We received the following press release.--RL

The 6th Annual Napoleonic Fair was held in London on Sunday and was once again a very successful event.

Richard Brown, of bookdealers Ken Trotman, said 'There is no other Fair like this. And the people who come are real enthusiasts, prepared to buy collectible books.'

Exhibitors benefit from the different interests covered at the Fair: Andrew Copestake, of Old Glory Corporation, who make miniature war gaming figures, said 'The Napoleonic Fair is unique, because of the mix of traders and the public they reach; it gives us a chance to reach people who are interested in the history but have never thought of war gaming.'

Ian Fletcher, exhibiting at the Fair for the first time as 'Ian Fletcher Battlefield Tours', said 'It's a great opportunity to see potential tour participants, the people who read my books, and other authors, all in one place.'

Nancy Kirkham, of bookdealers W.E. Hersant, agreed that the presence of authors at the Fair is a definite advantage: 'One of the reasons we did well with A CLOSE RUN THING this year was that Alan Mallinson, the author, was on hand to sign copies.'

W Y Carmen, famed British military historian, said 'The talks add a depth to the Fair. It is a central event for anyone interested in the field, and I always look forward to it; it is different every year.'

Comments about the event also included:

• 'I was very impressed by the Napoleonic Fair, by the attendees and the exhibitors. The re-enactors were excellent.' - William Hurlbutt
• 'A wonderful, unique event with a very nice blend of booksellers, a wide range of other exhibitors, and re-enactors. There has been a fine, congenial and good atmosphere. The Napoleonic Fair is fabulous, and a great excuse to come to London.' - Matt DeLaMater, Editor-in-Chief, NAPOLEON (USA)

The Napoleonic Fair had a series of major highlights:

• John Elting's presentation 'A Disrespectful Look at Military History' in which Colonel Elting ranged over all of history, from ancient to current, with his distinctive wit and insights. He spoke for nearly an hour, to a very large and captivated audience of over two hundred people. Afterwards he signed the new edition of his A MILITARY HISTORY AND ATLAS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS (with Vincent J. Esposito). Colonel Elting celebrated his 88th birthday last week.
• Christopher Duffy presented a talk about Suvorov's campaign in Switzerland, which conveyed the dramatic feel of the incredible terrain fought through, presented with wit and insight. Afterwards he signed copies of his new book EAGLES OVER THE ALPS: Suvorov's Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, 1799 (Emperor's Press, Chicago).
• "Meet The Author" session had eight well-known authors available for conversation and autographing (Paul Britten Austin, David Chandler, Rene Chartrand, Ian Fletcher, Paddy Griffith, Peter Hofschroer, Digby Smith and Andrew Uffindell).
• The fine, highly regarded re-enactment team of La Garde Imperiale presented a visual demonstration of Napoleonic uniforms, weapons and equipment.

The Napleonic Fair had more space this year, due in part to a slight lengthening of the hours for the event, and once again was extraordinarily well attended. Greenhill Books, organisers of the event, estimate that the attendance was up by ten percent.

Among many special visitors coming to the Napoleonic Fair were:

• Todd Fisher, President, Emperor's Press, Chicago
• Major Bob Kenny, Anne S K Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island, USA
• Colonel Alan Mallinson, author of the forthcoming A CLOSE RUN THING
• Peter Holmes, leading American specialist bookseller
• Koen Vanhabost, leading Belgian specialist bookseller
• Matt DeLa Mater, editor-in-chief of NAPOLEON
• Richard Partridge, Editor, THE AGE OF NAPOLEON

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