The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group has acquired McBooks Press, Ithaca, N.Y., which specializes in historical fiction, particularly naval and military series fiction, as well as some nonfiction. Founded 39 years ago by Alex Skutt as an offshoot of his independent bookstore of the same name, McBooks Press has published such historical fiction writers as Douglas Reeman (Alexander Kent), Julian Stockwin, Dudley Pope, John Biggins and Dewey Lambdin.
Skutt, whose partner, Panda Musgrove, joined the firm in 2005, said, "We work hard and--at the age of 70--it's time for me to retire. Panda Musgrove and I are delighted that Jed Lyons and his very impressive crew will be taking over McBooks Press."
With the sale, Tom McCarthy, editor at Rowman & Littlefield's Lyons Press imprint, will now oversee the McBooks Press program. McCarthy spent four years as an editor at International Marine in Camden, Maine, where he acquired nautical titles.
Effective May 1, Rowman & Littlefield's National Book Network will assume all physical and e-book distribution of McBooks Press. (The company was a distribution client of NBN for five years before moving to Independent Publishers Group in 2007.)