"And idea for a book!" Topic

It occurred to me recently that one could make a book about any large, popular battle using miniatures and appropriate terrain for the maps!

Say you wanted to do Waterloo, or Gettysburg: Someone with a real talent for making terrain sets up a table representing the battlefield as realistically as possible. Then someone(s) with the right kinds and numbers of miniatures places them on the table in the appropriate historical positions, and someone who's a good photographer takes pictures as the figures are moved to show the various stages of the battle.

You could even have one table representing the whole battlefield in one ground scale, and other tables representing portions of it in different ground scales with different-scale miniatures. Say 6mm for the overall situation, 15mm for medium-sized portions of the map, 25mm for smaller portions, etc.

It could even be a "coffee-table" picture book. Of course, it would have to be expensive if it includes lots of photos, especially if they're all in color.

What d'ya think?

I'd buy it.

Which one you gonna do first? I'd buy it too.

yeah me to,

It's been done? When? By whom? Why wasn't I notified? I've got money to spend!!!!

While a cool idea, and I suppose it would sell, it won't make money.

The royalties for most authors (Clancy, Rawlings etc aside) are miniscule. Even writing a simple military book which sells well, say an Osprey, is hardly the route to fame and fortune.

The cost of the terrain and figures would be much, much more. Think how big the table would have to be for the battles you mention -- and how many figures to avoid the we'll-let-these-Guard-figures-stand-in-for-grenadiers-today routine.

So it would have to be done as a money losing exercise, right from the start.

You could always skip the book idea and buy a copy of the old video by Jeff Leighton, Gettysburg in Miniature. Still photos from that video would make a very good book.

Yes, it's been done. There was a three-book set by William O. West, published in 1966 which did Gettysburg, Trenton and the Battle of the Bulge with miniatures. And there was anaother one, published in the 70's I think (I can't find my copy) that included Austerlitz, Thermopolae and a several others as well.

it's a great idea don, I love watching the progress of battles via figures in pictures, it really gives a good idea of the flow of battle better than blocks on a map in books…

well done mate.

It would not need to be a money losing proposition. It will if you assume you're starting from square one. But what if manufacturers provided painted samples in exchange for the advertising? And clubs lent you figures already painted? With some sort of insurance I might even lend you units or terrain.

Having had 4 ACW books published, I'm well aware that it's not the route to fame and fortune. I also can see that the costs for such a book would be considerable. However, if someone had the terrain already and someone (not necessarily the same someone) had the figures, already, that part of the costs would be minimal. The hard part would be finding those someones and getting them together, along with a decent photographer, and someone who knows the battle inside and out. None of those is me, except maybe the latter if its an ACW battle.

This could also (probably) be done with computer graphics, but to me miniatures would be more "fun."

Either way, the printing costs would be high, especially if all or many of the pictures were in color. Which is why I'm not offering to "self-publish" it.

But if anyone wants to take the idea and run with it, great.

It is aniche product and you CAN make money with those. It is a good idea, and Mark's suggestions about getting sponsorships and advertising is sound.

The key, as with any project, is to gather knowledgeable people with the skills you need (historian, writers, editors, photographers, mini painters, and someone who actually knows how to typeset and design a book). Many people, of course, could fill multiple rolls. Then set out a plan and do it!

The nice thing is, with the changes in modern book design and production, you can start a project for a relatively small amount of money (there is free software, such as GIMP for photo editing and Scribus for page layout); and you can get a print-quality digital camera for under $200 USD (although you would probably want to spend more so you can get some good macro lenses… which can be rented, by the way, rather than bought. Lighting equipment can be rigged up from stuff bought a Home Depot or Wal-Mart.

If you are imaginative and willing to work out the issues, then you COULD make a go of this type of project, and then print the danged thing yourself (color is, of course, a bit pricey, but it can be done). Maybe someone will read this and take a shot at it.

I remember back in the 70's Belladonna (or some such name) came out with little hand books on the Peninsula campaign of 1813. It was all done with the war gamer in mind with diaramas, maps and pictures of figures representing the combatants in the various battles of that campaign. A very good detailed story of the battle was presented along with detailed information on the units, terrain, climate and weather and details of all the movements of the troops, their appearance and so on.

This book I have at home and treasure it as one of my favourites, it is now well and truely outdated but the concept and idea was profound at the time, I dearly hope someone would take up this bat once again and use the same ideas to redo this type of book for the 21st century.

It would indeed find a market as far as I can see.

Shane

p.s. I might scan the book, or parts of it to give you an idea

Just to be clear: I am not planning to do such a book myself; just throwing out an idea, in case anyone out there would like to give it a go. I'm currently writing a book about Gettysburg, which, along with my painting, etc., keeps me as busy as I care to be (and I don't care to be very busy).

Gents,

A chap called Barry van Danzig (I think it's the same chap who had a series of articles on Napoleonic wargaming in Battle magazine in the late 1970s) has recently done something like this in this book:

link

From the book description on Amazon's web page:

"Who Won Waterloo? has been written after thirty years of study by the author Barry Van Danzig. Barry created his own large-scale model of the battlefield based on Captain Siborne's original model of 1838. He has then recreated the battle, photographing each stage, to illustrate the battle in minute detail. The book itself, containing over 170 photographs and maps, sets out an historical puzzle that has lasted nearly 200 years; just what did happen on the field of Waterloo on the 18th June 1815? "

He uses 25mm figures – Minifigs I think, though I wouldn't swear to it as I don't have the book – just glanced through a friend's copy.

It was published via one of the self-publishing houses.

cheers

Adrian

Looks interesting. For us "Yanks" (and "Rebs") it's here:
link

I remember back in the 70's Belladonna (or some such name) came out with little hand books on the Peninsula campaign of 1813.

Bellona! Belladonna is deadly nightshade! They did a whole series including WW2 Desert war and 2nd Punic war.

here is a link to the Civil War one :

auction

I have the Belladonna book also for the Pyrennes campaign. Excellent for the time. Terrific concept

aye, I have it also. I remember waiting and waiting for more to follow but they never did, it was a real pitty the author did not follow up with more campaigns to re-fight.

Way back in the 60's Time-Life books did a world history series, and I recall the Roman-Macedonian battle with the elephants and the Roman siege of a Galic fort were done with miniatures. This was one of the earliest spurs to my wargaming evolution.

Also, I recall back in the 70's Peter "Whatsisbucket" and D. Featherstone, iirc, did a book of wargaming through the ages that had Agincourt and Marlborough and Waterlo and several other famous battles all done in miniatures. It was a very pretty but nearly long enough book. I never bought it. I think ScottWashburn and I are onto the same book.

Way back in the 60's Time-Life books did a world history series, and I recall the Roman-Macedonian battle with the elephants and the Roman siege of a Galic fort were done with miniatures. This was one of the earliest spurs to my wargaming evolution.

Also, I recall back in the 70's Peter "Whatsisbucket" (some retired UK Colonel or Brigadier) and D. Featherstone, iirc, did a book of wargaming through the ages that had Agincourt and Marlborough and Waterloo and several other famous battles all done in miniatures in full color pictures. It was a very pretty but not nearly long enough book. I never bought it. I think ScottWashburn and I are onto the same book.

(Damn, just missed the delete window, forgive the double post)

The Jeff Leighton video on Gettysburg is a timeless classic that is worth owning. I'd buy a similar book using miniatures. I have about 3,000 nicely painted 28mm ACW figures that could do the trick.