books on Napoleon’s Armies Scheduled for 2022–2023
1983 edition of Scott Bowden’s ‘Armies at Waterloo’
The first, an elegant one-volume greatly expanded edition of the famous Armies at Waterloo first published in 1983 by award-winning historian and author Scott Bowden is scheduled for release in late 2022. The greatly expanded edition includes additional research developed over the past 37 years, with fresh detailed analysis of the 1815 Waterloo campaign and battle, beautifully illustrated with a number of color images, newly commissioned color maps, and previously unpublished paintings by renowned historical artist Keith Rocco.
The second book is a completely new one-volume work titled, Napoleon’s Last Armies: A Detailed Analysis of the Organization and Composition of the 1815 French Imperial Armies, that will follow in 2023. This original work by Scott Bowden will present and examine the archival records of the last Imperial armies fielded during the Hundred Days, including the complete story of the armies that were des Alpes, du Jura, de la Loire, de la Moselle, du Nord, des Pyrénées, du Rhin and du Var.
Stunning new original maps, full-color images, artwork and more will enhance this Herculean effort.
More details concerning these two landmark projects will be shared on the Lombardy Studios Facebook page and LombardyStudios.com.
Read Scott’s first blog entry detailing what will be different and exciting about the greatly expanded edition of Armies at Waterloo here."
Agree completely.
I was once told, by a very wise man who was also a good friend, before I began writing military history, that you cannot support a family on the royalties from the books you write.
The information is the most important thing. And if anyone expects to become rich from writing military history they will be greatly disappointed. You have to have a day job.
By the way, I have all of your books and they are excellent and a great addition to the sholarship on 1815. Keep up the good work.
Personally, I'd rather have the books and my personal library keeps expanding with both the new books coming out and the older ones that I find.
On reflection, it does beg the question of how much people are prepared to pay for books.
I thought Armies at Waterloo was excellent and before its time. I also enjoyed Scott's other books. However, as an author myself, I know the challenges that publishers are facing given the challenge of ebooks and COVID (my latest book has faced long delays) as enthusiasts buy fewer 'hard copies'. Many people do not realise that many publishers require authors to pay for their own illustrations and maps; lack of the latter being a long-heard gripe about new books. But this no doubt explains why many authors have few and/or poor-quality maps. The costs of the maps in my upcoming book will mean I earn nothing from it until I have sold over four hundred copies; the more and more elaborate the maps, the less the author earns. Paying for 'stunning new original maps, full colour images, artwork and more(?)' means the book will be more expensive. Do readers want the extra expense that surely follows or should costs be kept down with less, black and white, maps and no original (and expensive) artwork?
For myself, as an enthusiast before I am an author, I want the information before anything else. A certain quality and number of maps are essential, black and white are fine, but oft repeated illustrations and uniforms that can be found in other books; no thanks.
I guess a lot goes back to how much money people have available to spend on books, and when it comes down to preferences on maps and illustrations, the old adage of 'you can't please all the people all the time' springs to mind.
Undoubtedly. Undoubtedly, also, they will be well-worth it.
Better start saving; they sound pricey!!