Mr. Lionel Leventhal, head of Greenhill Books, has just published his memoirs. No, he’s not that old, but he has had an interesting career, and is responsible for many of the military books sitting on our shelves. It is a personal as well as professional memoir, but his emphasis is on the military book publishing business. I guess as an author, I’m “in the business,” although I know little enough about the production and retail side. I’m also a “user” and I was constantly ticking off titles that I had in my library. From both view points I learned a lot about publishing, through his eyes. It starts with a chronological narrative and then a series of topic chapters. They cover things like his decision not to publish the Hunt for Red October, book fairs, and many other things that don’t occur to someone just buying neat military books. It was both entertaining and informative. If you’re curious at all about the business of books, pick it up. On Publishing - A Professional Memoir, by Lionel Leventhal, Greenhill Books, 2002, 280 pp, ISBN 1-85367- 517-2, £17.50 at www.greenhillbooks.com. BT Back to The Naval Sitrep #22 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history and related articles are available at http://www.magweb.com