Mr Pelzig,

Needless to say sir, if ever such a book as your: "Italian Secret Projects" could actually materialize, you would be Johnathan Thompson's worthy 'successor' (at least here in the 'states') and he could be justly proud of you, and so should we! (I believe this renowned automotive author is recently deceased? and it's a pity I just could not opportune to see him in person, when I was in California many years ago.)

I mail-ordered his: "Italian Civil and Military Aircraft" (Aero Publishers, 1963) from Bill Dean's "Sky Books International" shop/NYC - as an 8th-grader! (in 1965 from an Air Progress magazine order-form). In my Boy Scouts troop, it became the oddest aviation book around, amid the Anglo-American-German aviation enthusiasts always found in a American Legion sponsored boys club like this. "Gees...I didn't think 'them' Italians were all that advanced!..." was the usual reaction of boys (and their WWII-Dads).

Johnathan W. Thompson's primary renown (as automotive writer), highlighted curious choices for his (once in a while) aviation interests, but his solid 'automotive' reputation lent credibility to aviation subjects - lesser writers would be insecure with. (Reminds me of Robert Frost's poem: "Two paths diverged in the woods, and I? I took the one least traveled; that made all the difference.") He seemed to have the right stuff: I still consult "Italian Civil and Military Aircraft" as still being up to date. But, even as a 13 yr-old (and forever awaiting AIRFIX to finally 'deliver' a 1/72 P.108 - so I can finally prove to my Troop the Italians could build 4-engined aeroplanes, too!), I vaguely anticipated books on Italian, Japanese, and Russian secret aircraft - the need for them, even as a junior highschool-er. And this anticipation continues even today!

Just as Mr Thompson would have found our high school lunch conversations - about cars! - bemusing; nonetheless, even at my age now (58), the same spirit that once led my fingers to always page over first to the "Detroit Report" and "International Report" within Motor Trend magazine (in our high school library)- is still the same that anticipates these books of yours, 40+years later! (However, there was nothing sophomoric about Mr Thompson's understanding of serious historical context, automotive writer or not. At every level, careful technical discrimination and perspectival maturity moulded his text.) His 1963 book already reckoned Giorgio Apostolo! - whose later contributions in finally bringing Italian aviation to Anglo-speaking aviation communities has become, unto our day, incalculable and unsurpassable. So, I anticipate your book on Italian secret projects as a further reckoning and continuation of the great work of both these giants. (I hope you add their names in the preface.)

Best wishes.

By the way, I recall at least two phone conversations with Rene Francillon, at his home, almost 10 years ago. Actually, Mr Francillon tried several times to interest Putnam Books to do a book on Italian aircraft and French aircraft, under his authorship, owing to extended professional contacts within both France and Italy. Rene's efforts came to no avail: he attributed this failing to the 'new' Putnam editorialship, having no corporate memory of his past excellent partnership with their vieille garde - to his great chagrin!
 
Just received this in an email from amazon.co.uk......

"Dear Customer, Greetings from Amazon.co.uk. We regret to report that the release of the following item has been cancelled: Edwin M. Dyer "Japanese Secret Projects: Experimental Aircraft of the IJA and IJN 1939-1945" ......... We are no longer able to offer this item for sale. Our supplier has informed us that this item has been discontinued and is no longer available. Please accept our apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience caused.

??? ??? ??? ??? ??? :'( :'( :'( :'(

cheers,
Robin.
 
What does it means?

The book has been cancelled?
 
THat's what it looks like.....
I'm as much in the dark as you are...

cheers,
Robin.
 
Order here instead!

Beat me to it!!

I must say, though, I did have one book go missing in shipping from them, (funnily enough, a 'secret projects' series book),
which is why I stopped using them. Mind you, their warehouse is open to callers again, now, so I may get one in person,
when it's published.

cheers,
Robin.
 
Amazon say cancelled !?
They did this with Warship 2009, which has appeared as usual. The publishers knew nothing about it.
It seems to have meant "the publisher won't supply at our announced discount"
 
Amazon say cancelled !?

THe full text of the email I received, edited only to remove personal information :-


"Dear Customer, Greetings from Amazon.co.uk. We regret to report that the release of the following item has been cancelled: Edwin M. Dyer "Japanese Secret Projects: Experimental Aircraft of the IJA and IJN 1939-1945"
This item has now been cancelled from your order #xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxx and we can confirm that you have not been charged for it.
We are no longer able to offer this item for sale.
Our supplier has informed us that this item has been discontinued and is no longer available.
Please accept our apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience caused.
If you took advantage of a promotional offer when placing this order, this cancellation may affect your order's eligibility for that offer. If you discover this to be the case, please contact customer service so that we may investigate.
You can send an e-mail to customer service from the following URL:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/contact-us
This item may be available from an Amazon.co.uk Marketplace seller.
The availability of the item will be indicated in a blue box that says "More Buying Choices" on the top right-hand side of the product's information page.
The links in this box lead to lists of new, used, refurbished and collectable copies of that particular item.
To buy the item click the yellow "Buy from Seller" button and fill in the requested information to complete your purchase.
To view the current status and the costs associated with your order, please visit Your Account (http://www.amazon.co.uk/your-account).
Thank you for shopping at Amazon.co.uk, we hope to see you again.
Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address thatcannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.
Sincerely, Customer Service DepartmentAmazon.co.ukhttp://www.amazon.co.uk"

It seems to have meant "the publisher won't supply at our announced discount"

I've been thinking, Ian Allen are resellers as well as publishers, perhaps they're trying to maintain market share by not supplying the product to their competitors.
Be interseting to see if the new 'Tailless' book suffers the same fate...

cheers,
Robin.
 
