We, the members of the New Jersey Association of Napoleonic Wargamers are very proud of this new issue of EEL.
We would like some readers to realize that it is the product of the hard work of UNPAID VOLUNTEERS. We all have very demanding professional duties and devote our spare time to research, gathering data, typing, corresponding and doing "all the things" required for the editing of EEL..and also to find the time to paint a few soldiers and play a few games.
It takes an average of 80 hours for your Managing Editor to finalize an issue of EEL. Tom DeVoe, our Senior Editor, and Mike Gilbert also spend time around that figure give or take a few hours... And that has been going on for some 8 years. Don't get us wrong; we are not about to give up. However, some readers are perhaps not aware of the situation and are somewhat unrealistic about their demands and questions. They appear to believe we have unlimited resources of time and.... money... and unlimited access to any data.
How wrong they can be! The Napoleonic period is very complicated. Much of the books written offer "massaged" to unreliable accounts of events. In most of the cases investigated, several sources, from both sides, have to be checked . EEL readers should know by some of our almost endless debates on certain subjects (for instance Ebelsberg). It takes time, a great deal of time to do anything well. Especially answering difficult questions. Most of the time a source has to be found, then located and consulted.
Furthermore, none of us are professional Napoleonic: historians and we don't have access to a great deal of books. Most of us have to purchase (out of their own pocket) the books they want (and can afford) and get - on loan (sometimes it takes two to three months to get a book!) from some University or other Libraries the books containing the data needed. That is, after one finds the book he needs. And that is not always obvious either!
Why do we do it. Simply, because 8 years ago when we started EEL as a club newsletter, NO NAPOLEONIC JOURNAL was available and most of the Napoleonic data was not very accurate. We felt that something had to be done. So, we did it and EEL resulted from -hat effort. We are very proud of the job done to-date with our very limited means and plenty of hard work. We feel we still have plenty to do and we are not about to run out of subjects. Furthermore, we like the challenge, sharing ideas, informations with others etc. Let me tell you there are a lot of nice people out there -- historians and non-historicans -- ready and eager to help. Without them EEL would not exist!
We believe all cf that is well worthwile. And time and patience we can do a lot. It's what EEL is all about.
Personnally, with visitors from France for two months, beside a very busy professional schedule, I have fallen so much behind in answering letters, that I have to apologize by the way of the magazine to reach everyone. Believe me, I don't try to be rude. There are only so many hours in a day and I simply can not get to it. Eventually, somehow, with time and patience, we'll get to answer all the letters...
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