Resources for new book

Riley1965 · 01-19-2010, 02:17 PM

After reading 35 books and three more to go I have sarted to write a companion book to my Campaign Medals book. It will be about those campaigns. I estimate that it will be 450-500 oages and Hardbound. What I need is sources for Battle Maps and pictures for the book. My mentor steered me to free use maps on Wikipedia. I now need good maps and pictures for the book. I was thinking about the U.S. National Archives. Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!!

Doc

Kirchgoens · 01-19-2010, 02:22 PM

I've researched in the National Archives before. It's been a decade, but I remember that I had to take a class about the rules, and then they issued me the card. The Beltsville Center is where you'll probably find the sort of thing you want (but I have no idea what the Soviet-related stuff would be like). I don't know how it is now, but I'd guess it's easier now to bring in things like computers and scanners. Back then, you couldn't, and had to pay some expensive licensed photo vendors to make any sort of copies.

Alfred · 01-19-2010, 02:52 PM

Make your own map´s. Here is an example.

Here you can get battle maps.

RKKA in World War II
regards
Andreas

Auke · 01-19-2010, 04:11 PM

I really wouldn't use Wikipedia's maps; these are usually made by amateurs and you simply don't know if they are accurate. I would ask somebody with Photoshop skills to create maps and then use order of battle information from sources you can trust. NEVER trust Wikipedia! You could consider making the maps yourself, but that's not as easy as it sounds if you want them to look professionally and takes a lot of time.

medals73 · 01-19-2010, 04:20 PM

Cartography, like medicine or doing historical research, is a skill that takes a lot of time to learn. If you can find copyright-free maps that are adequate, fine. Otherwise you'll need to spend a lot of money with someone who is a professional and using a much better tool than Photoshop. To see good maps, glance at those in Schmitt's Echoes of War.

Better to have no maps than to have incorrect or useless maps. We need no more poison of persistent errors and malignant "knowledge" dumped into the communal well of knowledge.

Riley1965 · 01-19-2010, 05:01 PM

I need good quality pictures and maps for this book. I want it to be accurate and have battle maps and combat pictures to add that touch to a book that makes it come alive. I went to the website that Alfred suggested and I found a lot of pics/maps with information about the unit and where they are, i.e. Leningrad Front. While researching I made notes of tidbits of information not commonly known. I want this to be a very good resource and I feel that the maps and pictures will add to the understanding of what the Soviets went through in 1941-1945.

Doc

Riley1965 · 01-19-2010, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by medals73

Cartography, like medicine or doing historical research, is a skill that takes a lot of time to learn. If you can find copyright-free maps that are adequate, fine. Otherwise you'll need to spend a lot of money with someone who is a professional and using a much better tool than Photoshop. To see good maps, glance at those in Schmitt's Echoes of War.

Better to have no maps than to have incorrect or useless maps. We need no more poison of persistent errors and malignant "knowledge" dumped into the communal well of knowledge.

I would love to have the quality of maps that he used in his book. That's what I'm looking for.

Doc

medals73 · 01-19-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riley1965

I would love to have the quality of maps that he used in his book. That's what I'm looking for.

Doc

Contact the same chap? He is the son of a good friend (who is a MASTER cartographer). Paul might be able to help?

Auke · 01-19-2010, 05:44 PM

You can of course ask a professional to design the maps, but that costs a lot of money, in the end making the book more expensive. Maps with the same quality as in Echoes of War can definately be created with Photoshop and are not that complicated to design (maybe Paul's designer did use Photoshop, I don't know), so it would be most ideal if you could find someone with Photoshop skills that is willing to design the maps.

Riley1965 · 01-19-2010, 05:52 PM

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I really want this to be a good book that people would want to own and read.

Doc

01-19-2010, 02:17 PM	#1
Riley1965 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 612	Resources for new book After reading 35 books and three more to go I have sarted to write a companion book to my Campaign Medals book. It will be about those campaigns. I estimate that it will be 450-500 oages and Hardbound. What I need is sources for Battle Maps and pictures for the book. My mentor steered me to free use maps on Wikipedia. I now need good maps and pictures for the book. I was thinking about the U.S. National Archives. Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!! Doc

01-19-2010, 02:22 PM	#2
Kirchgoens Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: US Mid Atlantic Age: 57 Posts: 351	Re: Resources for new book I've researched in the National Archives before. It's been a decade, but I remember that I had to take a class about the rules, and then they issued me the card. The Beltsville Center is where you'll probably find the sort of thing you want (but I have no idea what the Soviet-related stuff would be like). I don't know how it is now, but I'd guess it's easier now to bring in things like computers and scanners. Back then, you couldn't, and had to pay some expensive licensed photo vendors to make any sort of copies.

01-19-2010, 04:11 PM	#4
Auke Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 762	Re: Resources for new book I really wouldn't use Wikipedia's maps; these are usually made by amateurs and you simply don't know if they are accurate. I would ask somebody with Photoshop skills to create maps and then use order of battle information from sources you can trust. NEVER trust Wikipedia! You could consider making the maps yourself, but that's not as easy as it sounds if you want them to look professionally and takes a lot of time.

01-19-2010, 04:20 PM	#5
medals73 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Earth, most of the time Posts: 2,016	Re: Resources for new book Cartography, like medicine or doing historical research, is a skill that takes a lot of time to learn. If you can find copyright-free maps that are adequate, fine. Otherwise you'll need to spend a lot of money with someone who is a professional and using a much better tool than Photoshop. To see good maps, glance at those in Schmitt's Echoes of War. Better to have no maps than to have incorrect or useless maps. We need no more poison of persistent errors and malignant "knowledge" dumped into the communal well of knowledge.

01-19-2010, 05:01 PM	#6
Riley1965 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 612	Re: Resources for new book I need good quality pictures and maps for this book. I want it to be accurate and have battle maps and combat pictures to add that touch to a book that makes it come alive. I went to the website that Alfred suggested and I found a lot of pics/maps with information about the unit and where they are, i.e. Leningrad Front. While researching I made notes of tidbits of information not commonly known. I want this to be a very good resource and I feel that the maps and pictures will add to the understanding of what the Soviets went through in 1941-1945. Doc

01-19-2010, 05:44 PM	#9
Auke Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 762	Re: Resources for new book You can of course ask a professional to design the maps, but that costs a lot of money, in the end making the book more expensive. Maps with the same quality as in Echoes of War can definately be created with Photoshop and are not that complicated to design (maybe Paul's designer did use Photoshop, I don't know), so it would be most ideal if you could find someone with Photoshop skills that is willing to design the maps.

01-19-2010, 05:52 PM	#10
Riley1965 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 612	Re: Resources for new book Thanks to everyone for your advice. I really want this to be a good book that people would want to own and read. Doc

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)