"The book is in the mail..."

DavidDoyleBooks.com ·

Well folks, 2020 has been full of surprises - and continues to reveal even more surprises. Denise and I shipped dozens of packages on 7 December - that apparently made it to the Memphis Postal Distribution Facility, where they were scanned on 11 December. From there, they seemingly went into another dimension, a dimension where time and distance has no meaning - “The DeJoy Zone” (insert haunting music here).

Other packages - including those shipped on 8 December have been delivered. Many of the 7 December packages still list only “In Transit, Arriving Late” on the USPS tracking website.

I understand the crush of the season, and thankfully, so do most of our customers. I also understand that as I write this missive, Tennessee is the WORLDWIDE Covid-19 hotspot, and absenteeism is heavy.

What I don’t understand (other than the attempted dismantling of the postal system infrastructure earlier this year by Postmaster Louis DeJoy), is that the postal service is not working on a first in, first out order processing system that is used by most private industry. Rather, apparently they are using a last in, first out method - a method popular with accountants for bookkeeping - but hardly the norm for production or order fulfillment. Notably, DeJoy was a CPA.

All this being said, we appreciate everyone’s patience, and wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas!

A few of you have approached us asking if we would publish a book. I want to make it clear - we are not publishers, we write and sell books, which are published by Schiffer, Ampersand, Squadron and a number of other fine companies - but we don’t publish any of these ourselves.

Sincerely,

David and Denise

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

DavidDoyleBooks.com ·

Denise and I hope all of you have a safe and joyful day of Thanksgiving.

For those of you anxiously awaiting my new M4A2 and DUKW books, FedEx did not drop these off today, so we will await our Friday delivery. As soon as they arrive, we will start shipping the orders on a first placed, first shipped basis. I expect that this process will take more than one day, unless the books are delivered unusually early in the day.

I am still seeking photos of military vehicles inside the AM General or Kaiser-Jeep factories. If you can supply such images, please contact us.

Trying our hand at blogging

DavidDoyleBooks.com ·

Two and a half years ago, Denise and I acquired the inventory, website and certain other assets of the Ampersand Group. During the intervening months we integrated the inventory from our former DavidDoyleBooks.com website into this platform, and devoted considerable energy expanding our inventory and developing efficient ways to get books into the hands of our customers. All while I devoted the bulk of my time to my “day” (and much of the night) job of writing books. Denise has worked side by side with me on most of these things, as well as maintaining our household.

All of this left little time for posting to a blog. As Covid wears on, we are unable to travel and do research for new titles, and having worked my way through much of the material we had salted away - while this has slowed my productivity, it has also allowed a smidgen of free time to try my hand at blogging.

To those of you have been supporting our writing efforts, I thank you very much!

Sincerely,

David Doyle

Goodbye.

DavidDoyleBooks.com ·

It is with profound sadness that I inform our customers that The Ampersand Group, Inc. will cease operations in its current form as of the posting of this message.

My considerable personal problems have left me without the ability to fully service the needs of this company and its loyal patrons. I have struggled with this decision and it is not one I have taken lightly—my heart is broken from it.

I am working to close the office that we have maintained here in Delray Beach, Florida for the last 20 years and that process will be completed soon.

The remaining inventory and website are being turned over to Mr. David Doyle, my long-time collaborator and friend. He seemed the proper choice, having contributed so much to the creation of our publications. Mr. Doyle is not taking over the company, only the administration of its inventory. This transition is ongoing and will take some time to complete and perfect.

I know that many of you remain concerned about the disposition of your subscriptions. All customer records are being maintained. I will be working on a solution for this problem in the coming weeks and months and will be in touch through social media and email. Many exciting projects are still in development and there is a good chance that one or more will come to fruition in the near future. Regretfully, neither Mr. Doyle nor I can enter into correspondence on this matter for now.

Once the dust settles from our closure, I will have more focus and can concentrate on this dilemma with greater effort. I also have to focus on my new livelihood. Having a roof over my head must be a priority for now.

I created this company and all of its products out of nothing. None of it existed before I conceived it. I made it all happen—both the good and the bad. I am and will remain responsible for everything that happened as a result of this venture. The buck well and truly stops at my feet.

I was thrilled to have made a living in an industry that I loved. I was also fortunate to meet and associate with a widely diverse group of human beings. I traveled the world and got to know many unique and terrific people, some of whom became life-long friends. Fate smiled on me in this regard.

On rare occasions, greed and ambition soured what I thought were sound relationships—a surprising thing in so small a community. I value those interactions nonetheless and wish those individuals no ill will.

With warmest and most sincere regards,

Patrick A. Stansell

Dragon USA Update!

