Coffee table book project

[VeeVee]

I'm seriously considering putting together a coffee table book of our photos. Even just a trial one. I haven't narrowed down the focus and ideas though. Let me know what you guys think. I'm thinking of maybe making one after the July Fort Mac event so at least we'll have pictures from the PSHS reunion, from Reading, and from the Fort Mac battle to add to the pool of possible photos to include.

Questions:
1. Should I mix and match the WWII and the Rayadillo/Katipunero photos of both US and Phil, BNK's?

2. Should there be two books instead? One for each genre (WW2, and Revolutionary)?

3. What kind of text to put in with the photos? What do we want to say? Would it be something generic, say Bonifacio's tagalog poem (with a stanza per page)? Aside from being a glorified photo album, how can we turn it into something more? The text will make the difference.

Should it be a "uniform" book? But the problem with that is we are nowhere complete with our impressions enough to put together a definitive book on uniforms. In addition, if we were to do a "uniform" book, we'll have to add the uniforms from the 50's to present day.

Am I overthinking this? Should it just be titled:

Buhay na Kasaysayan
(Living History )

...and just describe the uniform and campaign being portrayed in a picture?

Ahh ideas please. I'm itching to make a book. This is the service that I'm thinking of using for making the book: www.blurb.com

Inputs please? Thanks.

Victor

[VeeVee]

I've thought about this some more and I think I have a concept to follow. I'll collect quotes from books or made by famous people (eg. MacArthur), or even lowly foot soldiers that allude to the Filipino soldier's valor. I'll superimpose these quotes on the best dramatic and artistic shots we have that capture emotion. And basically make a coffee table book out of it.

Example:
“I have never seen, nor do I ever expect to see, any better or braver soldier than the Scouts.”
- Col. Ernest B. Miller, 194th Tank Battalion, Bataan 1942

[RayAdillO]

There are a whole lot of possibilites Victor. The great part of all this is that no one else in the Philippines or America have the knowledge and enthusiasm which we and our small circle have to pioneer this sort of venture. Yet I know in my heart that the people back in the Philippines are longing for something different and new, something to cheer them up.

I stumbled across this South African music video on the youtube which became extremely popular among the Afrikaaners there. Its a song about a famous Boer general named de la Rey......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=429AUoAWQdY

As you know, the Anglo-Boer War happened about the same time as the Fil-Am War. The Filipinos were also subjected to "hamletting" (a.k.a. concentration camps) much like the Boers during the final stages of the war. Watch the video and I know we can get ideas from this, ex. simply substitute the Boers for Filipino "insurrectos", and the Brits for U.S. soldiers and viola!...we may have a hit in our hands. ;D

As for a book? I think the best way to go is model it after these Europa Military Series picture books (which are actually easy soft-bound publications using first class publishing materials). The majority of pictures will of course be uniformed reenactors against a backdrop of their typical period milleu. Put a sprinkling of original photos plus other original artifacts which we may have in our possession, or perhaps borrow to photograph.

For added authority, we can easily ask someone like Dr, Ricardo Jose, Col. Aguilar, or even Father Ambeth Ocampo to write the "forward" portion of the book/s.

I think it would be O.K. to combine both the Katipunan and Fil-Am War periods as one volume, and the American period P.S. and P.C. impressions leading up to the early WW2 P.A. in a second volume. If we don't really have enough material, we can combine both into one book. Any period of Philippine military thereafter can be done in later volumes.

[legionnaire]

This would require big photo shoot set up with a "Philippine" landscape. Maybe background props such as a period vehicle or artillery piece would be needed.

The Moro wars at the end of the Fil Am war with the PC have not been covered yet. We should also have the Muslim PS and Ifugao "Colonial" PC troops covered.

It would be great if the size of the book is the photo album horizontal style and not the Osprey size. For every uniformed impression photo there should be a complimenting old photograph were it was based from.

I know Perry has been coneptualizing this a while back for a possible book or calendar.

Philip

[VeeVee]

I guess the logistics and collaboration is extensive for anything like a "definitive guide" type of book. For prototyping purposes, it may have to be a simple "artistic expression" type of focus. More of showcasing our best pictures with inspiring text mixed in. Not a description of what the uniforms are or what this piece of equipment is. Only reenactors like us would be interested in that.

What I'm thinking is maybe use something like this as text. Of course not just this one because it will pigeonhole the focus to just WW2 in general. But a collection of similar text.

The desperate fight is lost; the battle is done.
The brown lean ranks are scattered to the breeze.
Their cherished weapons resting in the sun.
Their moldering guidons hidden by the leaves.
No more the men who did not fear to die
Will plug the broken line while through the din
Their beaten comrades raise the welcome cry,
Make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in!"

The jungle takes the long defended lines
The trenches erode; the wires rust away,
The lush dank grasses and the trailing vines
Soon hide the human remains of the fray.
The Battle ended and the story told
To open to the Scouts as they unfold
The tired little soldiers enter in.

The men who were besieged on every side
Who knew the dissolution of retreat
And still retained thir fierce exultant pride
And still were soldiers - even in defeat,
Now meet the vetrans of ten thousand years
Now find a welcome worthy of their trade
From men who fought with crossbows and with spears
With bullet and with arrow and with spade.

The grizzled veterans of Rome built upon
The Death-head horde of Attila the Hun
The Yellow Horror of the greatest Khan
The guardmen of the First Napoleon
All the men in every nameless fight
Since first Man strove against Man to prove his worth
Shall grett the tired Scouts as is their right
No finer soldiers ever walked the Earth.

And then the Scouts will be formed to be reviewed
Each scattered unit now once more complete
Each weapon and bright crisp flag renewed
And high above their cadence their feet
Will come the loud clear virile welcoming shout
From many throats, before the feats begin,
Their badge of Honor mid their comrades shout
"Make way, make way, the Scouts are moving in!"

(Written by 1st Lieutenant Henry
Lee, an American officer with the 12th Military Police
Company during the Battle of Bataan)

Basically what I'm saying is I think I want to make the book more like literary, both visual and textual. Especially for the prototype, I want to keep it simple for now. Then over time when we've collected enough material and even support from even more people, we can all collaborate toward a more mature and reference-like content.