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Linda H

New Member
Dec 28, 2009
2
1,650
California, United States
#1
This may seem like an odd question, but I live in the US, and I am just wondering if the books that are available here, are the same as the ones in the UK?

I have looked online and noticed that the covers are different, so just wanted to be sure that is the only difference.
 
#3
I had a version of 'Men at Arms' out from the public library (the American one), but I'd asked for the Paul Kidby one out of the school library (which was out) before that. When it was made available, I had both of them, and they seemed almost exactly the same (apart from the covers). ;)
 

Dotsie

Sergeant-at-Arms
Jul 28, 2008
9,068
2,850
#4
I seem to remember a post on here from Tonyblack, who's married to an American, saying that one of the books was different, but only for a paragraph I think. I can't remember which one or why though!
 

Linda H

New Member
Dec 28, 2009
2
1,650
California, United States
#6
Thank you for all the replies! I have a friend who lives in the UK, and is missing 2 of the books from their collection, so I was going to send them as a surprise. I would have tried to order them from someplace in the UK if they had been different, but that might have been a lot of hassle with the difference in currency.

I also like to know I am reading the books as the author intended them to be read, and not changed to be printed here in America. I am reading them in the order they were released and have just started on Sourcery. I look forward to reading the entire series.

Thank you all again for you help. It's greatly appreciated.
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#7
Hi there Linda! :laugh: Welcome to the site.

The differences between the US and UK books are generally very small. If I remember correctly, the example where the US version was quite a bit different was in an Advanced Reading Proof Copy that Sharlene got when she owned a book store. But generally the books are the same and I've even had to explain some of the very British jokes that are in the US copies. ;)
 

kakaze

Lance-Corporal
Jun 3, 2009
488
1,775
#9
I think that, in the later books, they "Americanized" some of the units & measurements (i.e. miles instead of kilometers).

Although, I may be wrong here, because Ankh-Morpork always used "Dollars", right?
 

Batty

Sergeant
Feb 17, 2009
4,154
2,600
East Anglia
#11
kakaze said:
I think that, in the later books, they "Americanized" some of the units & measurements (i.e. miles instead of kilometers).

Although, I may be wrong here, because Ankh-Morpork always used "Dollars", right?
As far as I'm aware, 'miles' is still a British measurement ... ;)
 

Cheery

Sergeant
Jun 22, 2009
1,280
2,650
30
Switzerland
jellymish-art.tumblr.com
#13
Batty said:
kakaze said:
I think that, in the later books, they "Americanized" some of the units & measurements (i.e. miles instead of kilometers).

Although, I may be wrong here, because Ankh-Morpork always used "Dollars", right?
As far as I'm aware, 'miles' is still a British measurement ... ;)
You know, that always confuses me. I can't imagine how long a mile a foot or an inch is because we use kilometers, cm and mm here. (Is there something smaller than an inch?)
And it's the same with pounds... If I'm honest I sometimes still have trouble with grams and kilos :oops:
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#14
Batty said:
kakaze said:
I think that, in the later books, they "Americanized" some of the units & measurements (i.e. miles instead of kilometers).

Although, I may be wrong here, because Ankh-Morpork always used "Dollars", right?
As far as I'm aware, 'miles' is still a British measurement ... ;)
They are in the US too - except for (and I have no idea why) a reasonably short section of Interstate 19 between Tucson and Nogales that has roadsigns in Kilometers. There are warning signs that the signs are going to be in KMs but no explanation why. :eek:
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#16
poohcarrot said:
If I remember correctly, the book Tony was talking about which had a different paragraph was Thud! 8)
It was indeed - but as I said, that was in a US proof copy and the section had been changed when it was published properly - in US and UK versions. :)
 
Jul 20, 2009
4,945
2,600
Lelystad, The Netherlands
#19
Cheery said:
You know, that always confuses me. I can't imagine how long a mile a foot or an inch is because we use kilometers, cm and mm here. (Is there something smaller than an inch?)
And it's the same with pounds... If I'm honest I sometimes still have trouble with grams and kilos :oops:
Maybe this will help ;)
1 mile = 1,6km (unless it's a nautical mile then its 1,852 km ;) )
1 inch= 2,54cm
1 foot= 30 cm
1pound=453 gram or nearly half a kilo ;)
 

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