Guest User ·

Now Dragon has available an exciting 1/35 scale kit of the Sd.Kfz.250/7 alte 8cm Mortar Carrier. It is far more than the sum of its components that were previously available from Dragon – an Sd.Kfz.250 halftrack and an 8cm mortar – for it has a many great brand new parts. The one-piece upper hull (from the hood to the rear plate) is completely new, for example, in order to replicate the correct shape and details of this mortar variant. The vehicle interior has received a makeover too, including new mortar base, ammo boxes, seats, engine and full interiors to match the mortar version. There is ample ammunition storage as well. This is a new halftrack variant from Dragon, and it does look different from others that have gone before. For modelers seeking extra firepower and impact, this Sd.Kfz.250/7 is the ideal choice!

Available February 2017

Dragon’s newest halftrack member is based on its acclaimed Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.D family, and as such the kit comes with an impressive level of detail visible in the open-topped fighting compartment. Of course, what sets this kit apart is the three projector frames attached to each side of the armored hull, these giving the model a fearsome appearance. These crates are well detailed, and they can be filled with either 32cm WK Flammgranate rockets or 28cm Sprengranate HE rockets. To further add to enjoyment of the modeling experience, the halftrack comes with the convenience of BONUS EZ-Track. This 1/35 scale kit is certain to rocket off the shelves given its level of detail and the fact that it’s just bristling with firepower!

Available February 2017

Dragon has offered kits of the Ausf.D before, but this latest model is a brand new item that utilizes completely new toolings. Indeed, the only reused components on this 1/35 scale plastic kit are the on-vehicle tools, and the DS tracks that have been used on Dragon’s previous Panzer IVs. This completely refurbished tank thus gives modelers a Panzer IV D built to the very highest Smart Kit levels. Furthermore, the highly experienced design team has sought to minimize the number of parts wherever possible so that model-makers are spared the ardor of repetitive assembly. It goes without saying that they’ve done so without sacrificing any detail either. This kit fits together with ease, and it now offers even more assembly pleasure thanks to the clever engineering. Indeed, the early-war Panzer IV D has been given a new lease of life!

Available February 2017

Coming Soon to Dargon USA!

Guest User ·

Aber Ganza Part Deux!

Guest User ·

It's An Aber Ganza Wednesday!

Guest User ·

Coming Soon from Dragon USA!

Guest User ·

Coming in January 2017!

The Tiger I is an iconic tank of WWII, and its legendary status extends well beyond the limited number of 1,355 that were built. Armed with an 8.8cm KwK.36 main gun and a pair of MG34 machine guns, this massive tank was fortified with armor up to 110mm thick. Dragon has already launched 1/35 scale kits of the famous and formidable Tiger I tank with molded-on Zimmerit, and these were welcomed with open arms by modelers since it saved hours of labor and offered an instant solution to the problem of accurately portraying this unique German anti-magnetic paste. Dragon has added a spectacular new kit to this big cat’s Zimmerit family, a Tiger I Mid-Production. Most obvious is the stunning new box top art lavishly produced by Mr. Ohnishi, a famous military illustrator from Japan.

The full coating of Zimmerit on the hull and turret is reproduced to an extremely high quality in terms of the pattern and scale effect. To ease assembly, the tank includes convenient DS tracks as well. This is truly a masterpiece that blends computerized technology with the touch of a skilled sculptor. Dragon can confidently say it’s the highest-quality Tiger I available on the market. And with such a beautifully painted box top by Mr. Ohnishi, a famous military illustrator in Japan, this is a must-have for Tiger connoisseurs!

Dragon has previously released 1/72 scale plastic kits of the Panzer IV family, but this is the very first of the Ausf.D. Thus, it’s a 100% newly tooled kit. By judiciously combining smart engineering and slide-mold technology, the number of parts to assemble has been reduced to a minimum. For example, the road wheels and track run are made as one piece. Indeed, these parts only need to be plugged into the hull suspension units and glued and, hey presto, they’re finished! This is a completely new idea from Dragon to ease assembly in every possible way without sacrificing one iota of detail. Indeed, modelers will be able to enjoy their craft more than ever without wasting time on repetitive tasks. The Panzer Ausf.D was an early member of the family, but Dragon has applied the latest technology to it!

We are pleased to announce the publication of our latest Volume 37 on the early versions of the Jagdpanzer IV, also called “Guderian duck”. This “tank” first designed 1942 on an order of the Heereswaffenamt to VOMAG and first introduced in 1944 was basically a new successor to the Sturmgeschütz. There was a considerable effort by the General der Artillerie for the retention of the designation “Sturmgeschütz”. Guderian battled and won his case for the issuing of the tanks to the Panzerjäger units of the Panzer-Divisions. Despite the inexperienced Panzerjäger units the Jagdpanzer IV became a very worthy adversary against the Allies Armoured opposition.

