The printed versions of my work tend to get battered! You see, even though some contain cases that it took 45+ years to get to the bottom of or involve over 50 years of UFO research (I started young but thinking of 50 years working on this is VERY scary!).
The slim black volume is the Spring-heeled Jack book while the light blue is, as you will see,
Cruisers of the Clouds. I have a funny story about that.
You see, when Cruisers of the Clouds was first published I got an email from a fella in the United States. He offered to promote the book and guaranteed he could get promo interview slots on TV and radio. He outlined, in detail, how he could push the book.
A few of the names seemed odd but he was very enthusiastic. "I never realised that hot air ballooning had that much of a following in the US" I wrote. Within five minutes I got a reply:
"What do you mean 'hot air ballooning'?"
I asked him what he thought the book was about? Turns out he had just grabbed onto the title as it was his "area of interest". You see, the gentleman concerned had, for some strange reason, believed that the title looked at early gay fliers. I asked whether he still intended to promote the publication. Never heard from him again!
Anyway, back to my books getting rough treatment. It is because, unlike most writers, I never just say "There. Nothing more to learn!" and move on. Research is an ongoing process. Had I left the Beast of Gevaudan, beast of Faudiere and even the Girt Dog of Ennerdale where I concluded then I certainly would not have tracked down other cases. Also, the forty plus years of working on fox research that resulted in The Red Paper also looked at wolf, jackal and other 'mystery' canid reports and I even delved off into the history of wolves in France. That provided a lot of back-up for the French "mystery beasts" work.
So I constantly refer back to things I have written as they have all the references, images, maps, etc.. Because if you think the photo below shows and handful-and-a-half of books -imagine what holding the research files would take (my back could never take the strain!).
Remember; these are not full of sensationalist claims (lies) or twisting the truth to spin a yarn and create even bigger fake mysteries.
Now, I need to get back to the next book as I am only on chapter two!
So, consider buying a book. Please.
