Xlibris Publishing knows that one of the most important things an author must do is research. Research can provide grounding, depth, and nuance to a writer’s work. Resources for Authors seeks to introduce authors to a variety of books that can be used as research sources for authors’ writing. To an author writing about or involving a specific place, culture, or historical period, research can make or break their work. No author wants to see their work torn apart and broken down for being ‘inaccurate’ or ‘incorrect.’ This new series hopes to help authors avoid such scenarios by recommending quality books, documentaries and other media as research resources.
For now Resources for Authors will list and briefly describe four recommendations per entry, starting with the following:
Tigers in the Mud, by Otto Carius: the memoirs and accounts of one of the most successful World War II, Wehrmacht tank commanders. A unique perspective on the Eastern Front of WWII and on the dynamic of changing technology in warfare, Otto Carius illuminates and comments on the life and experiences of a WWII tank-man.
Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, Second Edition by John Charles Chasteen, currently one of the most well-regarded texts regarding Latin American history, covering six centuries and twenty countries.
The History Channel Presents the Crusades- the Crescent & the Cross, a history channel two-part documentary covering 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Crusade. Excellently narrated and presented, the documentary delivers a fair and accurate depiction of the Crusades, the history, and the personalities therein.
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (1980) and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014): both are excellent series that transcend simply being documentaries, with the intended purpose of educating their viewers as to the wonders and workings of the natural world.
In the future Resources for Authors will go more in-depth about the recommended materials.
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