Above: Randall Nicol, winner of Best First Book.
Our partners Helion & Company have won the top two accolades at the ‘Oscars’ of British military history publishing – the Templer Awards.
Helion and Company, which has also celebrated its 20th anniversary, published both the best book on British military history and the best first book for 2016, selected by The Society for Army Historical Research (SAHR).
Helion’s founder Duncan Rogers accepted the Templer Medal on author Stewart Stansfield’s behalf as he was unable to attend the London-based ceremony.
Stewart’s book Early Modern Systems of Command: Queen Anne’s Generals, Staff Officers and the Direction of Allied Warfare in the Low Countries and Germany, 1702-1711 took the night’s top prize, while Randall Nicol’s Till the Trumpet Sounds Again: The Scots Guards 1914-19 in Their Own Words was declared best first book.
Duncan said after the event, “This recognition is much deserved for both authors, whose works have contributed immensely to our understanding of British military history. It also reflects the overall standard and quality of books we are producing, working with exciting emerging talents as well as established authors at the very top of their game.
“I would like to congratulate Stewart and Randall wholeheartedly as well as to thank the SAHR and the judges. The prizes evidence that Helion and Company is one of the world’s leading publishers of military history.”
A total of 49 books were submitted to the Templer Award panel for consideration by publishers on three different continents including Bloomsbury Studies in Military History, the Cambridge University Press and Yale University Press.
Helion’s Commissioning Editor Michael Lo Cicero delivered the keynote speech at the SAHR’s annual general meeting held prior to the award ceremony.
He spoke about his research into the last days of fighting around Passchendaele, which resulted in his acclaimed book: A Moonlight Massacre. The Night Operation on the Passchendaele Ridge, 2 December 1917.
“Michael is among a large number of military experts now writing for Helion,” adds Duncan. “The fact that he was selected to deliver the keynote speech at the Royal United Services Institute in Whitehall demonstrates our increasing reach into the academic market, and that we have much to offer those studying and writing military history.”
We at Casemate were delighted to hear about this news, and with Helion’s remarkably high quality output continuing into 2018, this probably won’t be the last big award they will receive.
To purchase the Templer Medal-winning titles, visit Helion’s or Casemate’s websites.
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