My good friend Jim Nelson, who writes great novels and nonfiction accounts of life at sea (and life in the early American navy, in particular), has hit on a great way of promoting a book. And that is NOT to talk about it.
To interrupt this anecdote, I must say that the book in question is a really great book. It is called George Washington's Secret Navy -- How the American Revolution Went to Sea. It is about a man you might have heard of, called George Washington, who didn't have a ship, let alone a navy, but had to do something about the British who were blockading Boston at the time. What did he do? How did he go about founding the US Navy out of a bunch of little privateers? It's an untold mystery - well, untold until now.
To interrupt this anecdote, I must say that the book in question is a really great book. It is called George Washington's Secret Navy -- How the American Revolution Went to Sea. It is about a man you might have heard of, called George Washington, who didn't have a ship, let alone a navy, but had to do something about the British who were blockading Boston at the time. What did he do? How did he go about founding the US Navy out of a bunch of little privateers? It's an untold mystery - well, untold until now.
Jim, knowing I'm a fan as well as a friend, sent me a pre-publication draft, which I enjoyed so immensely I sent him a sentence about it, which was eventually published on the back of the jacket.
The political machinations are as exciting as the blood-stirring ship actions in this meticulously researched story of the shadowy beginnings of American might on the seas, I wrote.
Other people enjoyed it too, Eric Jay Dolin calling it "A gripping and fascinating book about the daring and heroic mariners who helped George Washington change the course of history and create a nation." Eric got it right -- it is the swashbuckling mariners who roam the pages that make this work such a delight. Knowing Jim as we do (as he says himself, he spends far too much time dressed as a pirate, considering he is a grown man), it is easy to imagine him taking part in the adventures himself.
Anyway, back to the story. Jim has a new way of publicizing this great book -- or, at least, the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago has found the new way of doing this. Jim gave a talk there, the Library put on on their website, and presto, you can see this swashbuckling author for yourself.
The political machinations are as exciting as the blood-stirring ship actions in this meticulously researched story of the shadowy beginnings of American might on the seas, I wrote.
Other people enjoyed it too, Eric Jay Dolin calling it "A gripping and fascinating book about the daring and heroic mariners who helped George Washington change the course of history and create a nation." Eric got it right -- it is the swashbuckling mariners who roam the pages that make this work such a delight. Knowing Jim as we do (as he says himself, he spends far too much time dressed as a pirate, considering he is a grown man), it is easy to imagine him taking part in the adventures himself.
Anyway, back to the story. Jim has a new way of publicizing this great book -- or, at least, the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago has found the new way of doing this. Jim gave a talk there, the Library put on on their website, and presto, you can see this swashbuckling author for yourself.
Does he talk about the book? No. Which takes me back to my anecdote. As he points out at the start, telling the audience all about a book takes away any need for anyone to buy it and read it. To find out what he does talk about -- and very entertainingly, I might add -- visit the website and see.
0 comments:
Post a Comment