It would appear that readers are being disenfranchised nationwide. Surely the American Library Association, champions of the "freedom to read," will complain immediately.
Controversial book "Unfit for Command," which fires an election-year salvo at Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's war record, has claimed one unintended victim -- bookstore chain Barnes & Noble Inc .Posted by Alan at August 23, 2004 08:51 PMBarnes & Noble, the world's largest bookseller, on Monday issued a statement saying it had sold out of the book and, in effect, held up its hands in surrender to what it called "thousands of complaints" from both supporters and detractors of the book.
Supporters, Barnes & Noble said, are claiming the bookseller has intentionally not stocked the title or is hiding it, while detractors are asking stores to remove it altogether.
"(Complaints) started in the stores, and the home office has been inundated as well," said a company spokeswoman.
She said the company's statement was meant to "set the record straight." It is not Barnes & Noble's fault, she said, but rather small publisher Regnery Publishing who cut the chain's original order in half.
"We've been put in the difficult position of having to defend ourselves over a title we can't seem to get enough copies of from the publisher," Barnes & Noble chief executive Steve Riggio said in the statement.
Barnes & Noble said it is awaiting additional copies in order to restock its shelves, and it expects more later this week. But even the new order would not be enough to meet demand, the bookseller said.