Into the Archives of Germany’s Intermediate-Caliber Assault Rifle

Full title: Sturmgewehr! From Firepower to Striking Power  (Revised Expanded Edition)

Author: Hans Dieter Handrich

Publisher: Collector Grade Publications, Inc.

ISBN: 0-88935-593-2

Copyright: 2017

Hardcover, with dust jacket: 9” x 11¼”, 720 pages, 514 B&W photos, illustrations, drawings

Website: collectorgrade.com

Available from publisher or SAR store (Item B343)

The Sturmgewehr (German for “storm” or “assault” rifle) StG 44 was the culmination of a program to create a new class of weapons that we know as assault rifles. The generally accepted definition is a select-fire, carbine-sized gun, firing a mid-sized “intermediate” round and fed from a detachable box magazine.

In other words, the rifle and ammo have more power than an SMG that fires pistol rounds but less power and recoil than a full-size infantry rifle.

As we have come to expect from Collector Grade Publications, this book covers the topic in great detail. This fine book certainly does that and touches on other aspects of Nazi Germany weapons development as well.

The author, Hans Dieter Handrich, has revised and enlarged his original book by a substantial amount. The new 2017 edition contains 120 more pages and 122 new illustrations than the original 2004 edition. This brings the current edition to 720 pages and 514 B&W photos, illustrations and technical drawings, etc.

As with other Collector Grade books, this title is divided first into parts and then into chapters. Each chapter is then further broken down into numerous headings and subheadings. This makes the Table of Contents a full 17 pages! This can be viewed as either a good thing or a distraction, depending on your personal point of view.

Part I, Chapter One takes the expected look back at equipment and tactics in the decades prior to WWII. This begins with a brief look at warfare of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Following this, is a look back at WWI and the rise of the machine gun, most notably the Maxim. This leads into the topic of self-loading (semiautomatic, in other words) rifles. A photo of five different designs (three from Mauser and one each from Mannlicher and Borchardt) is shown. All appear similar to the typical bolt action of the era. A Mexican-designed, Swiss-built Mondragón rifle with a drum magazine and a Mauser Model 1916 are also pictured. While several self-loading rifles were tested, none where considered mature enough to be adopted on any serious scale. (A very small number of the Mondragón and Mauser 1916 rifles were issued to the Zeppelin balloon crew for anti-aircraft use.) These all fired full-power rounds and were semiauto only.

After the end of WWI, Germany was stripped of most of her military equipment and prohibited from designing and building more, as decreed by the Treaty of Versailles. However, this was not to be. As author Handrich explains in some detail, Germany disregarded the rules almost from the beginning. At first, these violations were executed very low key, but eventually they became quite blatant. Handrich covers a lot of background history in this book, not just the technical aspects of the StG 44.

Chapter Four, Early Intermediate Cartridge and Rifle Developments, takes a look at several mid-sized cartridges and rifles from several private firms in Germany. These experimental cartridges ranged in bore diameters from 7mm to 8mm and had case lengths from 27mm to 49mm long. Although this new direction caught the attention of the Ordnance Department, none of these early attempts went anywhere.

Part II, Chapter Five is where the gun that eventually became the StG 44 gets its start. In 1938, a year prior to the start of WWII, the Ordnance Department commissioned the C.G. Haenel company of Suhl to develop a select-fire “machine carbine.” Haenel’s chief designer was none other than Hugo Schmeisser, who designed the first operational submachine gun, the MP18/I, during WWI.

Handrich covers the long, sometimes frustrating path that the StG 44 took during its development. This gun has the dubious honor of being renamed the most times during its short career. Just a few of the better known names are: MP 42, MKb 42 (H), MP 43, MP 44 and finally the StG 44.

