Ragging on the post office and other stuff

Good morning bookies! Happy Labor Day weekend to you all. The entire staff here at BBG.com want to wish you and yours the very best of this first weekend of fall and football. Yeah, I know, it's not really fall yet. And I get that not everybody is wild about football starting up. Given that both are a given, though, you might as well celebrate what you cannot stop.

*** The new ILAM is posted. That's right, all new mystery and crime fiction reviews from the finest stable of reviewers on the net, chiefly because your friendly neighborhood bookseller is one of them. Find the David Liss line and read my review of The Whiskey Rebels.

Iloveamysterynewsletter.com

*** The sprawling, globe-spanning conflict that was World War II has become an endless source of books feeding a public's almost insatiable hunger for something new, something comprehensible, something that can explain what the hell happened. The war itself is so huge it's nearly impossible to wrap your brain around it, so the smaller, less visible elements are often overlooked. So it was with England's war-within-a-war with Vichy France. Other than buffs, who knew that in the summer of 1940 the Royal Navy and the French Navy fought a major battle in which more than 1200 Frenchmen died, mere weeks after the two had been close allies? Or that the Battle at Mers-el-Kebir would prove pivotal in convincing FDR that England meant to stay the course of war against Germany and so proved itself worthy of support?

Well, for those who want to focus on this last time the French and English fought each other, probably (and hopefully) for good, Colin Wilson's new book England's Last War Against France: Fighting Vichy 1940-1942, seems a great choice. Even today it explains much. And it should never be forgotten that however much the French re-wrote history after the war was won, a lot of Frenchmen were happy enough to knuckle under to the Germans in the beginning.

After the alliance, the English and French were not so kissy-kissy anymore

*** As you might expect the global economic downturn is battering writers the same as everyone else. It appears that publishers are rejecting manuscripts from known writers, manuscripts for which they have contracts, on the nebulous grounds of inferior quality. Being totally subjective this is pretty hard to contest. One would think, though, that the day will come when some of the better known writers will be sought after again and might harbor a grudge against the editors who bailed on then when things got bad. We'll see.

Publishers reneging on deals

*** Coming soon to a bookstore near you, and not one of those with the little rooms and coin-operated video players, either, is a new book on the single most popular subject in the history of publishing: sex. Apparently this is in the vein of easy to read stories and anecdotes as opposed to erotica. Let's hope it's not another Masters & Johnson, or Kinsey Report. I mean, one can just as well hang wallpaper as read those. Not that I have, mind you, but I've read reviews.

New how-to manual for...well, you know

*** And finally, a rant from yours truly. I guess everybody knows that I sell books for a living. Thus the moniker of 'your friendly neighborhood bookseller.' Get it? Bookseller, sells books? I knew you would. Anyway, to put those books into the hands of my beloved customers I must necessarily use the Post Office. This being the Labor Day weekend the postal service will not operate on Monday. No problem, holiday, all that. But since the post office is losing billions of dollars each year, you would think they would try and make up some of that loss, right?

Not so fast there, pal. This is the government we're talking about. Yesterday I show up at my post office about 1:45 pm, knowing it closes on Saturdays at 2 pm. But hold! It's closed. A sign on the door, that was not there Wednesday because I looked, said they had closed at noon because of the holiday. But, but...Saturday isn't the holiday, Monday is. And is three days off so insufficient that you've got to lop off another two hours from what is already the shortest work day of the week? You're open a lousy 3 hours on Saturday? Why bother?

And so the next time the post office reports a loss it won't come as a surprise. To make money you have to actually, you know, be open for business and stuff.

IN THE FLESH by Clive Barker

In The Flesh by Clive Barker. Poseidon Press, 1986. Octavo hardback. black quarter cloth and grey paper boards. A bit prone to toning, as usual with books of the mid-80's from lesser known authors (Barker was not a big name at the time). First edition indicated by number line to '1'.

It should be noted that this is an earlier example of Barker's signature, dating from the mid 1990's.

A little of this, a dash of that

Good morning bookies! It's bright and cool here in West Tennessee, most unusual for late August. We should be baking and we're not.

So, Friday I was at the local Memphis Public Library book sale. I spent all morning there. I bought two books. It was dreadful. The library is now skimming off what they consider their best books and selling them on ebay. So, who is determining what books are what? 'Why, we are!' one befuddled woman told me. 'We even sold a first edition the other day!"

God only knows what that book was they sold, whether it was first edition or a 20th. I can assure you this woman would not have known. But obviously whatever they had, if was not at the sale. Nothing but crap, beat up ex-library copies that have been around that sale for years now. A complete waste of time. If you're thinking about going to a Memphis sale in the future, I wouldn't bother. Unless, of course, you're just looking for something to read and don't mind the copy being a bit beat up, in which case you'll probably find something.

*** Technically speaking, ancient tablets were the books of their time and so are germane to this blog about books. Right? Right. And it's right in the wheelhouse of my imagination's strike zone that the linked article describes archaeologists finding Turkish tablets more than 2700 years old, tablets that don't just list the day to day activities of a temple, but also might verify facts concerning the Persian Empire's expansionist tendencies in those days. Amazing people, amazing stuff. To put this in a time context, these tablets were contemporary to the founding of Rome.

