After all, Eric, how many times have you touched on the same stuff? Forgotten Cav Actions, for example. You just had that debate. New info makes the choice easier, does it not?

Dave Powell

It was like reaching into a bottomless cookie jar and now I have a substantial amount of paper sitting in my computer room whcih I have to read through and assimilate.

I’m not an author, but spent years in the market research community where the same question pops up; ‘how much data is enough?’

I know we’ve joked about this “phenomenon” a number of times, to the point that it’s now almost a truism — “The most sure-fire way to discover previously unknown or unseen primary sources is to publicly declare the ms. complete and turn it in to the publisher.” 🙂

Paul

I’m having a vu jadee attack here. Didn’t you just make this same wail over Rushs’s Lancers, and Plenty of blame as you beat up your publisher to rewrite stuff in the press? ROFLMAO

By the by. Did you see the last exchange of gunfire between Long and Sears re the Dahlgren Raid. Sears complimented you by name, and said your research was gonna slam dunk speculative conspiracies entertained by Long. (No pressure on ya, of course…)

Regards,
Michael

You do indeed have a problem, but it is a common one. One leadership seminar I attended made much out of having a time line (a fancy phrase for deadline). Successful leaders, we were told, always have one. What was it that a relative of Murphy said, “Work expands to the amount of time given to it”?

Perfection is impossible in this world. And while all of us are willing to admit this, the perfectionistic streak in us urges us to think that perhaps, just this once, we will be the exception. Perhaps you can feel some comfort if you can answer some simple questions like:

1. “Have I covered all known and major sources?”

2. “Have I added something significant to the already existing literature that would justify the purchase of my book?”

3. “Has the new information I am receiving regarding my subject moved from a steady flow to a trickle and catch-as-catch can kind of thing?”

4. “Can I keep on hand any new information I receive after the book has gone to the publisher so that I can include it in a second edition–newly revised and updated?”

I am completely confident that your book will be up to your usual standards of documentation. I am further confident that with your attitude of due diligence that whenever you decide to “pull the trigger” it will be justified.

Best wishes always,
Lanny

I am no writer but I can see what a dilemma this could be. And it explains quite a bit in answering the question why it takes people so long to write a book. That said, while you can’t use everything, you guys have the knack of finding stuff that has been forgotten, and in it’s own way, it is very helpful to those who will follow in your footsteps.

Hope all is well.

Steve

🙂

J.D.

JD,
I’m now hooked on the online public domain book sites that you tipped on your site. Always great stuff to be found there, though it can be a free time black hole. Yesterday was Army Register day, for some reason. It’s going to be really difficult to sneak a couple of shelves of binders into the house and pretend they were there all along….

Don