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CLIVE SINCLAIRE : SAMURAI SWORDS

Eric H
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Guido Grand Master

Guido

Posted
Posted

Say what - you did it again, Clive? Too much time on your hands, huh? I ordered one, too, and hope you'll come up with something nice (i.e. not outright mean) when I bring it to the DTI for you to sign! Oh, and is that you on the cover?

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Clive Sinclaire Rising Star

Clive Sinclaire

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Gentlemen

You all have the advantage on me as I have not seen a finished copy yet myself! I would ask you all to be gentle with me as it was not my finest hour and I had much falling out and differences of opinion with the publisher and it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, it was only on seeing these postings that I have discovered what the cover design is! I am sure you will find many errors and I apologise in advance.

Regards

Clive Sinclaire

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edzo Rising Star

edzo

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Posted
Gentlemen

You all have the advantage on me as I have not seen a finished copy yet myself! I would ask you all to be gentle with me as it was not my finest hour and I had much falling out and differences of opinion with the publisher and it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, it was only on seeing these postings that I have discovered what the cover design is! I am sure you will find many errors and I apologise in advance.

Regards

Clive Sinclaire

Thank you for your effort clive, i have learned a lot from u and your many posts, i am looking forward to the book, i ordered it today along with another shop cart item (swords of Imperial Japan by Dawson) for my library.

 

Thanks again,

Edzo

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Mark Green Experienced

Mark Green

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I got Clive's book in today, and just got through looking through it.

Clive, Great job!!! I feel this book will soon be known as a Japanese Sword book that is a MUST to have. For beginners, it is a dream book (in english) That is easy to understand, and follow. A must for all new collectors

Well done mate :beer: :beer: :clap:

Mark G

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  • 2 weeks later...
IanB Veteran

IanB

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Clive, You thought you had problems with the publisher. Having completed my first book written in conjunction with Jock Hopson, I visited the publisher to discuss page layouts. During the process I noticed that her copy was covered in red deletions. It seems she had decided to cross out all the Japanese terms and use the literal English translations! The session then degenerated to the level of 'If you know so much about Japanese armour why didn't you ******* write it yourself' and some even more choice remarks. When finally delivered, sentences and even paragraphs were missed out even though I had corrected them at page proof. They don't care - its just cash to them :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:

Ian Bottomley

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Clive Sinclaire Rising Star

Clive Sinclaire

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Hi Ian

I hope you are well.

There were those on the NMB that saw the finished copies before I had and I have had to buy copies from Amazon for those who helped as I was only supplied 6 by the publisher. You may have spotted the deliberate mistakes in the picture captions. I had no influence over layout and design, things I wanted larger were made small and the reverse was also the case. I did not even know what the cover design was until I saw it on Amazon! (the caption is also wrong here). Contract publishing is no fun and I had similar "frank and intense discussions" that you and Jock had, not least about the title, but I admit the eventual finished design could have been worse! As you say, their interest is not in the subject.

Best wishes

Clive

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IanB Veteran

IanB

Posted
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Carlo, On that topic, a classic is a book on Indian armour published by the National Museum in Dehli. Many of the helmets are in fact Persian but the classic is a helmet from the Deccan (I think described as 18th century) that is in fact Japanese. It is interesting however since it has been decorated in India with panels of floral ornament. I would have described it as Edo period and it may well have arrived in India during the second half of the 19th century.

Ian

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Grey Doffin Grand Master

Grey Doffin

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A note to authors with material they'd like to see published, who don't want the grief of dealing with a publisher who doesn't understand the subject and is interested only in profit. Come talk with us at the Japanese Sword Society of the US. We're pretty much always looking for our next project and we speak Nihonto.

Grey

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Jean

Jean

Posted
Posted

Clive,

 

I have read superfically your book and I was delighted because it is another approach in the books. Next Holidays, I'll read it in depth.

 

From what I have seen, are not you an Hizen addict? and being very nosy, is it your private collection?

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Clive Sinclaire Rising Star

Clive Sinclaire

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Jean

I have liked Hizen-to for many years. My first kendo sensei was from Saga and I practised kendo there myself. I have a good selection of Hizen-to including shodai Tadayoshi and kudai Tadayoshi, shodai Tadakuni (2) shodai Masahiro and shodai Yukihiro but only one of which are illustrated in the book and that by oshigata. Other illustrations are mainly from my extensive oshigata collection (if you can't get the sword at least get the oshigata!) Most of the sword pictures in the book were supplied to me by Iida Koendo whose family have been leading sword dealers since the Meiji period. Iida san has been very kind to me over the years and I have bought swords from him in the past (he will be at Dai Token Ichi).

I still want to acquire a sandai Tadayoshi and I mainly avoid waki-Hizen-to nowadays.

Sorry for such a long winded reply!

Clive Sinclaire

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Jean

Jean

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Yes Eric, unusual.

 

I have seen this W-E an unpapered Yukihiro wakizashi (1st generation), ko itame, a mimigata hamon, it is the stoutest wak I have ever seen, il looked like the inferior part of a shortened katana with a width at the hamachi of around 35 mm and about 30mm at the kissaki. Heavier than some of the katana I have held ....

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Andi B. Proficient

Andi B.

Posted
Posted

Hello,

 

a small question to those who read or wrote the book "Samurai Swords: A Collector's Guide to Japanese Swords"

Is the content overlapping with Clive Sinclaire's (...your name reminds me always on my first computer ;-)) "Samurai - The weapons and spirit of the Japanese warrior"?

 

Thanks!

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Clive Sinclaire Rising Star

Clive Sinclaire

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a small question to those who read or wrote the book "Samurai Swords: A Collector's Guide to Japanese Swords"

Is the content overlapping with Clive Sinclaire's (...your name reminds me always on my first computer ) "Samurai - The weapons and spirit of the Japanese warrior"?

 

Andi

I am not quite sure what you mean by "overlapping". The book has similarities with the earlier one but enough new material to be of some minor interest, I hope. I was particularly pleased to be able to include the kanji in the Appendix which I hope may help some who struggle to transliterate inscriptions.

Clive Sinclaire

PS I should not be confused with the computer geke, Clive Sinclair - he is the rich one but I am the good-looking one.

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Andi B. Proficient

Andi B.

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The book has similarities with the earlier one but enough new material to be of some minor interest, I hope. I was particularly pleased to be able to include the kanji in the Appendix which I hope may help some who struggle to transliterate inscriptions.

Clive Sinclaire

PS I should not be confused with the computer geke, Clive Sinclair - he is the rich one but I am the good-looking one.

 

That sounds interesting!

...I will buy a copy - if others follow my example you are good-looking AND will become rich!

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  • 2 months later...
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