Greetings, all:

I cannot speak to what amazon.com is doing in so far as canceling pre-orders. But here is an update on my end.

About three weeks ago, Ian Allan sent me the compiled book, as it would look like published. That is, combining the art with the text and doing all the layouts. This was done for a final review for any corrections before the index is written which would then complete the book.

I cannot fathom that Ian Allan would cancel the book at this late stage when it is on the cusp of being published.

But, I will certainly research the issue.

Cheers,

Ed
 
Panic Over....

Received this email from Amazon today :-

"Dear Customer We are writing in relation to your order xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxx which contained the following item: Japanese Secret Projects: Experimental Aircraft of the IJA and IJN 1939-1945 http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1857803175

You may have already received an e-mail informing you that we cannot source this item from our suppliers and that the item was cancelled.

This message was sent in error and we have restored this item to your order.

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this has created.

You can view your current order status by visiting 'Your Account' on our website. Click on the 'Your Account' link located at the top right hand corner of www.amazon.co.uk .
Once again please accept our apologies for the inconvenience. Warmest regards Customer ServiceAmazon.co.uk Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply"

cheers,
Robin.
 
Good to hear!

Just a quick update, the book is nearing completion. I've the revised compiled book in hand and will be working up the index for it. Once complete, one more go-over and it will be finally complete.

Cheers,

Ed
 
MAY 29
Amazon to me
We regret to inform you that we have been unable to obtain the following item:
John Jordan "Warship, 2009" [Hardcover]
We apologise for the length of time it has taken us to reach this conclusion. Until recently, we had still hoped to obtain this item for you.
This item has now been cancelled from your order xxxetc and we can confirm that you have not been charged for it.
We are no longer able to offer this item for sale. Our supplier has informed us that this item has been discontinued and is no longer available.
Look familiar?
From Conway to me, after e-mail enquiry
This year's annual is due to be published next month - mid June.
It seems that you must have ordered Warship before Conway informed Amazon UK that the volume would be available directly from us the Publishers only through our website. Amazon UK no longer have Warship on their website and unfortunately it looks as though the email feedback that was sent to you must be a generic automatic message, rather than a personalised one.

Warship 2009 appeared mid June as promised, but I had to re-order from Conway's.
 
Then ,when is ready the book?
???
on play.com i have read is ready in 6 or 8 weeks ! :eek: :eek:
Well , i'll wait again ! ::)

Just.... November ! ;D
 
I got word from my editor that the first run of the book is complete. Most of the UK websites I checked have the book becoming available on or after November 5, 2009 with the U.S. sites I checked having a early December availability.

I was told that pre-sales have been very, very good and I wish to thank all of you who have ordered already as well as those who plan on purchasing. I certainly hope the book was worth the wait and proves a valuable resource. ;D

Cheers,

Ed


airman said:
Then ,when is ready the book?
???
on play.com i have read is ready in 6 or 8 weeks ! :eek: :eek:
Well , i'll wait again ! ::)

Just.... November ! ;D
 
I'm sure being publicized on a forum dedicated to the subject didn't hurt pre-sales... You can send me my review copy any time you like ;D ;D ;D
 
Amazon playing games again??..........

Dear Customer, Greetings from Amazon.co.uk. We regret to inform you that your order will take longer to fulfill than originally estimated.
Our supplier has notified us that there is a delay obtaining stock for the following items you ordered on July 17 2009.
Edwin M. Dyer "Japanese Secret Projects: Experimental Aircraft of the IJA and IJN 1939-1945"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1857803175
We are awaiting a revised estimate from our supplier, and will email you as soon as we receive this information.
If you would prefer to cancel the item, please visit Your Account on the link below:

......................... :mad: ??? :-[


cheers,
Robin.
 
Hey Guys.

The book is now for sale in Europe at http://www.aviationmegastore.com/?shopid=LM49f896cbd63826409b5d19b72e
wich is in Holland near Schiphol. Cost: €37.95. Lots of succes, Slof
 
i have receveid an email by play.com where i have ordered the book in date 6 november , i will receive book in 3-5 days !
Updates : damn when i not read very well , on my country Italy is not uk ( 3-5 days) is 7-10 days
 
Received an email today saying mine's been despatched....any day now,


cheers,
Robin.
 
