James May has scammed me*...

[Roop]

Whilst visiting the UK over Christmas, I took advantage of the sales and bought a bunch of books to haul back and keep me entertained. One of these was "James May's Magnificent Machines". Having started to read it last week, it became apparent that I had already read the exact same content some time ago. Lo-and-behold, printed in small type on the back cover is "Previously published in hardback as James May's 20th Century" - a book I most certainly have read and that currently resides on the shelf in the small room.

Is it commonplace in publishing to re-release exactly the same material under a completely different title...? I wouldn't have minded so much had it been made obvious it was just a paperback of a previous release (ie: using the same sodding title) I'm a fan of the dishevelled shed fanatic and would rather not have to resort to labelling him a swindling charlatan.

I'm reading it again anyway as it's quite good and some time since I read the hardback, but I could have done this without paying for it again, FFS...

* Allegedly. As well as any other anti-litigation nomenclature you can think of.

[Pferdestarke]

Blame his publisher and the whiff of pound notes. After all, he's only on £20k per episode of TG!

[Roop]

Probably right. It does suck royally, though.

Imagine going to see a movie only to find out you have already seen it 12 months earlier albeit under a different title...

The more I think about it, the more miffed I get...

[sebo]

Pferdestarke said:

Blame his publisher and the whiff of pound notes. After all, he's only on £20k per episode of TG!

No excuse for dressing like a colour-blind science teacher then..

[elster]

I have had this previously on a different book.

Don't understand why anyone would have a different name for paperback and hardback. It is a bit crazy.

[bigandclever]

Roop said:

Whilst visiting the UK over Christmas,

Is that the reason? Books published in the US (for instance, don't know where you're from!) regularly have different titles to those published in the UK. Can't think of many off the top of my head but it's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer in the US, Philosopher in the UK, for instance. While that's not a massive difference, it is the same book with a different name. It's rarely the author's choice. anyway and is done by the publisher.

[Roop]

bigandclever said:

Roop said:

Whilst visiting the UK over Christmas,

Is that the reason? Books published in the US (for instance, don't know where you're from!) regularly have different titles to those published in the UK. Can't think of many off the top of my head but it's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer in the US, Philosopher in the UK, for instance. While that's not a massive difference, it is the same book with a different name. It's rarely the author's choice. anyway and is done by the publisher.

Good point but both books were bought in the UK...

[monthefish]

Slightly O/T but I experienced the same with the 'Performance Heores' magazine. Saw it proudly boast on the cover:

"From the makers of Evo magazine"

As an Evo subscriber, I bought it thinking it can't be bad. What it should have said on the cover was:

"a collection of rehashed articles from recent Evo magazines".



Sneaky feckers.

[MikeDH]

Most of Clarksons books are the same, collections of stuff he's had published before.

I suppose that's a bit different, it's better than having a massive pile of yellow newspapers, especially if it's one you don't normally read!

I've seen it with films as well, generally low budget straight-to-video efforts.

Also, there's a Peter Kay show that is essentially the same on two different DVDs - different venue etc., but it's basically the same show. I know that pissed off a few fans...