Ancient Persian tablets found

*** A signed copy of Mein Kampf was recently sold at auction and, I must say, it went for less than I would have thought, 21,000 pounds, or roughly $38,000. Not only that, this copy was inscribed by Hitler to a fellow inmate at Landsberg Prison. Inscriptions from Hitler are quite rare. On the other hand, the book is more or less unreadable, the passages are so tangled and dense and rambling that one can look quite a while for coherence, without finding it. Not that anyone buying such a book would actually read it, mind you.

Signed Mein Kampf under the gavel

*** During World War II Germany created, or came close to creating, or at least thought about creating, a whole series of extraordinary, far-ahead-of-their-time weapons. The first stealth aircraft, the first operational jet fighter, the first operational rocket fighter, the first jet bomber, smart bombs with TV sets built into their nose, (and those were actually used in the war, too)...and, of course, the famed V2 rocket, the first ballistic missile, still the basis for most so-called SCUD missiles in use throughout the world. And for that particular little bit of worrisome hardware we can thank one Werner Von Braun.

Of course, after the war von Braun came to America and helped put us on the moon, so before we go getting all indignant let's remember that while Braun might have been a Nazi scientist, he was our Nazi scientist.

That, at least, seems to be the general thought behind Dark side of the Moon: Wehrner von Braun, the Third Reich, and the Space Race by Wayne Biddle. Von Braun was a rocket scientist, he designed and built the much feared V2 for Hitler, a weapon that killed thousands in London and Antwerp. But he was also a German and his country was at war. Like fellow scientists in the USSR, saying 'no' to research that could be used for weapons was not an option. If you weren't useful, then you were taking up valuable resources.

Von Braun was a fascinating man and this might be one book I seek out to read.

A needed biography of Werner von Braun

*** The subject of the Italian resistance during World War II, the roving bands of guerillas who made life so miserable for the Germans and Fascist Italians after Italy's surrender in 1943, is a subject almost begging for a good book to detail all of its many aspects. And, based on this review below, it still needs one. Or maybe the book that has been written just needs a better reviewer.

The headline of this book review mentions the book being biased; it's hard to imagine the book is more biased than the reviewer. I mean, come on! How am I supposed to take you seriously when you're using the subject of a review to launch your own political spin about modern Italian politics? This guy is obviously a leftist outraged that Italy was not allowed to become a communist country. Give me a break.

However, given the paucity of information available on this particular topic, the book does fill an important need. Now it just needs a better reader.

World War II behind the lines in Italy

THE WINTER OF THE WORLD TRILOGY by Michael Scott Rohan

The Anvil of Ice, The forge in the Forest & The Hammer of the Sun by Michael Scott Rohan. All three published by Morrow, 1986, 1987, 1988 respectively. All octavo hardbacks. First editions noted by the usual Morrow method of number lines down to '1.' Anvil has cream quarter cloth, brown paper boards. Forge & Hammer by have white quarter cloth with white boards. The paper is slightly better than average and not so prone to toning. First two have jackets by Kinuko Craft, the third is by Anne Yvonne Gilbert. They are all fairly heavy, noting good
construction.

Poppy Z. Brite LOST SOULS 10th Anniversary Ed.

Poppy Z. Brite's Lost Souls is a cult classic among those who savor erotic, hard-core horror. To commemorate this seminal work, Gauntlet Press in 2002 came out with a limited edition 10th Anniversary Edition of this book. The binding is black leather with silver gilt and lettering. Pages are heavy, low acid and built to last. The limitation page is signed with the book's number, this particular copy was signed again by Poppy.

STRANGER FROM THE DEPTHS by Gerry Turner

STRANGER FROM THE DEPTHS by Gerry Turner. Doubleday, 1967. First edition statement, as typical of Doubleday title from this period. Boards are full light green cloth. The very attractive wrap-around jacket shows influences from the period, a psychedelic influence, and was done by Emanuel Schongut. A bit prone to leaning, pages are fairly resistant to toning except for the edges. No numbers for print run available.

ETERNITY ROAD by Jack McDevitt

The striking front cover portrays a post-Armageddon painting of Memphis, TN., my hometown, done by Joe Danini. The construction is a typical HarperPrism volume of the late 90's, with a propensity for toning. Binding is quarter black cloth with red paper boards. First edition statement is a standard number line beginning with '1.'

Update

Good morning bookies!

No, I haven't gone exploring the world that comes after this one. And no, I haven't forgotten about this blog. This has just been another one of those summer's where other people seem to need my time and attention more than I do, and it makes it hard to keep up. My apologies. Also, an annoying, frustrating and uncomfortable (but ultimately minor) medical condition has really messed things up, too.

So this is an official 'I'm sorry.' I anticipate things lightening up soon. At least, I hope they do.

In the meantime, my best to you all.

ebay's latest round of seller bashing

Good day bookies! Just a quick comment on the latest nonsense from ebay.

