Black Cross / Red Star News

[ZachariasX]

Good printing, paper and a binding that deserves the name is expensive, especially if you only have very small number of books for print. All quotations I ever got from printers that could produce better then throw-away items make Christers offerings a fair price IMHO. Also, the idea of a kickstarter is to pay a tad more to actually get the thing going. It's not a rebate, it doesn't work that way.

 

It's the people who really want something who make it possible for everyone else. Ask Lilienthal.

[kestrel79]

I picked up the new Vol. 1, might ask for this for Christmas.

[CzechTexan]

On 10/10/2023 at 7:55 AM, kestrel79 said:

I picked up the new Vol. 1, might ask for this for Christmas.

Great idea!  I'll get my wife to buy it for me ?

[sevenless]

Sure buy. I hope he will manage to rework Vol.3 also and then is able to continue the series with Vol.6 dealing with the timeframe fall 1943 - early 1944. There simply is nothing comparable published to this book series on eastern front air war.

On 10/9/2023 at 4:36 PM, Trooper117 said:

I've bought all his books for Black Cross Red Star, but the current price he wants now prices me out of his market... No longer working and on a pension, so I'll just stick with the original vol 2...

 

Sooner or later you will get his books via amazon. Look here:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Cross-Star-Eastern-Front/dp/9188441687/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=BLACK+CROSS+RED+STAR&qid=1698164942&sr=8-1

[ZachariasX]

Dear friends and supporters,

I am so happy to announce that the graphic work on the new Black Cross Red Star, Vol. 2 is almost finished. I will probably be able to send it to the printer before the end of this month (October).

I am very satisfied with the material that I have found and presented in the new Black Cross Red Star, Vol. 2. It seems to me that the depth of the material gets better for each new volume. There are so many hugely interesting facts that I have found and am presenting in the new Volume 2.

I look forward to start working on the new Volume 3 next week. When that is published, which will be in about one year from now, there will be a complete set of five new volumes, Vols 1-5, and then I can start working on completing the series with volumes 6, 7, and 8.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have supported the production of this important documentation of the air war on the Eastern Front by preordering it. Since I publish this by myself, out of my own pocket, this could not be done without your preorders!

I would also like to convey my special, but not excluding, gratitude to those of you who have crowdfunded or promised to crowdfund the new Black Cross Red Star, Vol. 2. Your support has been absolutely crucial for the work on and publication of this book!

I am publishing the names of all crowdfunders in the book, so please check whether I have missed any of you in the list below.

If so, please do NOT send a reply to this email, but send a separate email to me at vaktelforlag@gmail.com.
Please do NOT send emails where you only write ”glad that you have finished the book”, ”looking forward to the book”, ”I am in the list”, or anything like that – because then I will only be swamped in emails and might miss a more important one.

Please don’t either ask me whether I have received your payment; some of you haven’t paid yet, and I will let you know in an individual email. Please don’t get me wrong.

If you are interested in pre-ordering a copy of the new Black Cross Red Star, Vol. 2, so that you will receive a personally signed copy a long time before it appears in the bookstores, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email. Even if you would like to join the crowdfunders, there is still time to do so, and if you email me about this today (well, the globe is round, so I mean within the next 24 hours, wherever you might be), your name will be published in the book.

Here is more info about the book:

https://vaktelforlag.se/produkt/black-cross-red-star-air-war-over-the-eastern-front-volume-2-two-turning-points-december-1941-may-1942/

[robbiec]

Looking forward to this, expecting a early to mid Dec delivery so in time for Christmas

[CzechTexan]

The following line was in an email I got recently...

"The books will arrive at my place from the printer in about 2-3 weeks' time. Then I'll immediately send them to those of you who have paid the book and the postage."

So, that means around the end of November!  I'm excited to read about the Russian Winter Offensive of 1941-42 and its aftermath.

[sevenless]

5 hours ago, CzechTexan said:

The following line was in an email I got recently...

"The books will arrive at my place from the printer in about 2-3 weeks' time. Then I'll immediately send them to those of you who have paid the book and the postage."

So, that means around the end of November!  I'm excited to read about the Russian Winter Offensive of 1941-42 and its aftermath.

?

[kestrel79]

So is the only way for me to get a new Vol. 2 copy to preorder? Or will be eventually be on Amazon like the new Vol. 1?

[CzechTexan]

10 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

So is the only way for me to get a new Vol. 2 copy to preorder? Or will be eventually be on Amazon like the new Vol. 1?

From what I understand, It will be available at Amazon but much later and only in soft-cover format.

Pre-orders are top-quality hardcover but are more expensive.  My shipping charges were about $23.  I think it's worth the cost because of the high quality and uniqueness.

[kestrel79]

Where did you preorder from can you give me a link? His website might be in another language I think. Looks like you're in the US as well.

[LukeFF]

9 minutes ago, kestrel79 said:

Where did you preorder from can you give me a link? His website might be in another language I think. Looks like you're in the US as well.

 

You can email him at the address @CzechTexan posted up at the top and arrange payment that way. I used PayPal to preorder volumes 4 and 5 that way.

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

I just ordered vol 1 from Christer finally. Cant wait, I got volume 3 years ago as a gift and since then I wanted all volumes but 1 and 2 were no longer available. So I ordered a reprint of vol 1, pretty hefty price with the shipping BUT its absolute quality and there's no real alternative so why not. 

