Well, under "critique" I understand something constructive. What you're
doing is nothing but an attack, you like it or not.
As second: your attack from amazon.com was NOT removed. Neither me nor
anybody else complained, and therefore it was not removed - as can be seen
by everybody who opens the page he
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...78422?v=glance
So, here I must conclude that you're lying.
You're also lying regarding any other "lenghty critiques" being removed from
the all the critiques are still there where they were posted. Not only on
amazon.com but also on amazon.co.uk.
As next, it is well-known to us that there are several readers who do not
hate that book but me - and who repeatedly attack my person by prentending
of attacking the book. The silly thing about this is that all four of them
are well-known to me: two because they plagiarized me, and two because they
attacked the book although they never read it.
I've been a silent lurker for years, wholly content on being informed,
but your condescending, yet at the same time undistinguished, postings
bring me out of the woodwork. Yes, you motivate me, because you remind
me of a heckler at a baseball game.
I asked some very specific questions above. For example if you can show the
evidence for any of my or the works I co-authored being plagiarisations.
You have not shown anything of this kind. This paragraph above can therefore
not be taken seriously.
You know batting averages, but you don't know baseball.
That's right: I can't play baseball.
You attack pro players, you anger them. You said
so yourself. That Iraqi Air Force general you supposedly lectured, and
had in fits, for instance.
His was one of the most heavily funded and professional air forces on
earth. He was a pro, no matter who's team he's on. Those guys, before
the sanctions were pretty good ****s. And you 'lecture' him about the
Iranian F-14 threat? It was they who fought those F-14s, you think
they'd have an idea on their adversaries' capabilities?
Well, from exchange with him I'm sure that he is still convinced that
Iranian F-14s were not armed with AIM-7s. Would you like to join him in that
opinion?
Not to mention
the posters here who are or were aviators or otherwise in the
business. Your often condescending attitude, when coupled with your
shallow knowledge (usually lorded over the aviators), deserve a
rebuttal of mightier ferocity.
How about some evidence or examples - instead of empty ranting and offense?
- Would you be so kind to mention all these sources which we plagiarized
so much - regardles in which of Farzad's and my publications?
Not one of your volumes are to be found in my library. I am carefull
where I throw my scarce dollars, and will peruse a book thoroughly
before I get it. So I can say I cannot do a word for word relation of
your sins, from recall alone, my boy.
With other words, you haven't read the book either... But you comment about
it?
But in your Iran-Iraq war book
80-88, you deal with the Iranian purchase of the F-14 system. From the
top of my head, (I don't have your bunk in my shelves), you simply
lifted the portion that Gillchrist describes in "Tomcat!", chapter 7,
page 48, in which a distinguised fighter pilot Capt. John Mitchell,
travells to Iran to sell that system to the Iranian Air staff. Your
version of that story in your book is a near word for word lifting.
But during the looting, it fell in your pages in the broken grammar
and low-minded prose that characterize that whole volume.
Just a second: in the post above you stated (citate), "His Iran-Iraq 80-88
book draws massive portions from Paul Gillchrist's "Tomcat!"...almost word
for word plagerism...he absolutely did not cite Adm. Gillchrist."
Now you changed your opinion and say that only a "portion" of Gillcrist's
book - i.e. Chapter 7, page 48 - was "lifted". (BTW, you spell Mr.
Gillcrist's name wrongly).
But OK. That's at least specific enough. On the page 33 of "Iran-Iraq War in
the Air, 1980-1988", there is one sentence taken from that book. On the end
of it is sign for footnote 39.... and the footnote 39 (p.54) says: "TOMCAT!
The Grumman F-14 Story, by R.Adm (USN. Ret.) Paul T. Gillcrist."
Surprise, surprise, isn't it, (un)sharp one?
For your information, the same book is mentioned at least five times
elsewhere in footnotes of our book. So, you're lying here too.
Eventually, you ough to admit appearing pretty silly regarding this, then in
your eagerness to attack me you failed to notice that both books were
published by Schiffer Military Publishing, Atglen. Do you seriously consider
them so stupid to accept a manuscript that is plagiarising one of their
earlier books?
Let me in on something; I know Schiffer likes to be quick in putting
out books in the market. Most of their stuff is excellent (like
"Tomcat!"), but some others, like their flight helmet collector books,
are very inconsistent throughout and have an unmistakable tinge of
amatureness...but how did they let such a bloken engrish manuscript
like that Iran 80-88 book pass the editor and into press?
Well, perhaps you could contact Mr. Ian Robertson (editor) and ask him. I
never got any answer regarding this.
- Which of published sources used for "Iran-Iraq War in the Air,
1980-1988" was not mentioned in footnotes?
Since it's irrefutable where you purloined the John Mitchell visit on
your Iran book (from Gillchrist; it's almost word for word), I never
found it cited anywhere in the book.
When one refuses to see something with his own eyes...