*** So ebay is, once again, changing the rules of their game. Are they finally giving their hard-pressed sellers a break and letting buyers share some of the responsibility for a sale? Nope. They are, yet again, bashing their sellers over the head and stomping on their toes. Buyers who want to scam sellers have a virtual license to do so from ebay.

I stopped selling there in April, 2008, and boy has life been sweet ever since. (Except for all the parts that aren't so sweet, that is) And even though I left with 100% positive feedback and before they began whacking small sellers in the face with a shovel, I still had some problems with deadbeat buyers. I can only imagine the nightmare it must be today. In essence, a buyer can hold a seller hostage. Once an item is received, all the buyer has to do is claim that it is not as described, and the burden of proof falls on the seller to prove that it is an described. How does one do that, exactly? Well, one doesn't. Thus the problem. Or a buyer might claim that an item did not arrive. ebay and Paypal will always side with the buyer, regardless of what evidence is presented, at least according to every forum and message board that your friendly neighborhood bookseller frequents, which is quite a few.

It should be remembered that ebay does not want you to sell your homemade candles there anymore, or your one-of-a-kind embroidered shawl, or that rare book that never comes up for sale. They are doing everything they can to make small sellers leave, because small sellers are too...well, small. ebay doesn't want interesting, quirky items on the site anymore. They want homogenization, they want sameness and blandness, they don't want 'neat.'

Here's a link to their announcement of all the new rules.

Sticking it to sellers, reprise

Just one of those Sundays

Good day bookies! Stand by for news and comment.

Okay, first, I know that I said this blog would be more frequent now that personal stuff was out of the way, but that was premature. More personal stuff came up. Sorry about that. I'll do my best, but ailing relatives need attention and I'm the only one who can give it.

*** The list of authors for The Southern Festival of Books is finally out, and the first name on the list is the most exciting. Buzz Aldrin will be there. That's right, the original Moonwalker will be on hand to sign autographs and hold a seminar. Not sure what the agenda will be yet but I'm sure it will be special. Your friendly neighborhood bookseller might be there this year.

Authors scheduled for the Southern Festival of Books

*** A round-up of book reviews, starting with three Texas mysteries including the new one from David Morrell.

Texas Times Three

*** Sometimes, the causes of the politically correct are so convoluted that it's hard to disentangle where one perceived insult stops and another one starts. Such is the case with a new book on the diaspora of the Jewish intelligentsia from Germany during the time of the Third Reich. Flight From the Reich: Refugee Jews, 1933-1946 by Deborah Dwork and Robert Jan van Pelt does not sound like the sort of books that Jewish scholars would get all mad about, does it? Except that those involved in the Holocaust, either as survivors or their families, or as scholars, want that piece of history all to themselves. The authors of Flight recall that at a presentation they were once asked "what does the history of Jewish refugees have to do with the Holocaust?"

Since when is victimization by the Nazis a zero sum game? Are those who were able to flee before becoming caught up in the Nazi death machinery somehow unworthy of being included in its victims? It's very strange.

This book does, however, appear to be a welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on one major cause of Germany's failure in World War II, namely, its brain drain. It has long been one of my beliefs that aside from the Holocaust's insanity, in and of itself, on sheer practical terms the loss of all of that technical expertise in fields the Nazis found themselves critically short of once war came, everything from nuclear science to factory management, was deadly stupidity.

The Jewish diaspora from Nazi Germany

*** And so Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes, has died from cancer. I never had the chance to meet Mr. McCourt, but by all accounts he was a fine man and I'm sorry that he's gone.

*** As something of a companion volume to the above comes another new book about why Hitler lost the war, contained in a one volume history. One of the recurring themes is that Hitler lost the war because he put Nazi rhetoric into practice, something I have believed for a long while now, so I may read this one myself. The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War. By Andrew Roberts. Allen Lane: 712 pages. 25 pounds. (Yikes!) To be published in the US by HarperCollins in 2011.

This seems to be a trend among historians, focusing on the economic causes of the war and their impact on the battlefield. This is all to the good, if the historian is good enough to make it interesting.

Hitler lost because he was Hitler

*** In addition to the above link, another reviewer weighs in with what they felt was new about the book, the rather old discovery that the German Wehrmacht was ill-prepared for winter war in Russia in 1941. Apparently Roberts' one-volume history is interesting enough to excite the reviewers, which is good. But come on, writing a whole article about the Germans shivering in the snows of Russia?

No.

Really?

Who knew? Or, rather, who didn't know? Frankly, I expect better than this from the Telegraph.

Another look at Roberts' new book.

*** And now, because the fascination with Nazism and Hitler seems matched only by the revulsion for same, there is yet another book another yet another lower level Nazi functionary that uses the premise to bash both the UK and the USA for their post-war use of former enemies to stave off future enemies.

Hunting Evil by Guy Walters is about Nazis used by MI6 and the CIA just after World War II at the beginning of the Cold War. The author is outraged that this happened. Which is understandable. But he wrote this article in English, not in Russian, so it isn't all bad. And it's not like the Russians didn't also use former Nazis that fell into their hands against the West.

If there's one thing I hate, really despise, it's second-guessing decades after the event has occurred. Unless, of course, it's me that's doing it.

More Nazis used by the West