[kestrel79]

Thanks I emailed him. Now I have to finish Vol. 1! 

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

*TO EVERYONE WHO PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM CHRISTER*

 

How did the transaction went. I am personally starting to be worried.

 

On Nov 13th he confirmed the book would ship tomorrow (Nov 14th)

 

I successfully transfer the money on Nov 14th and requested a confirmation that he indeed received the money and for a tracking number and since then I got absolutely no reply, I just sent him a third confirmation request.

 

Does anyone of you know him personally or can tell me that I should not be worried here? Is it typical from him to take several days to reply or something?

 

 

[ZachariasX]

1 hour ago, I./JG52_Woutwocampe said:

How did the transaction went. I am personally starting to be worried.

Sometimes he takes his time, as he processes everything himself. He is not Amazon. So far, he never missed a shipment and I got all books directly from him.

[CzechTexan]

1 hour ago, I./JG52_Woutwocampe said:

On Nov 13th he confirmed the book would ship tomorrow (Nov 14th)

The email I got indicated that the books would not ship out for 2-3 weeks.

I trust Mr. Bergstrom.  He has been around for a long time and expects to do more books in the future.  He is not a scam.  Like ZachariasX said, he does everything himself.

[kestrel79]

So I have to Paypal him $85 plus extra for the shipping? I think that's what the email stated right? He never replied when I asked him to explain.

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

6 hours ago, CzechTexan said:

The email I got indicated that the books would not ship out for 2-3 weeks.

I trust Mr. Bergstrom.  He has been around for a long time and expects to do more books in the future.  He is not a scam.  Like ZachariasX said, he does everything himself.

 

Thats volume 1 or 2? I purchased two copies of the first volume which is already available. What I find strange is that he told me it would ship on Nov 14th and since then its radio silence. I dont expect a 2 or 3 weeks shipping delay for vol 1.

 

That said, I know the guy is 100% legit and obviously I havent been scammed. I just wanted to know if someone knew something like 'oh right now he is very busy finalizing vol 2 or he is on vacation' something like that.

[LukeFF]

If I remember correctly, Mr. Bergstrom does not send out tracking numbers but will let you know when it shipped. But, you will get what you paid for.

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

1 hour ago, LukeFF said:

If I remember correctly, Mr. Bergstrom does not send out tracking numbers but will let you know when it shipped. But, you will get what you paid for.

 

He offered both options to me. I chose WITH a tracking number which was 60 USD for 2 books. 

 

Still no news today though. Its one of them situations when you know that you should'nt worry but still do...a bit

 

 

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

One week later, still no news. 

 

(...)

[kestrel79]

Just Paypal'd him some money...we'll see when I get this bad boy.

[Feldgrun]

I've heard great things about this series, but is it readable, or a compilation of statistics and individual stories?

 

Do you have a favorite volume of the series? Where does he see the "tide turning" away from an advantage towards the Soviets away from the Germans? Summer of 1943?

[SYN_Ricky]

On 11/21/2023 at 1:14 PM, I./JG52_Woutwocampe said:

One week later, still no news. 

 

(...)

Just received a mail from Christer confirming he received the payement and my mail where I confirmed my postage option, it took some time

[kestrel79]

He emailed me yesterday needing my address, said he got payment. Fingers crossed before Christmas maybe?

[FlyingH]

My copy arrived today with a dedication from Christer.

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

I got my books too. He got covid apparantly but he is fine now. 

[kestrel79]

Very cool! I have yet to get mine, but I didn't pay for the tracking. 

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

3 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

Very cool! I have yet to get mine, but I didn't pay for the tracking. 

 

Well you shouldnt pay for the tracking anyway since he wont provide it hahaha.

 

The books are awesome of course, Christer is awesome too but he is a communication trainwreck, his wife helps him to manage orders, and he told me he couldnt afford someone to manage the orders for him right now.

 

I will more than likely purchase vol 2 from him eventually now that I know exactly what to expect. 

[von_Tom]

On 11/28/2023 at 12:14 PM, Feldgrun said:

...but is it readable, or a compilation of statistics and individual stories?

 

 

Both because it contains factual elements and personal recollections.

 

From my perspective (as a native English reader/writer) volumes 4 and 5, and the revised volumes 1 and 2, are much better/more readable than the orignal volumes 1, 2 and 3.

 

von Tom

[SYN_Ricky]

Received my signed copy today, can't wait to start reading it ! 

[darthdooboss]

I just received the mine too, signed & dedicated ?

[busdriver]

My copy arrived early this morning. ?

[scarlander]

Received my signed/numbered copy this afternoon.  Didn’t pay for tracking.  It arrived in excellent condition.  Now to spend the next 6 months actually reading it :)

[ZachariasX]

Got my copy last Monday. A beautiful book, as are the others. I would have killed for having such books 35 years ago.

[CzechTexan]

My BCRS2 arrived on December 19!  Thank you Mr. Bergstrom!

[kestrel79]

Mine came the other day thanks!

[E69_splash99]

I've just ordered volume 4 in soft cover (46,90€), is there many differences in quality when compared to hard cover?

Edited January 6, 2024 by E69_splash99

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

37 minutes ago, E69_splash99 said:

I've just ordered volume 4 in soft cover (46,90€), is there many differences in quality when compared to hard cover?

 

You may find it hard to knock someone out with the soft cover edition but apart from that you'll be satisfied for sure.