For Sale: My new book is on the 25-pdr

[Mike Cecil]

My new book, Fire! The 25-pdr in Australian Service, covers in detail the various forms of the 25-pdr manufactured in Australia - as a field gun, self-propelled gun, a jungle pack gun, and a tank gun. There is also a chapter on the development of the Australian 17/25-pdr, a stepping stone on the way to the Australian 17-pdr anti-tank gun. Other chapters cover the ammunition trailer, and the introductory chapters provide details of the 25-pdr's predecessors, the 18-pdr and 4.5-inch howitzer.

Just as important as the gun itself is the ammunition, and I provide details of the ammunition, the various types including those developed in Australia, how and where the ammunition was manufactured and how it was packed for storage and shipment.

Professional artist Krystii Melaine (www.krystiimelaine.com) has done a fantastic job of the many colour illustrations of ammunition markings and cross sectional views. Ok, yes, I'll admit I'm married to her, so I might just have had some preferential treatment, but the many, many hours Krystii put into the images has resulted in a truly unique set of illustrations.

I'm very grateful to Major General Paul Stevens, a highly experienced gunner, for writing the Foreword, and to the many contributors for their expertise and access to their collections and images. A couple are members of MLU.

The publisher, Trackpad Publishing, has done a magnificent job of designing the book. Below is the cover and under that a link to the flier from Trackpad. Pre-orders are now being taken via the Trackpad website at https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/fire-the25-pounder

Enjoy!

Mike

CVR_TP015_HB P2D.jpeg Trackpad FIRE! flier.pdf

[Mike Cecil]

I originally posted this as a 'Heads Up' as the book is not available direct from me, only from the publisher's website and the publisher's authorised sellers.

So those wishing to obtain a copy, please contact the publisher via the website quoted in the first post, or for those in Australia, Ronnels Hobbies in Qld, to order your copy. The link to Ronnels can be found on the publisher's page.

Thanks

Mike

[Wayne Hingley]

Looks like an excellent finished product Mike. There is a great sampling of pages on the publisher's website. Well done!

[Mike Cecil]

Thanks Wayne.

So there are! Hadn't seen that until now, thanks for alerting me (and others).

Mike

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

I originally posted this as a 'Heads Up' as the book is not available direct from me, only from the publisher's website and the publisher's authorised sellers.

Mike, as per When to use "For Sale" or "Heads Up": ""For Sale" is to be used for items you post for sale on your own behalf"

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hello Mike,

I viewed the table of contents and the sample pages on the publisher's website. The drawings by your spouse look great.

Personally I am most interested in the SP Guns section, so I may put it on my wanted list if it contains new information.

5076e8_d1f4771893744da9803c8dabcb4d2107~mv2.jpg

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Hanno,

Thanks for your comments about Krystii's work. She did a fantastic job. Of course, I'm not the first or only person to write about the Yeramba, indeed, I've published articles on the Yeramba before. As I don't know the extent of your research into the subject, I don't know if there is any information in that chapter which is not already known to you.

All I can say is that the chapter is based upon my examination of the available surviving archive files, the various handbooks, interviews with former members of the regiment that operated them, examination of surviving examples, a collection of images from official sources (both Army and the ordnance factory that built them) and images taken privately by former members of the regiment. I'd like to think it is a pretty comprehensive chapter and appendix, but the final decision on that will, of course, rest with readers.

Mike

[Mike Cecil]

I've just found out that the email address listed on the contact page of Ronnel's Hobbies in Queensland, who will be stocking the book, is incorrect. The correct contact email is:

ron@ronnelshobbies.com.au

Regards

Mike