Purchased a new weapons reference book that may interest many of you.

J

JimmyJimenez

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Sep 30, 2005
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I was at the local mall yesterday, and as I always do, spent some time at the "Borders" book store.

And as always, I checked out their center of store bargain/gift book section.

There in that area I found a small pile of books titled "Weaponry; An Illustrated History", authored by Chuck Wills in association with the Berman Museum of Anniston, Alabama (published by HYLAS Publishing).

This hard cover shows a nice mix of weapon photos that easily draws someone like myself to it. The cover shows such things as an axe, spear, guns, knives, combination mace/gun, sword, and other such things that get me all excited (as I think it would do for many of you here) :)

Once I started to browse through it a bit, I knew that I was going to be purchasing it. Each page is full of information and well taken color photos of a vast array of weapons. It starts off with describing and showing some stone age weapons, and then proceeds to the Bronze age and such. It just continues to give a nice well rounded coverage of personal type weapons, from a stone to the cannon.

It covers all sorts of different knives, including a page dedicated to a basic description of the Khukuri. The khukuri specimen that is pictured is not the best representation, but I like that fact. This book shows a great variety, not only in the many different types of weapons in our human history, but also in the levels of their quality appearances. One photo may be of a sword carried by some famous person, maybe all dolled up, while another may be of a much more crude looking sword carried by a person with much lesser means available to him/her at the time. Though I have not gone through every word in the book yet, just like with almost any book of this sort, I will run into a blunder of some sort. On one page they show the wrong handgun photo where a Luger pistol should be. Maybe it was the authors mistake, maybe it was the publishers error, but on another page that also mentions the Luger, they got it right, so I tend to believe it was an honest mistake, not a lack of the author's knowledge. From my initial inspection, the book is well done indeed!

But, something did not seem right.............. Why?.............. Well, the book is a beautiful hard cover specimen, seems well written, is 240 pages long, is chock full of color photos, and it's in it's first 2006 printing. It's not marked with any discount magic marker line on it's pages.................... yet was only priced at $7.99!

I, of course, took this baby home with me :)

After some time checking it out, I noticed what may be the reason for this deep discount. The protective cover sleeve & cover itself is labled as "Weaponry; An Illustrated History", but the books pages has the book titled as "The Illustrated History of Weaponry". It seems to me that this first printing done by "HYLAS" was in error with the sleeve and cover title. Other than that, this is a first quality book, and I highly recommend checking it out.

A quick check on the net shows "The Illustrated History of Weaponry" retailing for $30, but if you can locate a "Borders" book store in your area, look it up under the title "Weaponry; An Illustrated History" to get the same interesting book for only 8 bucks (well, that is if that's how they are pricing it at all of their stores) ;)
 
Sounds awesome. 7.99 is a great deal for a hardback, and it has khuks??? sweet.
 
Yeah Andy, I thought so too :)

Heck, I've paid more for some monthly type magazines!

This author really did a nice job of covering and fitting in so many different kinds of weapons in his book.

Poor guy (the author) lives in N.Y.C., so going to the museum is about as close as he can get to owning most of these items that he covers in his book :(

I have a bunch of books that cover the things that I have an interest in, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to make sure that others got the tip on an available book (especially if one can get it for the price I got it for).

Google the title, if you'd like, to find out more on this book :)

PS.
I wish anyone interested in buying the book the good luck I got in it's pricing................. a true bargain! :)
 
I contacted the publisher via email to check the reason(s) why the outside title did not exactly match the interior's title information.

A very quick response was sent (within an hour or so of my sending them the question).

It seems that these are indeed 1st quality books in all regards, here is their response:

Dear Jimmy Jimenez:

Thank you for your inquiry. The book Weaponry; An Illustrated
History is a special Borders edition of The
Illustrated History of Weaponry with a different cover and
jacket but the same EXACT interior as our standard Hylas edition. Hence the
discrepancy of the title between the front and interior. Good catch.
Should we do a reprint of this title, I will try to get the title page
to match the cover. We are very gratified that you like the book--it
is doing very well and will be available in many different languages all
over the world.