This volume includes the early versions of Panzerjäger IV chassis No. V2 to the leichte Panzerjäger IV with the 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48. As we formulated the production of this volume it became apparent that the historical information we obtained could only be done justice if we produced two volumes on one of the most important German tanks of the Second World War. Together with Volume 38, which is devoted to the VOMAG and ALKETT versions with the 7.5 cm Pak 42 L/70 and the Einheitsfahr- gestell, all versions of this formidable vehicle will be included to the standard of information that our readers have become used to.

Coming Soon From Dragon USA!

Guest User ·

Coming in January 2017!

DRA3578, IDF Magach 3 w/ERA

After previously releasing a Magach 1/2 tank, We proceeded to offer a Magach 3 as part of our Six-Day War series. Now another kit is available, a Magach 3 fitted with explosive reactive armor (ERA). Combat experience revealed the vulnerability of Israeli tanks to anti-tank guided missiles like the Soviet AT-3 Sagger, as well as to RPG-7s. It was clear that better protection was required, and Rafael developed the Blazer add-on ERA for several tank types. Blazer consisted of modular protective elements that contained inserts filled with an explosive compound to disrupt incoming HEAT projectiles. Blazer, a first-generation ERA, typically added about 1 ton to the Magach 3’s weight.

This 1/35 scale kit inherits excellent features from the existing Magach 3 model, but it has been suitably modified to represent an IDF version fitted with ERA. This means the tank has a completely new and appealing look compared to the standard Magach 3. The ERA blocks on the hull and the turret are accurately replicated. There are other brand new parts too. For example, there is a new machine gun with ammunition box and a new commander’s cupola. Additionally, there’s a generous selection of photo-etched parts for delicate elements such as tool brackets and tow cable brackets, plus the tank uses one-piece tracks made from DS for added convenience. The 105mm main gun’s weatherproof mantlet cover is also made from DS to ensure maximum realism. This is an incredibly detailed kit of the Magach 3, and the ERA suite provides a fascinating look for this Israeli tank.

DRA6860, StuG.III Ausf.A. Michael Wittmann, LAH Division (Barbarossa 1941)

Michael Wittmann was the most legendary panzer commander of WWII. Dragon has previously issued a 1/35 scale kit of his Tiger I tank, as well as an associated figure set of his crew. Now Dragon has turned its attention to the early part of Wittmann’s career, where he cut his teeth commanding a StuG.III Ausf.A during Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front in 1941. At that time he fought with the elite LAH Division. The Ausf.A was the first variant of the Stug.III family, with just 30 vehicles manufactured by Alkett from January-May 1940. The type mounted a short-barreled 7.5cm StuK 37 L/24 gun.

We have previously introduced high-quality kits of the StuG.III Ausf.C/D and the Ausf.E, so this kit of the Ausf.A is a welcome addition to the infantry support/tank destroyer family. Not only does it allow modelers to build a stunning Ausf.A, but it permits Michael Wittmann’s own vehicle from 1941 to be accurately depicted. This kit is superbly detailed, featuring a brand new upper hull and superstructure roof. There are also two new storage boxes on the rear. To top it all off, the kit will contain appropriate Cartograf decals depicting Wittmann’s vehicle.

AC Models Figureganza Part 2!

Guest User ·

Andy Cairns of AC Models recently sent us a package with a liberal sampling of his latest releases.

AC Models Figures can be found in the U.S.A. at The Red Lancers and Military Miniatures Warehouse.

Click here for all dealers.

ACM35023, 1/35 Mercenaries in Africa, Set #3

-Combination of ACM35021 and ACM35022

-Eight Figures plus Stowage

ACM35026, 1/35 Chadian Pickup Crew

-Seven figures plus Stowage

ACM35027, 1/35 Mid East Technical Crew

-Five Figures plus Stowage

Resin Figureganza from AC Models Part 1!

Guest User ·

Andy Cairns of AC Models recently sent us a package with a liberal sampling of his latest releases.

AC Models Figures can be found in the U.S.A. at The Red Lancers and Military Miniatures Warehouse.

Click here for all dealers.

ACM12B19, 1/12 Surrendering German “Der Kreig is Vorbei”

ACM35014, 1/35 SAS Pink Panther Crew

- Three figures

ACM35016, 1/35 French Foreign Legion Crew for M24 Chaffee Indochina

-Seven Figures

ACM35019, 1/35 Hitler Youth 88 Crew Berlin 1945

-Seven Figures