As the year designations suggest, the process took from 1942 to 1944 to get up to anything close to full production. A good deal of this was due to Adolf Hitler not believing in the idea of an intermediate round. He was stuck on the full-power round, so rifles such as the FG 42 and the G43 (later called the K43) proceeded while the StG 44 had much less official support. In fact, Hitler refused to approve it for full production three separate times. Handrich includes translated text of messages between Hitler’s inner staff and the military to confirm this. Handrich’s own opinion on Hitler’s delay in approving the program is: “There can be no doubt that Hitler’s bans had an extremely adverse effect on the schedule of development, testing and troop trials of the MKb …”

The author includes several images of original teletype messages discussing troop trials during the Eastern (Russian) Front. The text of several more messages, translated into English, document the ongoing troop trial evaluations. The frontline troops thought highly of this new weapon. Reports from the General of Infanterie (GendInf) are also shown, as well as details on monthly quantities delivered to the front. These various reports make for an interesting book, as you can see the progress of the program. A couple of messages are signed by Hitler himself.

Something I enjoyed studying is a set of small sketches (they are not dimensioned, so they cannot be called production drawings) that show the steps involved in turning a raw piece of sheet steel into a receiver. These thumbnail sketches show how the stamping, punching, forming (folding or bending) and drilling operations create a receiver. Most interesting!

English translations of original German military manuals are included. Specific manuals are from the MKb 42(H) and MKb 42(W) (Machine Karabiner 1942 prototypes from Haenel and Walther), the MP 43/1 and the final version, the StG 44. There is also a complete, 48-page, post-War East German manual shown, again with all text translated to English.

A chapter on special accessories looks at items such as a flash hider attachment, grenade launchers, the Vampir infrared riflescope and a long section on the unique Krummlauf curved barrel attachment for firing around corners.

A study of the development of the 7.92x33mm Kurz (short) cartridge is covered in similarly thorough detail. Until reading this book, I was unaware that several different firms were each designing its own idea of the perfect intermediate round or that the Polte company had tried several variants prior to settling on the 7.92x33mm version. These prototypes, along with dummy, tracer, blank, grenade launch blank and other special or experimental rounds are examined in detail. This includes 12 section-view engineering drawings from Polte.

The book wraps up with Part VI: A Post-War Retrospective. Chapter 22 looks at Hugo Schmeisser’s contributions to the AK-47. Following WWII, the Soviets gathered up many German specialists to work in the USSR. Schmeisser was taken to Factory 74 in Izhevsk in October 1946. He remained there until June 1952. During his time in Izhevsk, he worked alongside Mikhail Kalashnikov on what would become the AK-47. Handrich believes that Schmeisser helped a lot in the design, in spite of Kalashnikov saying that Schmiesser’s input was minimal. Schmeisser himself did not talk about it much. He passed away in September 1953.

I did find that the book tends to veer off in different directions as it covers various issues only vaguely related to the Sturmgewehr rifle. For instance, in 1924, the Rifle 98 for bicyclists was renamed the Rifle 98 for (mounted horse) riders. This single paragraph gets its own entry in the Table of Contents. At first, I found this a bit distracting. Later, I began to appreciate these little bits of history. This book has a tremendous amount of technical and historical information related to the Sturmgewehr program and resulting rifle. As well, it has a great deal of info on other aspects of the Nazi Germany weapons program. Although it may be among the most expensive books in your library, it certainly is worth considering. If you have an interest in the early development stages of assault rifles, this work is highly recommended.

Tactical Use of Low-Signature Weapons for Military and Police

By Mark White.
Copyright 2010, 2012 Paladin Press.
Soft cover, 5 ½” x 8 ½” 110 pages $15.95
Reviewed by Dean V. Roxby

Suppressed firearms hold a particular fascination for many shooters. This book explores the science and myths associated with suppressors. The book is divided into many short individual chapters covering such topics as: The True Cause of Firearm Discharge Noise- The Mach Disc, Bore Diameter and Relative Loudness, Power Levels of Subsonic Ammo, etc.

While the book does contain much useful information, it also tends to wander somewhat. Six pages dedicated to ancient spears and arrows seem a bit out of place. (Although, to be fair, there is a brief reference to the lethal range of 4,000 year old sling technology in a critical look at the 5.56×45 round later on.) As well, many of the chapters are no more than one or two paragraphs long, yet are given a full page. The result is that rather than 110 pages of info, there are perhaps 60 or 70 pages of actual suppressor information. The book is primarily text, with no plans, design sketches, charts, or graphs given, and only a few photos.