Best,

Hylas Publishing
 
Funny that you mentioned this, :rolleyes: , especially since I'm tired of seeing my modest book collection stacked up in a corner of my bedroom :eek:

My energies will probably soon be focused on a proper way of storing and displaying these books.

Nothing I hate more than to have to unstack 15 or 20 books to get to one that I want to look at :grumpy:

I may even make matching color protective covers for them all,................. what'ya think Astro,........... would fluffy pink and Austrian crystals be too much :D
 
I have a shiny gun book that belongs on coffee tables....unless it's by Ian Hogg, deceased, or Dave Rishar, I do not count on accurate writing. Mine is:
The illustrated Book of Guns

By an Englishman. (unless it's by Hogg.....)

He found the developmental differences between the G3 or HK 91 and the Cetme, but did not know the bullet diameter of the 44 was .429 He thought it was .44


I geuss I'd go Janes if I had to.....
I do like the book, and think yours may be similar in offereing many virtues and some faults.

My third favorite gun writer, Ken Waters, once explained how the Sierra 225 was THE bullet to go to for longer range in the 35 Whelen....uh...doesn't anyone read the ballistics figures? The Speer 250 at longer ranges out-shines the lighter bullet. Shocking? Yes. The lighter Sierra was about 90 feet per second faster...yawn. Ken didn't figure that out, but he was a grand gun writer.

So, we all are human.
I like my big book. Between it and all the other books on guns I have, I almost have good data.


munk
 
Janes ain't bad. I recall a few times on my first boat where we hurriedly paged through the Janes "Fleet Edition" while trying to figure out what we were looking at and what it could do. Where information is known and provided, it's normally accurate -- at least, the stuff that has to do with ships. The US navy certainly considered it accurate enough. Their material on small arms doesn't seem too far off the mark although I question some of the numbers. (I often do, if it's something that I've had extensive personal experience with.)

My favorite author for books dealing with small arms is definitely Hogg. Most of the books of this genre come off a bit dry, leaving one with the impression that they're reading a technical manual. Hogg had a way of breaking it down to a more personal level. Reading his books reminds me of discussing small arms technology with a firearms historian rather than simply looking at numbers; he was not afraid to toss in his own views and opinions when he felt it necessary, and sometimes even when it wasn't. The world needs more easy-to-read technical authors like him. He will be missed.

If one is interested in the larger calibers, one could do much worse than Tony Williams. He focuses mostly on facts and numbers, making for a somewhat sterile but very educational read. He's also quite active on the internet (or was, fairly recently) and is an excellent conversationalist and a gentleman as well. He may be an author, but he's a Gunner's Mate at heart.
 
I likes variety as much as possible :)

I've actually disposed of books that have had too many information shortcomings in them, but I do like reading a variety on any given subject.

Again, my tastes run the gamut as far as my collecting habits go, and it oftentimes includes purchasing books that pertain to the items I'm collecting.

When it comes to weapons collecting and books that cover them, the authors I have represented in my modest collection are:

Walter
Jean Huan
Ball
Hogg
Schwing
David Edge/John Miles Paddock
David Miller
Long
WHB Smith
Jack Lewis/David E. Steele

and some others........

Yes, I also have a basic Janes Recognition Guide :)

The book I recommended above is a very good basic info book that covers a great many kinds of weapons. Though it does not go in depth on every weapon, it surely does a good job at covering so many types of weapons in such a short span of 240 or so pages.

IMO, it's a truly nice book for just about any weapons collector, and incredible at the low cost of $7.99! :)

For those that have access to a "Borders" book store and that may be interested in checking this book out, here is a photo link that shows what the cover looks like on this "Borders" edition:

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/369/dscn13552jd.jpg
 
I was at a get together once and a guy knew more about Military rifles than I did. He gestured distainfully into the air and told me to get Janes. (before he'd talk any more, I think)

Miller's the guy who did not know the diameter of the 44 mag.

I wish I had some Hogg.


munk
 
I have quite a few books on just basic gun stats and info, but when it comes to their basic cartridge specifics and comparisons to other calibers and such, I like the old stand by............ "Cartridges of The World" (I have a few editions of that publication).

One of my favorite books is written by "Hogg"............ "Military Arms of the 20th Century".