Received an email too from amazon.co.uk

Delivery estimate:16 Nov 2009

Next Monday !! :)
 
Hi guys,

I ordered with Amazon.com who advise dispatch will be in december sometime. Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk are use different suppliers an so have different delivery dates - If you can work out what country the publisher is in, then buy from that Amazon:

"Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, and Amazon.com are separate and independent sites. Because each website obtains items from local suppliers, there will always be some titles that are available on one site but not through the others."

Hope this helps
 
will be collecting mine from the couriers' depot tomorrow............ ;D :D


cheers,
Robin.
 
negoshi8or said:
Hi guys,

I ordered with Amazon.com who advise dispatch will be in december sometime. Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk are use different suppliers an so have different delivery dates - If you can work out what country the publisher is in, then buy from that Amazon:

"Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, and Amazon.com are separate and independent sites. Because each website obtains items from local suppliers, there will always be some titles that are available on one site but not through the others."

Hope this helps

Also a little sneeky tip, if from UK, sometimes it is cheaper to buy the book from Amazon.com. It's not quite as good at the moment due to poor exchange rate, but I have had some good deals in the past. I've never been charged duty on any books I have bought from the States - I think books are zero rated but don't take it as gospel - especially with our current pick pocketing government.

Regards
 
Books are zero rated for VAT and duty I believe. Unfortunately here in NZ this isn't the case, so books are extraordinarily expensive in comparison to the UK. I get all my books from Amazon UK and Amazon US - even with airmail costs it works out cheaper for many books.
 
I have it........

first impressions.......EXCELLENT!! , well done to all involved.

The art is gorgeous, we're talking rendered CGI three-views here, plus photorealistic scenes _and_paintings,
the 'Ohka' trainer image for example, is superb.

The text is concise without being skimpy, giving a good sense of the project's life and development history.
Projects are divided into IJA and IJN types, then presented alphabetically within each section.
I would have preferred to have these sections further divided by role, i.e. fighters together, then bombers,
then 'special aircraft',etc., but then that's just me.

There's a section on weapons, missiles, etc,followed by a section on the information exchange between the Japanese and the Germans.
Lastly there's a brief collection of Ted Nomura profiles. I feel that where appropriate, these should have included with their respective
projects. (some of them show german designs, so this doesn't apply)
There's even an asymmetric twin-boomer for Tophe, on page 46! ;D

Criticisms? very minor, and more matters of taste. Some of the three-views are spread over two pages, (e.g. side view on one page,
top and front view over the page)which can make them difficult to interpret. Also, I do like monochrome line-art 3-views,
but that's just a personal thing. :-[
It would also have been nice to see some original material, drawings, etc., but that may not be possible in this case.

However, the above in no way detract from the overall quality of the work,, which I heartily recommend,

Ten out of Ten, a fine companion to the other volumes in this series.


cheers,
Robin.

DISCLAIMER : Other than being members of this forum, I am in no way connected with the authors, illustrators, contributors to, publishers,
distributors, re-sellers, or anyone else connected with the production of this book.
 
I have it too and I agree 100% with Robunos post

For everyone interested in the subject: BUY that book!. You'll love it.
 
I was thinking today that we need "American Secret Projects: US Fighters and Bombers 1935-1945" in the series!!
 
I was thinking today that we need "American Secret Projects: US Fighters and Bombers 1935-1945" in the series!!

Yes indeedy do!!


cheers,
Robin.
 
Guys, today i received the book !
Japanese Secret Projects : Experimental Aircraft of IJA & IJN 1939-1945 ,
i like this book, so i was expected more technical details for some aircraft, but considering difficult of sources, this book is a very good point !
So satisfied to have bought this book @ 24,99 € :D
so thanks to "extra" but site is not www.japanesesecretprojects.co.uk but .com
So by this book you will learn that right designation of Nakajima Kikka is Nakajima J8N1 Kitsuka .......mhhh..... :-\.... Kikka was cool ! :)
 
Received my copy today.
It confirms all what is written before.
Good book.With the magnificent illustrations a
bit an outsider in the series..
 
Well, i got the book today ;D

Very interesting :)

And it looks good near all my others "secret projects" books ::)

However,

I did'nt remark this before on this topic :

Pelzig said:
(...) Mitsubishi-Payen Pa.400/Suzukaze 20 (...)

Not very surprising to see the Pa.400 project. A little more surprising to see the fictitious Suzukaze 20 Omar. But there is something wrong in the text of this chapter. The same mistake is in an article of Aipower from May 2003 (by Jared A. Zichek) and we can see this article in the bibliography at the end of M. Dyer's book.

Well, in the two cases it is wrote that the Payen Pa.22 :
-"was subsequently transferred to Rechlin in Germany" (...) "the aircraft was transferred to Juvisy-Athis for repairs" (Zichek)
-"was removed to Rechlin" (...) "was returned to France for repairs" (Dyer)

It's a mistake (of translation ?). This plane did never leave France. I would like to know where M. Zichek took this info (if he reads me, i am interested by the answer ;)).
 
This book left me with a feeling that could be summarised by quoting Charles Dickens "Please Sir, I want some more". Any chance of a Volume 2? It would be an automatic inclusion on my to buy it list.

Great book, fully recommended to those considering buying it.
 

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