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What book format do you predominately use in 2023?
Digital 29%  29%  [ 4 ]
Hardcover 64%  64%  [ 9 ]
Paperback 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 14
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2023 10:58 pm 
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I love hardback books. They look great on shelves. But as I prepare to move for the 500th time in my life I am utterly tired of boxing these things up. I have trimmed the "library" down to a manageable number but still don't look forward to moving them all. This time I am putting them in storage for a few years until we settle again and I can unbox them without worrying about when they will get boxed back up again.

Paperbacks are lighter and probably more comfortable to read. But they still weigh about the same.

Kindle... you harlot. I swore I'd never go digital, but you are just so easy to use. An infinite number of books at your fingertips weighing only ounces. But I sure do miss the smell of a good book and the turning of the pages.

I am sure we all have our Civil War shelves in our offices. For those who pack them with books, awesome! But for those of us who are buying more digital books these days, what else is going on these shelves? I bought a paperweight bust of Stonewall Jackson which doubles as a bookend. I also have an old postcard form the 1910s of Robert E. Lee on Traveller which I framed. But that's all.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2023 11:30 pm 
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In absolute truth - it is whatever doesn't have foxing, and is a physical book. I will and have gone digital as a last resort -like the jp2's off of Archive.org - but as a personal preference it would always be a hardcover if I had my choice, and it was available.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2023 11:43 pm 
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Have to agree on the hardcover copy, but time obliges us to move on, so Kindle has come to the fore here also I fear.

My library, small as it is, comprises mainly of wargaming & Napoleonic titles going wayyyyy back to the 70's/80's with noted authors of the day, Featherstone, Grant, Wise, Chandler, Nafziger etc etc. Those were the days of wonder, excitement and awe...............

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 12:03 am 
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Hardbook whenever possible, paperback when not.

Electronic versions are never great and can rarely do justice to those titles that contain interesting maps. I do find electronic versions very useful for out-of-print items and when scanning through the 'Official Records' to find something (a tome I can not own in its entirety as a hardback version).

I do own a Kindle but have never bought a digital copy of any book. It has quite a few (long out-of-print) books and is somewhere in my home. I do not know where it is but I know where all my books are, hundreds of them [mostly paperback novels but not a large proportion are 'best-sellers'].

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:47 am 
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Kindles are simply great for many applications, be that camping, sailing or whatever where weight, space and night time light is an issue. Mine is loaded with all manner of interesting books including a great biography of Brigham Young I am reading now--which includes numerous old photographs which render up pretty well.

Paul hits on the fatal flaw--Kindles fail totally when the book you want contains detailed maps and/or color graphics that make the great books great. Those remain the old guard on my shelves. A perfect example of this kind of book: The West Point Atlas of the Napoleonic Wars.

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 2:04 pm 
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Using the iPad for Kindle works really well if the book has maps. Actually preferable to paperbacks as you can zoom in on the maps if needed. But the Kindle Paperwhite is awful with maps.

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:26 pm 
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I have gone to Kindle, but it makes me angry they are so expensive.
Some of my recent books, I have purchased both.

Especially the series by B.M. Gottfried

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:28 pm 
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Blake wrote:
Using the iPad for Kindle works really well if the book has maps. Actually preferable to paperbacks as you can zoom in on the maps if needed. But the Kindle Paperwhite is awful with maps.


yes........Paperwhite is only good for the beach.

I use a Galaxy Tab.........and the maps are acceptable.

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Last edited by dukemat on Sun Jan 15, 2023 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 10:51 pm 
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dukemat wrote:
I have gone to Kindle, but it makes me angry they are so expensive.
Some of my recent books, I have purchased both.

Especially the series by B.M. Gottfried


Yes, Gottfried's 'Maps of ...' series is great. I was just speaking with another Club member (and 'Maps of ...' appreciator) a few days ago about them. I have them all, and all in hardback (one personally signed by the Gottfried and delivered from his personal stash courtesy of the excellent customer service of Savas Beattie) - I wouldn't want it any other way.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 8:48 am 
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I used to buy "real" books but switched to E books. My book cupboards filled up pretty fast and these E books don't take any space.
Also most (history/military) books don't have enough maps to understand what is happening where.

With my I pad I can open Safari and google for maps while using Kindle to read the book.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 2:17 pm 
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MarcoRietveld wrote:
With my I pad I can open Safari and google for maps while using Kindle to read the book.


Great point! I do the same when using iPad for Kindle.

Many classes at all levels now use digital textbooks. Remember the textbooks we got as kids? Backpacks were heavier than a bag of cement. :mrgreen:

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 2:25 pm 
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Blake wrote:
MarcoRietveld wrote:
With my I pad I can open Safari and google for maps while using Kindle to read the book.


Great point! I do the same when using iPad for Kindle.

Many classes at all levels now use digital textbooks. Remember the textbooks we got as kids? Backpacks were heavier than a bag of cement. :mrgreen:



Indeed Sir, agreed ! I well remember on finishing 'Primary' level here.......lonnnnng time ago, on my last day throwing the backpack & books into a local canal I passed on the way to school each day......not appreciated by my parents, I might add :lol: :lol: :lol:

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 6:19 pm 
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I only buy books. Paper or hard, doesn't matter. I don't like Kindle or digital book reading. I've got a couple late 19th century Civil War prints. One of the taking of New Orleans by Farragut and one of the attack up East Cemetery Hill on July 2nd. Hundreds of books on a large, wood planked bookshelf.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 6:20 pm 
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I only buy books. Paper or hard, doesn't matter. I don't like Kindle or digital book reading. I've got a couple late 19th century Civil War prints. One of the taking of New Orleans by Farragut and one of the attack up East Cemetery Hill on July 2nd. Hundreds of books on a large, wood planked bookshelf.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2023 6:41 pm 
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I prefer hard or paper back for reading purposes. For games, PDF is fine. Is this considered reading?

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