There are others I cannot recall,
and I don't have your book to wade through. On the next edition, if
there is one, try enclosing the following:
Gillchrist, Paul T. "Tomcat!", Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Altgen, PA.
1994
It is the in footnote 39 and footnote 43 of that chapter, just for
example. You're only so much involved in attempt to attack me, that you
oversaw this completely.
Should you want to continue in the same style, I'll obviously have to post
here also something like 30 other footnotes from that book...
What makes me wonder here, how would you then describe such books like "Red
Wings over Yalu", which consist of footnotes and references to almost 40%?
- Where am I known as a plagiarizer?
See my example above.
That's not the answer to question I asked. So, here again: WHERE am I "known
as plagiarizer"?
And there were critiques at Amazon.com sharper
and less vile in tone than mine, yet equally truthfull. The reviews
for your book @ Amazon were near unanimous: it's bunk.
All the "critiques" are still there. Why don't you go there and see them for
yourself?
And after
several months up there, everyone's postings were removed!
This is a lie, and you know that. Nothing was removed.
Besides, what is with the following review:
http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/engr...o3/book7_e.asp
Not to worry, I could write them to remedy this. The consumers have
rights, you know.
So also those who are wrongly blamed for plagiarisation...
- Better yet: "Iran-Iraq War in the Air, 1980-1988" was written by two
authors. How do you know that it's me who should be a plagiarizer of us
two?
Where do we draw the line on who was responsible for the bunk? In your
numerous postings punting about this piece (which I sat through
quietly, knowing the very low and amaturish quality of your work from
your website), you perpetually slink away from mentioning your
partner. Now when the dogs are uncaged, you want to climb on his
shoulders?
As you can see, I'm here, with my full name.
Oh, and who are you and what are your qualifications?
- Then, I'd like you to be so kind and explain me the following:
Can you cite the source of such stories like this (excerpt from "Iranian
F-4 Phantom Units in Combat"):
Have not read it. I will find it, and read it. If its good and I like
it, I'll search between the sofa cushions for some coin. I have read
most of the Osprey aviation catalogue, dating from the early 80s. But
this new series looks like a rush job, with Osprey just flooding the
market with shallow works that do not share the earlier volumes'
thoroughness. Compare Mersky's F-8 in Combat to those latest releases
on Davies' F-15 and F-18 Units in OIF Combat. As a sidenote, I've come
across Davies' other works on the F-15 and they are very amaturish
too...aren't both of you from that depthless website ACIG.org which is
mostly dripping with tables of shootdowns (un-cited, do we see a
pattern here?) and articles, again mostly uncited, which are on the
whole unaccomplished. Visit acig.org, people, and see for yourselves.
Thanks for your PR for acig.org. In that sence, here few of usual reactions
re. our website:
- "This has to be one of the best places for information & INTELLIGENT
discussion on aircraft. Keep up the good work guys!"
- "Just want to say that I've been printing out articles from ACIG Journal
and from the topic threads like it's going out of style. :-) Tons of good
info here enough for several books. Just want to send you my bill for
printer paper and print cartridges! ;-)"
- Great information, great forum, great people, great articles and great
artwork.
- "Hey guys, just wanted to say thanks for having a place like this. I'm a
xxxxxxx (job-description deleted), so it's great to be able to sift through
all the data available and apply it (like BVR tactics). Just wanted to say
thanks to all who put this on and keep it gonig; this is really a fantastic
resource. Awesome!"
- Thats just QUALITY!! Thanks for that!
Regarding your attacks about that website plagiarising anybody: how about
showing us at least 1 example?
Re. Steve Davies: Steve is meanwhile acknowledged as THE expert when it
comes to USAF F-15s, with excellent contacts within the USAF F-15C/E
circles, a number of related books, articles and even TV-shows. If he's what
you describe as "amateur", I'm gladly joining him in that status.
On the other side, the book "USN F/A-18 Hornet Units in Operation Iraqi
Freedom" was written by Mr. Tony Holmes, editor of "Combat Aircraft" series
at Osprey. Given your mistake in this case, and also all the nonsence you
wrote above, I'd say that you are not only mixing quite a lot of stuffs, but
also gladly producing "facts" you prefer.
These books you mention have just been released, and I have not had
the opportunity to see them. Tom, despite my foul, vile tone, I really
don't hate you on a personal level. Seems like a contradiction, but
that's USENET for ya.
Well, of course not: you don't hate me. You are just engaged in a campaign
of spreading lies about me.
These are just opinions of mine, and I'm open to change. I will look at
your other work, and maybe I'll have some for myself.
To be sincere and direct - as I always am: I don't care the least about your
opinion, nor am I trying to change it.
I'm just putting your lies straight.
--
************************************************** ***********************
Tom Cooper
Freelance aviation journalist
Author:
- Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S7875
- Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S6550
- Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S6585
- African MiGs
http://www.acig.org/afmig/
- Iran-Iraq War in the Air, 1980-1988
http://www.acig.org/pg1/content.php
************************************************** ***********************