Cirrus@Austlit

Author's note (frontmatter, Big Bill the Bastard (1976)): Way back in 1953 a book of mine called Gimme the Boats was published in London. Since then it has been hard-covered by three different publishers, running to a total of eleven editions. Horwitz (Australia) soft-covered it to the tune of five editions, also Corgi (England), four editions. Last year a London publisher brought out a Library Edition, and at time of writing Horwitz have it in the slips again preparing for another of their excellently presented soft-cover printings. All this adds up to a viable selling life of twenty-two years; which would seem to indicate that it is better to make a book than, say, a pair of pantyhose. Sometimes.