Having said that, it is a good source of firearms info, with attention paid to such the above mentioned Mach Disc, the supersonic crack of a bullet, barrel porting to keep the bullet subsonic, energy levels of a subsonic bullet, even the issue of moisture trapped in the barrel if the suppressor is kept on the rifle. Much attention is given to the matter of longer, heavier bullets suited for subsonic use, and the appropriate rifling twist required. The subject of getting bullets to yaw or turn sideways after striking flesh is addressed as well, including a chapter on Slant-Nose bullets. The author also mentions that as a subsonic round does not require a long barrel to achieve great velocity, the barrel can be made shorter and therefore stiffer, thus giving greater accuracy. The four page chapter on powder selection and charges is quite informative.

The book ends with a chapter discussing the ballistics of various supersonic cartridges often used for police and military sniping work, followed by a warning about test firing a new suppressor with subsonic ammo prior to using supersonic ammo.

Overall, this book does contain some very good information relative to the author’s targeted subjects, but it is not the complete treatise on suppressor technology.

Military Rifle and Machine Gun Cartridges

By Jean Huon
Copyright 1988. Ironside International Inc., Alexandria, VA
Hardcover, 6” x 9” 378 pages.
$34.95
Reviewed by Dean Roxby

If you are a serious cartridge collector or student of military small arms, you should be aware of this book. Very well written, and very thorough, it details military rifle cartridges in use since 1870.

The author, Jean Huon, originally published this book in French, (Les Cartouches Pour Fusils Et Mitrailleuses). He is a very prolific author, having many articles (including over three dozen for SAR) and books to his credit. He is recognized as a very thorough researcher, so it is no surprise this book is first class reference material. It must be noted that it was printed in 1988, so there are several cartridges that came later that do not appear in this edition. (There is an updated version in French).

The book is divided into two main parts, Metric calibers and British & U.S. (meaning Imperial dimensions) cartridges. A short introduction precedes the main reference section. This introduction briefly describes the chronological progression of ammunition development, starting with paper cartridges, then rimfire and pinfire, and finally centerfire. The Metric section is the largest section of the two due mainly to the numerous European designs. Each cartridge is given at least a full page, sometimes more.

The 8×57 Mauser and the .30-06 are each given seven pages and the mighty .303 British is given eight pages. Most of this is used for photographs and notes of variations of the round like ball, tracer, AP, blank, wood blank, drill rounds, etc.

Besides the usual suspects, there are some really rare, unusual rounds profiled. Ever heard of or seen a .40 Booby Trap round? It is a British WW2 era anti-personnel “set-gun” device that is left in the ground, much like a mine.

As is traditional for cartridge books, the rounds are listed in order of increasing diameter, from 4.5mm (4.5×26 Interdynamic rimfire) to 18mm (18x35R Tabatiere), and .17 (.17 SBR) to .60 machine gun. Each entry gives cartridge dimensions and weight of a complete round. (Entirely in Metric! Be aware of this if you are Metric-challenged.) There is also a brief but concise explanation and history of each round, and a photograph of a standard ball round, and often of other types. A photo of the rifle or MG most often associated with the cartridge is also shown. The photos are entirely B&W. The main photo of the round is in true scale, which makes it useful for identifying mystery rounds. A nice feature of this book is that if a cartridge has several names, they too are listed. The 8×57 has 12 aliases.

Following the Imperial section is a short section on various experimental rounds that were made in very limited amounts and never saw service. This section is only a group photo of cartridges, with no further details provided.

This book is a worthy addition to the library of any serious cartridge collector or military arms enthusiast.

Submachine Guns of the United States of America: From the AM-180 Through the ZX-7
Frank Iannamico, 2004
Moose Lake Publishing LLC
Henderson, Nevada 89014
ISBN 0-9742724-0-X

Book reviewed by Jon Miller

“Prolific publishing pundit, Frank Iannamico, pens powerful primer providing provocative parlance pertinent to our past time.”

