Today, book number three edged a little closer to reality after I receiving a very promising email from my publisher.
I had waited for a suitable period following my book on the Malayan Emergency, before approaching my publishers about another book, but I was pleasantly surprised with their reply and now I need to get them the initial draft for their review.
With a deadline of just a month to finish the text, draw together the photographs and begin to envision what maps will accompany the text, there will be a few manic evenings over the next few weeks.
Luckily (for once) I am somewhat ahead of the game, having been working over Christmas and New Year to draw together and check all the various elements of my proposal. The subject matter is difficult as there are considerably less first-hand accounts of the period that I wish to cover in this book (compared to other campaigns), but having scoured most of the known places and archives, I think I am (almost!) there.
There is a snag however in that I have to 'loose' 3000 words from my initial text, but I think I can do this without too much anguish but what will take the time will be the cataloguing of all the sources for the quotes (of which there are over 275 at present from over fifty-five individuals), so there's lots to do and I’ve also got to get the next edition of the ‘Friends of the Suffolk Regiment’ magazine to the printers before the end of the month as well - so no pressure!!!
Watch this space for updates…oh, and did I mention this book would be about Burma?
