Amiga.org

Amiga News and Community Announcements => Amiga News and Community Announcements => Announcements and Press Releases => Topic started by: bbagnall on April 19, 2016, 04:51:34 PM

Title: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: bbagnall on April 19, 2016, 04:51:34 PM
Just a note for those who pre-ordered Commodore: The Amiga Years (http://www.amazon.com/Commodore-Amiga-Years-Brian-Bagnall/dp/0994031009/) online or from a bookstore. My distributor has recommended cancelling the original 2015 Amiga book with its previous ISBN (978-0994031006) and resubmitting it for the fall 2016 catalog.

What does this mean? First, people who preordered from Amazon and other places will receive a notification that the book has been cancelled. I want to assure you this does not mean the actual book is cancelled. This is being done on the recommendation of my distributor because large retailers will begin to drop their preorders when a book is delayed too much (the book was originally scheduled for late 2015 and has been pushed back to summer 2016). I really didn’t want to do this to those who preordered but am reluctantly following what my distributor tells me as they have experience in this area.

So as the book appears on Amazon and other places it will be cancelled but the same book will reappear with a different ISBN in a few weeks or months. If you don’t want to wait, you can also use my Kickstarter preorder page (http://variantpress.com/the-amiga-years-kickstarter/) and also receive some Kickstarter bonuses, plus the title will ship about a month earlier than it will from Amazon.

My apologies for any annoyance this causes and also for the extended work schedule of the book. After the attention the Kickstarter received, many more interviews came forward who had great information to contribute to the book. It went from just 12 planned interviews to over 24. Though it is taking longer, the good news is the book is progressing rapidly and the story will be better than ever thanks to the additional insider information! I look forward to sharing it with everyone.

Preorder page:
http://variantpress.com/the-amiga-years-kickstarter/
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: save2600 on April 20, 2016, 02:51:48 PM
Thanks for the heads up, been looking forward to this book.  :)
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: Pyromania on April 23, 2016, 05:49:51 AM
I've been waiting for this book for a long time. I bet many people have also been waiting as well. It will be amazing to finally be able to read this.
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: slimf on April 23, 2016, 07:14:04 AM
Happy to wait. I've had my pre order in with you for a while :-)
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: BuBBoB on April 23, 2016, 11:33:37 PM
And still we wait.......... Brian has the best intentions I am sure, but there comes a time at which you have to draw a line in the sand and publish with the information you have, otherwise it could be another 15 years or more before the finished product is available.

BuBBoB
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: slimf on April 24, 2016, 12:57:31 AM
It will be ready when it's ready
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: BuBBoB on April 25, 2016, 02:07:50 AM
That is a lame answer. When can I collect my car please? "It'll be ready when it's ready!". Please could you tell my when my house will be finished? "It'll be ready when it's ready!" My mother is dying, why isn't the ambulance here yet!!!. "It'll be ready when it's ready!"  You would not accept that answer in most circumstances but you think it is ok to continue to wait for this book without any sign that the end is in sight? Get real. Brian needs to set a date and stick to it.
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: gary2000 on April 25, 2016, 02:07:51 PM
Jack would've said "The book will be done and sitting on this table by Monday morning."  

I love that line from 'On the Edge'.
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: pjhutch on December 02, 2016, 06:35:19 PM
I checked on Amazon, where I have it on pre-order and there is still no release date.
Anyone know what the hold up is?
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: Pentad on December 02, 2016, 07:33:24 PM
Based on the Kickstarter update emails, I don't expect this until middle to late 2017.  Probably late 2017.

Update: The ebook will be out by the end of the year!  Maybe early 2017 for the book!

Brian has been interviewing a lot of people and collecting a great deal of information. I'm not sure where the writing process is.  I don't think he has a full first draft yet but I could be wrong.

I knew this would take a long time and my hope is that the book is worth waiting for.  I was pretty happy with his other two that I bought.

His email updates and Q/A have yielded some interesting tidbits and he has set some history right. For example, I didn't realize that Hedley Davis was the project leader for the Amiga 3000. I thought it was Dave Haynie. I didn't realize just how good an engineer Hedley was.

Brian said he even interviewed Robert Pariseau for the book which I am excited to read. I have tried to locate Bob and had absolutely no luck.

Also, I would like to know more about Dave Needle joining Hi-Toro and how long was he a janitor before David Morse let him do engineering work?

So as I said, I am hoping the book is worth the wait.


-P

PS - If you are looking for interesting information to tide you over until the book, you should follow the old Usenet (nntp.olduse.net) Amiga feeds. It has been fascinating to read the old conversations. The feed is set 30 years ago to the day so all messages released today are from 30 years ago today.  It has made it easier to follow some of these threads this way than the archive with Google.

Dave Haynie, Matt Dillion, Jeff Porter, Fred Fish, George Robbins, RJ Mical, Dale Luck and many more post(ed) nearly everyday. I was surprised that John Draper was a big fan of the Amiga and was writing software on the Amiga 1000 (not for Commodore).  Check it out.
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on December 24, 2017, 06:35:45 AM
Quote from: Pentad;817207
Based on the Kickstarter update emails, I don't  expect this until middle to late 2017.  Probably late 2017.

29 months since I backed the Kickstarter at the $108 level, and still no book.  Sometimes I forget that I even backed it (except for the occasional "Project Update" email), and certainly don't care about it anymore, at this point. I'm patient to a fault but this is just a little bit ridiculous.  I guess this Kickstarter was a charity, after all. :(
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: tasmanian guy on December 24, 2017, 06:47:43 AM
You should have a PDF version in your mailbox soon.  Mine arrived today.
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: TheMagicM on December 24, 2017, 02:16:33 PM
eh.  I'll wait till its done before I part with my money.
Title: Re: Commodore: The Amiga Years book update
Post by: Kremlar on December 24, 2017, 02:26:37 PM
Quote from: Oldsmobile_Mike;834340
29 months since I backed the Kickstarter at the $108 level, and still no book.  Sometimes I forget that I even backed it (except for the occasional "Project Update" email), and certainly don't care about it anymore, at this point. I'm patient to a fault but this is just a little bit ridiculous.  I guess this Kickstarter was a charity, after all. :(


I got my book weeks ago.  I thought only overseas people were waiting?  Any idea why you don't have yours yet?