Appropriately titled, this profusely illustrated 486 page book chronologically catalogues the history and progression of American submachine guns from the 1921 Thompson through the M16.

The author introduces U.S. submachine guns through a review of preceding German, Italian, Russian and Japanese efforts in the first section. He then melds into the WW II U.S. Machine Gun Trials replete with extensive documentation in the second section. Trials included the Atmed, Austen, Hyde, Reising, Smith and Wesson, Soumi, Star, Sten, Woodhull and High Standard machine guns. Illustrations include period photos and field-stripped weapons.

The third section is dedicated to Phase Two of the Ordnance Tests. It includes the above weapons plus the Atlantic, Auto Ordnance T-2, Masco, modified 1911-A1 pistol, German MP40, Olsen, Owen, Turner, UD-1, and Thompson with straight line butt stock machine guns. Machine gun cartridges are discussed and Ordnance testing procedures are explained in this section.

Section five is U.S. Production Guns 1921-1945 from the Thompson through the Grease Gun with emphasis on the Thompson, Grease Gun and UD-42. Section six is one hundred fifty five pages of all the Post WWII U.S. Submachine Guns.

A fifty five page section is devoted to Prototypes and Patents in section seven. This includes intriguing illustrations of prototypes with patent drawings.

The final twenty pages show field-stripping diagrams of Thompson, Reising, UD-42, M2, Grease Gun, Smith and Wesson Model 76, MAC Ingram and M16.

Submachine Guns of the United States of America provides a solid introduction to the submachine gun. It covers each topic well and provides appropriate illustrations. This ambitious work successfully provides a sound source of information and education for the beginner and intermediate level Class III enthusiast.

MG 34 The Movie
Volume 1
by Folke Myrvang &
Ed Schroeder
Approx. 55 Minutes
Retail – $25
Review by Chuck Madurski

The MG 34 machine gun was the first General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) fielded by any major power. While technically and tactically advanced, it was still manufactured the old fashioned way using machined billet parts and forgings and a myriad of other expensive production methods requiring time and expertise that produced high quality, finely finished parts. For the rapidly expanding German military, it required newer, more efficient teaching methods for the men expected to carry this into battle and maintain it in the field. The first two thirds of this video seem to be just that. It shows technicians disassembling portions of the MG 34 and inspecting the gun and components. It also uses excellent (for the time) animation to compare the operation of the gun with that of the Mauser K 98k, the general issue bolt action rifle of the German Army. During this part of the video, many of the differing parts of both guns have their nomenclature nomenclature printed on the screen in German. It is assumed this film was shown with an instructor narrating as it is totally silent.

The last part of the video is high speed video (slow motion to the viewer) of an MG-34 firing. What is remarkable about this is that it was filmed using fluoroscopy, an x-ray video technique, so you can see the internal mechanism operating while going through the firing cycle. This part was produced by the Norwegian Army in the 1970s to look into stoppages and their causes in the MG 34.

The first portion was best viewed at two to four times normal speed due to the slowness of the original production. The fascinating see-through gun was more enjoyable at the normal speed so as to watch the interaction of the parts. Also, it should be noted that due to the differences in screen sizes between the film and the DVD video, sometimes the German nomenclature runs off screen and partially out of view. This is no concern since in most every case enough of the word can be seen to know what it says – if you read German that is!

Though a soundtrack or English translation for the German labels would have been nice with this DVD, it is forgivable when the story behind this disk is known. These German training films were but a myth to Folke Myrvang until not too long ago. Getting the film onto DVD was an expensive process, so the frills were disregarded. He stumbled across them on an auction site out of Germany and they were expensive. While there may be more “out there,” what is on this DVD is all that is known right now. Some of the film was obviously damaged, perhaps by water, which makes it at times difficult to watch. But remember, this material is basically unobtainable anywhere else and, as such, your only choice.