Truly good stuff, no doubt at all about that :)
 
munk said:
Miller's the guy who did not know the diameter of the 44 mag.
Click to expand...

I didn't know what it was either, until I started shooting cast bullets. No need, you know? Buy bullets for .44 MAGNUM, load bullets for .44 MAGNUM, blow up stuff with my .44 MAGNUM. I'd always assumed that it was actually .44. Cause, you know, that's what it's named.

I know better now but you have to admit, it's a bit confusing. 43 MAGNUM doesn't have the same visual impact, apparently.
 
but Daaaave; half the cartridges out there are like that....380 auto, 303 British, 454 Casul, 38-55, 32 mag, 32-20

There's a 325 out now...and it's not a 325


This isn't just a remnant of black powder days, cause they weren't standard either, though we get many with the powder amount which is kind of neat.

Bullet diameter, groove diameter in the barrel, or just plain advertising, like the Weatherby 460

So if you are the editor of a gun book, you cannot repeat the number associated with the cartridge as the true diameter unless you Look It Up first. Ian Hogg would never have reported the 44 mag as anything but .429 in actual bullet diameter.
So the 44 mag is a .429 , but the 41 mag is .41
The 45 Colt is now 451 to 452, but it used to be what, 454? The 45/70 is .458. Not important? Stick a .458 bullet in a hot 45 Colt load and....hope everything comes out the right end of the barrel.

>>>>>>>>

I assume David Miller is a Brit. He includes subtle arguments for gun control in the "Illustrated Guide".

>>>>>>

munk
 
Hey Jimmy,

I found one copy of this book at my local Borders at lunch today. I bought it and will hopefully have some time to check it out. It was also $7.99.

Eric.
 
munk said:
but Daaaave; half the cartridges out there are like that....380 auto, 303 British, 454 Casul, 38-55, 32 mag, 32-20

There's a 325 out now...and it's not a 325


This isn't just a remnant of black powder days, cause they weren't standard either, though we get many with the powder amount which is kind of neat.

Bullet diameter, groove diameter in the barrel, or just plain advertising, like the Weatherby 460


>>>>>>

munk
Click to expand...

Ha, this reminds me of the Car and Driver insistance on calling the 5.0 Mustang the 4.9 Mustang since the engine is actually 4942 cc.

Eric.
 
eswartz said:
Hey Jimmy,

I found one copy of this book at my local Borders at lunch today. I bought it and will hopefully have some time to check it out. It was also $7.99.

Eric.
Click to expand...

Good for you, buddy :)

You say all they had was one copy left?................. I'm glad it waited for you ;)
 
JimmyJimenez said:
Good for you, buddy :)

You say all they had was one copy left?................. I'm glad it waited for you ;)
Click to expand...


Thanks,

I looked all around the bargain book area. They just had the one standing up on display.

But that's not to say I didn't just miss a big stack of 'em.

Eric.
 
Ha, this reminds me of the Car and Driver insistance on calling the 5.0 Mustang the 4.9 Mustang since the engine is actually 4942 cc.

Eric.



It may remind you of that, Eric, but if you ever stuck a .32 bullet in a 32 mag you'd blow yourself up. What's in a name is important with powder, bullets, and firearms. With Cars...not so much.





munk
 
munk said:
Ha, this reminds me of the Car and Driver insistance on calling the 5.0 Mustang the 4.9 Mustang since the engine is actually 4942 cc.

Eric.



It may remind you of that, Eric, but if you ever stuck a .32 bullet in a 32 mag you'd blow yourself up. What's in a name is important with powder, bullets, and firearms. With Cars...not so much.





munk
Click to expand...


Oops, I wasn't trying to belittle the importance of precision where it comes to bullet sizes.

I know nothing about guns, but can see the importance in being precise about measurements.

The "reminds me", merely meant the convention of fudging product names to sound good, whether it was actually precise or not.

BTW, I would NOT get blown up if I put a .32 bullet in a 32 mag, because before I could pull the trigger, my wife would have broken all my fingers for buying a gun. :)

Eric.
 
I know....advertising....it's why they called the 454 Casul, well; 454



munk
 
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