Tim Szczesuil
asked:
Why are there two books with almost identical titles? See Damien Lewis' https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25435229-the-ministry-of-ungentlemanly-warfare?from_search=true?
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Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat,
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Chris
Damien Lewis' book -- which tells the story of a specific unit within the SOE and their missions, including Operation Postmaster -- was originally published in 2014 under the title "Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII." It has apparently been given a new title in the interim, for whatever reason.
Meanwhile, Giles Milton's book -- "Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat" -- covers the SOE more broadly from its foundation and was published in 2017.
I was very confused about the whole thing, also. Why are there two similarly titled books that on their face seem to be about the same thing? But ultimately they are different historical narratives, both of which are fascinating glimpses into this aspect of WWII.
I found a handful of articles online that help clarify the differences between the two books, especially since one became a Guy Ritchie film and the other is planned for a TV series in the near future:
https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/sta...
https://deadline.com/2021/12/winston-...
https://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/b...
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/th...
I hope this helps others equally confused about this whole thing!
Meanwhile, Giles Milton's book -- "Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat" -- covers the SOE more broadly from its foundation and was published in 2017.
I was very confused about the whole thing, also. Why are there two similarly titled books that on their face seem to be about the same thing? But ultimately they are different historical narratives, both of which are fascinating glimpses into this aspect of WWII.
I found a handful of articles online that help clarify the differences between the two books, especially since one became a Guy Ritchie film and the other is planned for a TV series in the near future:
https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/sta...
https://deadline.com/2021/12/winston-...
https://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/b...
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/th...
I hope this helps others equally confused about this whole thing!
Joel Blackwell
Well this is an interesting question and I cannot find the answer. I sent the email below to Damien Lewis through his web site and will publish the answer if I get one. Both authors seem to have solid credentials.
I landed here as I sat down to write a review of the Giles Milton book, which is first rate.
Titles cannot be copyrighted, but you can't help but wonder, looking at the cover of the two books, if they are not at least dueling versions of the same fascinating story. The answer may be simple, two writers were working on the same material and produced books at the same time. Perhaps because previously classified material was made public. If there has been a story about the coincidence of these two books, I haven't seen it.
Message sent:
I see on Amazon your book on ungentlemanly warfare. It has an almost identical title to the one by Giles Milton. I do not see this book on your site or in your wikipedia bio.
Even the cover is remarkabbly similar.
Both seem to have come out in 2016?
How did this book come to be and why is it not listed?
###
I landed here as I sat down to write a review of the Giles Milton book, which is first rate.
Titles cannot be copyrighted, but you can't help but wonder, looking at the cover of the two books, if they are not at least dueling versions of the same fascinating story. The answer may be simple, two writers were working on the same material and produced books at the same time. Perhaps because previously classified material was made public. If there has been a story about the coincidence of these two books, I haven't seen it.
Message sent:
I see on Amazon your book on ungentlemanly warfare. It has an almost identical title to the one by Giles Milton. I do not see this book on your site or in your wikipedia bio.
Even the cover is remarkabbly similar.
Both seem to have come out in 2016?
How did this book come to be and why is it not listed?
###
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