Lastly, a nice companion for the serious student might be an English translation of the MG 34 manuals. These are available from John Baum on line at http:// www.germanmanuals.com/ and includes several titles that range from the operator’s manual to one for use of the Lafette tripod and even a 1943 dated picture book.

Available from Allegheny Arsenal, Inc.
(http://www.mg34.com/mg34_sales.html)
or directly from Folke Myrvang
(folkem@online.no)

If anyone is qualified to write a book on the subject of National Firearms Act (NFA) or Class 3 firearms, it is Dan Shea. Not only has Dan been involved in the NFA world almost all his life, he is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the country on the subject. In this latest edition of the Machine Gun Dealers Bible, Dan not only updates the previous editions, but goes much, much farther, creating a reference not only for the dealer, but for anyone with an interest in machine guns, destructive devices, suppressors, pen guns, or for that matter anyone with an interest in any type of firearm.

The Machine Gun Dealers Bible, 4th Edition, is first and foremost a guide through the arcane and complex world of Federal firearms laws, including not only the National Firearms Act of 1934, but also those laws that were not specifically enacted to deal with fully automatic firearms, destructive devices and their kin, such as the Gun Control Act of 1968 the McClure – Volkmer Act of 1986 and others. The laws and regulations that devolved from them are not quoted in their entirety, but those parts that directly affect the purchaser or owner of NFA firearms. Dan elaborates on these laws and regulations, explaining in clear, concise and highly readable language what they mean and what the dealer, owner or prospective owner of NFA firearms must do to avoid the unpleasantness of an “up close and personal” encounter with ATF agents, who tend to take a dim view of violations of the laws and regulations they are hired to enforce, regardless of the lack of malice on the part of the violator. In this regard, Dan goes into detail in a separate chapter entitled “Things that Get You in Trouble.” This chapter explains those mistakes, whether by intent or ignorance can land you an extended stay in a not very pleasant government facility. In this context, the book also explains how to deal with the ATF and provides a complete list of regulatory offices in the United States. While the Machine Gun Dealers Bible, 4th Edition covers all aspects of the appropriate laws and regulations, the author makes it clear that this book is to be used only as a guide. Because laws and regulations change or are subject to interpretation, the Machine Gun Dealers Bible, 4th edition should not be considered absolutely authoritative on the legalities of NFA firearm ownership. That said, it is an essential starting point to understanding the NFA world.

Approximately one fourth of the book is devoted to the forms required by the ATF. Forms are nor removable as in some earlier editions because many must be originals and not photocopies. Thus, while all the necessary forms are illustrated and most are explained, the reader and prospective NFA purchaser must obtain his or her own forms.

The portion of the Machine Gun Dealers Bible devoted to NFA firearms and the laws pertaining to them was interesting in that this reviewer learned quite a number of previously unknown facts, but the most enjoyable and informative aspect of the 4th Edition to the reviewer was the illustrated guides to Heckler & Koch, Colt and Stoner firearms. These are not intended to be definitive guides to the history of the firearms themselves, but photographic essays that help the student or prospective owner to identify the firearm in question. These guides are fully comprehensive and as far as the reviewer can determine, absolutely accurate. The photographs are clear with sharp detail. While these guides ran in successive issues of Small Arms Review Magazine, they have never to the reviewer’s knowledge been published collectively. Other chapters that are essential for the serious student of firearms are those on the subjects of machine gun accessories and loaders, which in this edition focuses on machine gun tripods.

Another significant aspect of the The Machine Gun Dealers Bible, 4th Edition is its comprehensive list of resources that includes manufacturers, dealers and importers. Virtually every Class 2 manufacturer, dealer and importer is represented in this section of the book.

In sum, the Machine Gun Dealers Bible, 4th Edition, is a volume not only for the dealer, manufacturer and owner of NFA firearms, who will certainly find it essential, but also for the serious student of firearms, whether hobbyist or professional. It thus belongs on the reference library of everyone who is in any way interested in firearms for whatever reason.

