The rewards of literary success include prizes, royalties, residuals, honorary degrees -- perhaps, later on, even a concordance. It is less than a decade since Tom Clancy's first novel came out (by now, his total is six). Yet a 223-page, A-to-Z concordance, compiled by Roland J. Green, is on the market.
The book containing it, plus an introductory literary essay, a new Clancy interview and a dozen reprinted essays by him, is "The Tom Clancy Companion" (Martin H. Greenberg, editor; Berkley Books, paperback, $12.95).
So, who or what are William Calloway, Viktor Aleksievich Tupelov, NEACP or Kneecap?
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Ron Menchine's picture-postcard collection is nationally envied: more than 10,000 of them, all relating to baseball. He won't sell or trade you his Tommy Leach/Duff Cooley/Honus Wagner postcard, the earliest known that shows major leaguers. But there's a good look at it in "A Picture Postcard History of Baseball" (Almar Press, P.O. Box 1, Long Green, Md. 21092; paper, $14.95 plus $2.75 shipping). This sharp photo of three 1900 Pirates, in civvies, leads off a 240-card lineup.
Baltimore? Mr. Menchine reproduces the very rare 1914 Terrapin Park (Federal League) card, which now brings $200; a card showing the Terrapins during spring training; a choice Jack Bentley card (it advertises the Cole Aero Eight, a 1920s car for which Jack, shown batting, was an off-season salesman); and two unexpectedly scarce views of Memorial Stadium. With index, value scale and card-by-card text.
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Gerson G. Eisenberg set his copy deadline on "Marylanders Who Served the Nation: A Biographical Dictionary of Federal Officials From Maryland" (Maryland State Archives, $17.95) for Nov. 3. Thus his book, due out any day now, will include the election's new winners. Mr. Eisenberg, known widely for his book "Learning Vacations," profiles 402 members of the Congress, Cabinet and Supreme Court, plus governors and "selected others."
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For those who hold that history proceeds more by accident than conspiracy, it is good news that "Mortal Error: The Shot That Killed JFK," by Bonar Menninger, is now out in paperback (St. Martin's Press, $5.99). Howard Donahue, the book's central figure, is the Towson gun expert who maintains that the fatal shot that day in Dallas came from the Secret Service car
immediately behind the presidential limousine.
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One nice thing about Middleton Evans' "Baltimore" is that this book of 294 color images (Middleton Press, 7801 York Road, 21204) is Baltimore-made. Typography, color separations, printing and binding -- all were done by local firms.
Ever since his 1988 book, "Maryland in Focus," Mr. Evans has been shooting pictures for this big, heavy-stock sequel. He celebrates Hampton and Hammerjacks, Opsail and Opacy, the
people and places (and wildlife) of Baltimore.
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Philip Macht's three earlier books were about boys -- said his unpleased granddaughters. May the audience cheer up: In Mr. Macht's new book "Wonderpup" (Maxrom Press, 11 E. Fayette St., 21022; $7), the dog's owner is Eloise. She has a sister and no brothers.
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St. Thomas' Parish, Garrison Forest, dates to 1742. A history of it came out in 1898, by the Rev. Ethan Allen. Time, accordingly, for Vol. II and, written by Marie Forbes, "St. Thomas' Parish" is now out -- conjoined with facsimile of the earlier book (St. Thomas' Church, Garrison, 21055; $25, plus $3 shipping).
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"Domestic assault is the single most frequent form of violence that police encounter," Lawrence W. Sherman writes in "Policing Domestic Violence" (The Free Press, $35), "more common than all other forms of violence combined." But the police response, misdemeanor arrest, often only makes things worse, particularly among the unemployed and the destitute.
Dr. Sherman, a noted criminologist at the University of Maryland, College Park, urges research into, and use of, a variety of measures.
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Chatter: In 1937, H. L. Mencken hired Francis E. Litz of City College to translate the 1715 book, "De Charlataneria Eruditorum," by his Leipzig ancestor Johann Burkhardt Mencken; then, with H.L.M. preface, it was published anew by Alfred A. Knopf. Eight Mencken letters to Litz highlight a Baltimore Book Co. auction at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Towson Quality Inn. . . . Lance Newman, "the poetry man," will speak to the Baltimore Writers' Alliance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Elkridge Estates clubroom, 6025 Roland Ave. . . . Roland Park Country School's annual "Meet the Authors" program, at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the school, lists Susan Watson Crosland (via tape), Middleton Evans, Margaret Fowler, Wendy Furie, Jeanne Martinet, Linda Lowe Morris, Johns Shields, John Page Williams Jr., Susan White-Bowden and E. Hunter Wilson, M.D.