I had to wonder when I read this just now what they fear? If our books were nothing but garbage as they try to tell people, then what is the big deal? And if someone told me not to read a book, I would buy it in a heart beat.
This warning from this awful young man passed to a forum follower... had to do with our publication of the English translation of the French Valentino biography by Jeanne De Recqueville. Renato translated it with my assistance and we felt it was an important book to make available to an English speaking audience. Here is why.
For a long time "they", spearheaded by Mr. Simon Constable alleged that in De Recqueville's book, there was proof Valentino was gay. I knew this was a complete lie and in fact DeRecqueville delved into the subject definitively proving Valentino was not gay. Why did I know that?
Because I read the book back in 2003. Michael Morris told me Ms. DeRecqueville's book was worth reading despite it being in French. I took his advice and I add the book is used as a reference in every Valentino biography since De Recqueville's publication.
With Mr. Simon Constable spreading innuendo implying De Recqueville was a source to support the gay hoax, it was then we felt... a translation needs to happen. And it did.
So Mr. Simon Constable was instrumental in having that book out in another language so people could fact check what he was saying. It was as simple as that. He was obviously not pleased being thus exposed and targets his fury at us by spreading more defamation and lies about us on his Facebook page.
My initial response would be to inform Mr. Simon Constable and his followers who might have read that... that we do not steal.
And to translate a book is not "appropriating it for profit" and this is just Mr. Simon Constable implying through innuendo that we are disreputable people.
And for the record, we bought the cover image which is cited thusly in the translation of the book:
"The image on the front cover of this book is reproduced with permission from Picture Lux, The Hollywood Archive, Alamy Stock Photo, 1921 Paramount Pictures from The Sheik."
So Mr. Simon Constable's blatant smear of our good names online is defamation. I say this according to the definition provided to us by the judge who handed down the verdict in my victorious lawsuit v. David Bret.. and I would hope everyone reading sh*t like this about Renato and I from this tight little group of cyber defamers...would be as furious as we are when we see it.
We need a retraction on that last warning Mr. Constable put out there. And thank you to whomever you are who asked him about the book only to have that spit back at them. I say run for the exits.
I call Simon Constable out and ask him why he fears our books so very, very much that he would lie and defame us like this online? Makes me really... not wonder.