MACHINE GUNS
By Ian V. Hogg
336 Pages, c. 2002,
ISBN # 0-87349-288-9
Krause Publications,
Book Dept. SAR,
PO Box 5009
Iola, WI 54945-5009
Price: $29.95 plus $4.00 s&h
1-800-258-0929
Reviewed by Larry Sterett

The author of this large, softbound volume, Ian Hogg is a former editor of Jane’s Infantry Weapons, in addition to being the author or editor of over 140 books published in some 13 languages. This following his retirement from the British Army Royal Artillery as a Master Gunner and a specialist instructor in ordnance and ammunition.

Divided into eight chapters, this informative volume also contains six appendices, a Glossary and an index, all features of an excellent reference volume. The first two chapters deal with the basic methods of operation for recoil and gas-operated machine guns, and the mechanical guns which are operated by an outside source, such as the Puckle, Gatling, Lowell, Gardner and Nordenfelt.

Chapter three is devoted to the first of the automatic guns, the Maxim, demonstrated on January 30, 1885. While Maxim’s patents were so numerous they could have prevented any other machine gun designs for the next quarter-century, such was not the case. By the time the First World War ended, there were many machine guns being produced, including those of Browning, Parabellum, Vickers, MacLean, and Lewis. Some were good designs, some not, but many were still being when World War II started and beyond.

Chapters Four, Five and Six, cover World War I, the twenty-five years between wars, and World War II, respectively. World War I was a static war and the machine guns were bulky and heavy, except for a few designs. Lighter and more mobile when needed were the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), the Chauchat and Hotchkiss M1e 1909. Others which showed promise, and might have done well, were the Beardmore-Farquhar, and Berthier. They simply arrived too late on the scene to achieve production, but all are covered in this text.

The time between the two World Wars was one several nations made good use of relating to machine gun design. Three of the most famous light machine guns of the 20th Century were the German MG-34, the British Bren, and the Russian Degtyarev DP, which became realities during this period. All performed their jobs well, and even to serving as the basis for improved designs. The Bren, however, has served well for more than six decades. Weighting in at just under 22 1/2 pounds, empty, the Bren weighed approximately three pounds more than the BAR, and four pounds less than the MG-34. On the plus side, the Bren featured a 30-round magazine and a detachable barrel, compared to the BAR’s 20-round magazine and a non-detachable barrel, and the MG-34’s 75-round drum or 50-round continuous link belt and a detachable barrel. World War II required mega number of machine guns, and the Germans in particular were not endowed with unlimited resources. By redesigning the MG-34 to make use of more stampings, they determined they could save $18.50 per gun and turn out three of the new MG-42s in the same time it took to build one MG-34. The Bren and the BAR models continued to be produced using expensive machined parts. Following World War II, the U.S. took a good look at the MG-42m with the result being our M60. It weights slightly less than the MG-42, has a detachable barrel, makes extensive use of stamped parts, feeds from a linked belt, and can be fired from the shoulder, a bipod or a tripod.

Although World War II ended more than fifty years ago, research and development of machine guns has not. The search for the ultimate light and heavy goes on, and some excellent designs have been developed. Author Hogg covers them all in Chapter Seven and Appendix One. (Chapter Eight is devoted to automatic cannon, generally considered those models for calibers of 20mm and above).

Illustrations in MACHINE GUNS consist of more than 500 black and white photographs, including some period photos of machine guns in use, line drawings, sectioned drawings, and operational drawings. There’s even a color section featuring three dozen full-color photographs covering many of the models from a five-barrel Nordenfelt to the Belgian FN-MAG, all from the Royal Pattern Room collection.

Other features of this volume include detailed technical reports, often with disassembly/assembly instructions, for 19 important machine gun models. The appendices list the machine guns and their specs by alphabetical order and order by ascending caliber, with a similar table for the cannons and their cartridges.

Machine gun fans, arms researchers and manufacturers, arms historians, and military arms collectors should find this an excellent reference book. It is lavishly illustrated, well researched and written, and the author definitely knows the subject.

