Titanic The Ship Magnificent

[Steven Hall]

The way things are going, Daniel and I won't see our copies until mid June. All I've seen of the books thus far are a few pics on the TRMA site. So you understand how we feel about the whole sorry saga. Imagine the authors not getting copies of their own book until 2 months after they had been released.

 

[Bruce Beveridge]

It is interesting reading this all. We told the publisher that they undershot the first print run. We were not consulted in any of these decisions. We could have told them what they needed to do. It does seem that they do not understand the Titanic market, and what kind of base is out there. This type of book cannot be treated as the usual local subject matter - you know "The secrets of Jack the Ripper" and so on. I am just floored that I have not gotten a copy of the book yet - and then when I get the copies, I have to repackage them and send them out to the other guys.

In the end I can feel all of your pains with the wait. The publisher will get it sorted out in the end I'm sure but that doesn't help for the now.


Bruce

 

[Jonathan Smith]

One thing I have learned with Amazon, never to take their word for it.

Yes, I am disapointed, but more so in Amazon for being let down by them. But I wonder how many others there are out there, besides me. I would have appreciated it more if Amazon had said in the email to me when they sent me the dispatch note about Vol 2, saying that there will be a delay. Surely Amazon must know if they have the item in stock or not.

I'm still unsure to when my order will be compleated. I', being given so many differant dates by Amazon, I'm getting confused. Will it be here tomorrow, in 3 days time, next week, next month. It's all guess work with Amazon.

 

[Matthew Newman]

Jonathan when you ordered your copies from Amazon did you tell them to put all of your orders into one shipment or did you select the option to have each volume shipped to you as it comes available?

I chose the second option taking into consideration reports that Volume 1 is having some issues in getting shipped. It still has my delivery estimate date (which is to be taken with a grain of salt) as 4/21 for Vol. 2 while Vol. 1's ship date still up in the air.

Perhaps taking the "ship items as they come available" option would be a better choice if you want to get at least one of the volumes to hold you over until the other arrives.

Just a thought.

 

[Ben Lemmon]

Has anyone here who ordered their book off of Amazon.com (the U.S. company) had it shipped yet? It was estimated for shipping today but hasn't yet been shipped. Is this happening to anyone else?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>I'm not sure why vol 1 is proving to be such an issue.<<

Perhaps some people out there ordered only volumn one and either did not want or forgot to order the second volumn. As to Amazon, I don't believe the estimates even for a second. I believe it when they actually ship it. There's a lot which goes on in the market over which they have no real control and I can't fault them for that. The information they offer will never be any better then what they get.

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Michael

As the two volumes are available for separate purchase, people of course have a choice to buy one or the other. From what I've seen from Amazon and the publishers, more people are buying vol 2 -- so if anything, there should be less problems with availability of vol 1, unless there are other forces at play that we are not aware of (perhaps promblems at the publishing/printing end).

Regards,

Daniel.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

I ordered both volumes from Amazon.com three weeks ago and have now received an email telling me that "this item is difficult for us to get our hands on" and asking if I want to cancel. They tell me if I leave the order standing they don't expect to be able to ship either volume before mid-June. Order cancelled. Amazon.co.uk are offering immediate shipment of volume 2 (at much higher cost, of course) but have no supplies of volume 1. Current price of volume 2 from Amazon.co.uk is around £30 post free to UK addresses. Hopefully I'll have mine by the weekend.

 

[Sally Butler]

What a complete stuff-up by, The History Press. The authors don't even have copies; amazon dot com has no books to ship, now advising mid-June at the earliest, issues with the book spine and incorrect information about them on the publishers’ website. What an inauspicious start to what are truly superb, beautiful books. I think it's rather sad for all concern, and a poor show by the publisher. How disappointing for the authors to see all this happen with their books. Just awful!

Sal

 

[N. James Wright]

I contacted the History Press they were willing to take my order for the slipcase version.

I was told the slipcases versions are in stock and the whole thing could be purchased and posted to me. The postage was stated as being 10% of the purchase cost - so £110, all together.

Maybe it is Amazon that is the problem!

 

[Ed Weichsler]

from Bob Godfrey:
I ordered both volumes from Amazon.com three weeks ago and have now received an email telling me that "this item is difficult for us to get our hands on" and asking if I want to cancel. They tell me if I leave the order standing they don't expect to be able to ship either volume before mid-June. Order cancelled. Amazon.co.uk are offering immediate shipment of volume 2 (at much higher cost, of course) but have no supplies of volume 1. Current price of volume 2 from Amazon.co.uk is around £30 post free to UK addresses. Hopefully I'll have mine by the weekend.
****************

I just got the same email Bob. There was a term used by those on the ground in Viet Nam for screw ups called a "Cluster ________" (those who were there know what I mean). It would appear that the term can be used again in this instance. My heart goes out to Bruce & Co. No one knows better than he how badly his product is desired, and yet........

 

[Jonathan Smith]

>>>Jonathan when you ordered your copies from Amazon did you tell them to put all of your orders into one shipment or did you select the option to have each volume shipped to you as it comes available?<<<

They were ordered both together via Amazons "Buy Together Today" system.

 

[Bruce Beveridge]

All complaints of orders not arriving aside, please friends, don't discount Volume I. I see most are interested in Volume II, and though Volume I has no toilets, galley, or room photos, it has everything else. The first volume has the ventilators, lifeboats, engines, electrical, and the exterior stuff.

This was initially supposed to be one book, but because it was so large, the publisher had to break it in two.

Bruce

p.s. I also E-mailed the publisher with questions and have yet to receive a response. It's difficult for me to call because of the time difference, but I will soon.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Bruce. You're right of course, but there is also the reality that not all people interested in Titanic have the same interests. Some are more interested in the technical aspects such as the topics covered in Vol 1, while others are more interested in topics dealing with passenger accommodations and the like such as in Vol 2. I, personally, am interested in both. But I do understand there is a dichotomy out there.

 

[Bruce Beveridge]

Sam,

You are right also, but all of the great images of Titanic are in Volume I.

Steve Hall did a nice spread with many rare images of Titanic right in the beginning of Volume I, including a full page image donated by Chirnside and Co., and many from the R. Terrell Wright collection.

Bruce