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Post by tibor on Sept 30, 2006 14:57:58 GMT 12
Got my copy of the new book "Kiwi Orions" by Paul Harrison today. I've had a quick flick through it and it looks pretty good.
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Post by tibor on Oct 1, 2006 15:36:52 GMT 12
Well, I've had a chance to read a bit more of this book now and although I've found it quite interesting, I do have some reservations.
I'm not that impressed with the writing style - it reads more like a a copy of the unit history, rather than a "book" as such. In fact, there are lots of direct quotes from the Unit History throughout. Each chapter is broken up into numerous sub-headings, with a couple of paragraphs for each event. This tends to get a little "dry" after a while...
I also found the style to be very impersonal and a little too formal to make it an entertaining read. I guess the subject matter lends itself to a more formal, military-style of writing, but in my opinion it wouldn't have hurt to inject a little more personality into it.
One point which irked me a little was the method of referring to people with their rank, first initial and surname (eg Flt Lt J. Bloggs). I felt it would have been better in most cases to use first names (or even nicknames in some cases!) instead of an initial. A few anecdotes (everyone who has been on a squadron has a few war-stories to tell and some of the ones on 5 Sqn are legendary!) would have helped too.
Despite these criticisms, the book is still worth a read. I think that people who have been on the unit and been involved in P-3 ops will enjoy it more though.
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Post by phil82 on Oct 1, 2006 18:08:41 GMT 12
I agree! It's not so much been 'written' as compiled, and probably of necessity leans heavily on the Unit History. The author has never been a serviceman, so cannot have a 'service' writing style attributed to him.
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Post by tibor on Oct 1, 2006 19:25:06 GMT 12
I agree! It's not so much been 'written' as compiled, and probably of necessity leans heavily on the Unit History. The author has never been a serviceman, so cannot have a 'service' writing style attributed to him. Actually, according to the author profile in the back of the book, he 'joined the RNZAF as a boy entrant Telegraphist in 1964 and apart from a short break 1985-86, served in the Air Force until Oct 2000. He was commissioned as a Communications Officer in 1975.' This explains the writing style I guess. Your comment about it being compiled rather than written pretty much sums it up! |
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Post by phil82 on Oct 1, 2006 20:07:27 GMT 12
Well that's a surprise, I always thought his association was historical! I'm surprised I never met him!
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Post by agalbraith on Oct 1, 2006 20:35:54 GMT 12
Great news, I look forward to getting a copy.
Anyone know where I can purchase them from?
Actually I guess I could duck into Wigram and see if the Museum has them on the shelf.
Cheers
Anthony
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Post by phil82 on Oct 1, 2006 20:58:01 GMT 12
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Post by mumbles on Oct 1, 2006 21:16:52 GMT 12
I'm surprised I never met him! You have met him. He went to Wanaka with us on the Airwork Metro charter in 2002  . |
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Post by agalbraith on Oct 1, 2006 22:28:08 GMT 12
Thanks phil, but unfortunately the page wont display.
I will give it another go tomorrow
Cheers
Anthony
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Post by tibor on Oct 2, 2006 15:48:22 GMT 12
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Post by rnzafhusband on Oct 14, 2006 9:12:56 GMT 12
Hi guys,
I have received my copy of the book as well. With my wife having served as Aircrew on 5Sqn recently, and knowing a lot of the personnel on Squadron myself, I tend to agree with the comments above. There is also a lot of typos which I find disapointing and the overall "feel/look" of the book is not quite as I would of expected. Still, it has some great photos, I particularly like the ones of all 6 of the P3's flying in formation...something that would never happen today. I'd rate it a 6/10 and a worthy addition to any RNZAF collection.
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Post by tibor on Oct 14, 2006 10:14:39 GMT 12
I have received my copy of the book as well. With my wife having served as Aircrew on 5Sqn recently, and knowing a lot of the personnel on Squadron myself, and only one photo of your wife in there too ;^) |
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Post by rnzafhusband on Oct 15, 2006 9:19:28 GMT 12
LOL ;D... you need to look closer Tibor....theres more than one!
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Post by rnzafhusband on Oct 15, 2006 9:24:44 GMT 12
Crikey, I just accidentally hit a "smite/exalt" tab and seemed to have made your karma go -1 Tibor! Sorrry mate, it was'nt intentional!! Dave, is there anyway you can reverse that?  |
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Post by tibor on Oct 15, 2006 15:29:47 GMT 12
LOL ;D... you need to look closer Tibor....theres more than one! You're quite right - I should have seen the other one seeing as they're pretty much on opposite pages! Crikey, you must have put me into forum history for being the first person with negative karma :^) Maybe you can try "exalting" me tomorrow and that should square things up... |
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Post by tbf25o4 on Jan 29, 2008 13:30:49 GMT 12
a note from the author!
to explain the style and content of the book you have to be aware that I was approached by No.5 Squadron in Dec 2005 to research, write, and publish the book by September 2006.
This was in addition to the to other full time jobs I held down.
The research was of necessity based on the unit histories, (some of which were missing!), interviews with squadron personnel, searching of archival material from newspaper articles and from my own collection of material.
Because the book was commissioned by the squadron to record the history of the aircraft (and not necessarily the history of the squadron as a whole) the focus was on the aircraft perhaps moreso that the personnel associated with it.
Your constructive criticisms are accepted, however in this situation I believe it was better to have the history of the orions recorded than none at all!
Paul H
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 29, 2008 15:02:04 GMT 12
Paul, you really did have your work cut out then!  Why is it that so many people and/or organisations leave everything to the last minute when commissioning a work like this?  Have you got any other projects on the boil at the moment that you are able to reveal to us?  |
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Post by tbf25o4 on Feb 11, 2008 15:11:38 GMT 12
Yep the ability to leave it to the last minute is quite common!
There was another booklet "Kiwi Air Combat Forces" that I was commissioned by
the RNZAF to complete in 2000 that again was a two month rush to have it researched, written and prepared for the printer before the demise of the Air Combat Force
I have two books sitting on the back burner awaiting time for further research and writing,
one on the Vampires and Venoms of the RNZAF
The other on the TAF post WWII
At the current rate of progress I will need to live to around 120 years to have them completed
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 11, 2008 15:41:38 GMT 12
Both those upcoming titles sound very tantalising. There must be a lot of Vampire stories out there not yet told in print. I've considered looking into a book myself on that but don't know enough about it to know where to start. The Venoms have been well covered by Stew Boys in Singapore Sojourn but I'm sure there's more to tell as usual. Just No. 14 Squadron's Vampires in Cyprus would make a great book but the NZ based ones too would be great to read about.
And indeed the postwar TAF would be great, Not just the Mustangs but the other areas too like the Sunderlands, Austers, Harvards, Oxfords, etc. And maybe even the TAF bands. A former teacher of mine who's still here in cambridge was in the TAF as a Piper in the Te Rapa Pipe Band.
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Post by SEAN on Feb 27, 2008 19:03:15 GMT 12
Dave
Only just picked up on your post, not sure how I missed it....
Anyway thought I would let you know that there is a book that covers 14 Sqn in Cyprus quite nicely (make that very detailed) called "Cyprus Safari, RNZAF's 14 Squadron in the Eastern Mediterranean 1952 - 1955" written by Pete Ingram. This was the forerunner to "Singapore Sojourn". There was even a second book called "Safari Postscript" which I have not seen, but I understand has a lot more photo's.
Cyprus Safari was written in 2000 and is an unpublished book of 177 A4 size pages, but it is professionally bound, and I am sure that there are more copies out there.
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