The Machine Pistols of Europe
By Michel Malherbe
132 Pages
Published by Editions Crepiin-Leblond, 14 ,rue du Patronage Laique,
B.P. 2057, Dept. SAR, 52 902
Chaumont Cedex 9, France.
Price: 13 Euros, or 85.27 Francs, plus 2.5 Euros shipping.
Reviewed by Larry Sterett

If you’re interested in machine pistols, or submachine guns, and you wouldn’t be reading SMALL ARMS REVIEW if you were not, this is an interesting volume. Softbound and digest-size, it covers more than 85 different models and variations of the machine pistols of Europe, from their origin to the later days of the 20th Century.

There’s no contents page at the beginning of this volume, nor an index page at the end. There is a table of materials (contents) page located where the index is usually located. This table lists the machine pistols in alphabetical order by countries of Europe, from Germany to Portugal, plus what was the Sovier Bloc of Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.

Each model, from the Schmeisser/Bergmann, M.P. 18 to the Skorpion V.Z. 61 is discussed with two or more pages of text. A table of specifications is provided for each model, listing the caliber, length of barrel, length of the machine pistol, weight, magazine capacity, rate of fire, barrel twist, and the names of the inventor and the manufacturing firm. Where a MP model was available in more than one caliber the optional calibers are listed, such as the MP 28 II, which is listed as being available in 7.63mm Mauser, 7.65mm Parabellum, 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard, and 11.43mm (.45 ACP). The same comment applies to manufacturers. The MP 28 II is listed as being produced by Haenel in Suhl, Germany, Pieper in Herstal, Belgium, S.I.G. in Neuhausen, Switzerland, Sterling in Dagenham, Great Britain, and Unceta y Cia in Eibar, Spain.

Illustrations consist of more than 120 photographs and/or drawings. The photographs are sharp enough to permit all major features to be seen, but a few of the drawings could be improved. The majority of the models are illustrated, but some prototype or model variations are mentioned, but not pictured. Three of the models, the French M.A.S. 38 and M.A.T. 49 and the German MP40, have section drawings in addition to photographs.

The majority of the models, particularly those of the World War II era, are covered in many other books, but some are less well known. These include such models as the Erma EMP 44, MP 60, 65, and MP 3008 (Germany), R.A.N. (Belgium), A.D.A.S.A. (Spain), E.T.V.S., Hotchkiss Model 010, 011, 017, 304, M.A.C. 47-2, 48-2, 48-L.S., M.A.T. 49/54, P.M. 9, Gevarm Model D.3 and D.4 (France), Husqvarna Hovea (Sweden) and the Mors M.39 (Poland). The French M.A.T. 49/54 not only featured a longer barrel and perforated jacket, but different sights, sling attachment, charging handle, and of course, weight. At least one version of the 49/54 featured a wooden buttstock in place of the standard telescoping design.

This is not the last word on European machine pistols, but it’s still a handy reference volume for collectors, arms students, historians, and researchers. An ability to read French would be useful, but a good French/English dictionary helps, and the specifications tables are easily understood.

For the serious student of firearms accurate and comprehensive works on the weapons in question are a must. When it comes to “accurate and comprehensive” Collector Grade Publications leads the way. All the other works from this publishing house have been most impressive in their content. This latest offering is no exception, it is superbly researched, written, and illustrated.

Covering the Browning Automatic Rifle, Mr. Ballou offers a comprehensive in-depth look at the B.A.R. from concept to current semi-auto copies. Starting with John Moses Browning himself, the book slowly unwinds this devastating gun’s long history. From gearing up for World War I, into the trenches, post war development, gangster use during the Roaring 20’s, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam this book covers it all. It offers a looks at the weapon itself in all its different models and variations along with their ancillary gear. The changes made over time to “improve” the B.A.R. as it gained weight are well documented. But this book offers much more than that. It offers substantial insight into the men who carried, fought with, and sometimes died with the B.A.R.. Combat reports abound, as do comments by users about what they thought of the weapon, and how quickly they tossed the bipod into the nearest ditch. Foreign variations are not ignored, and even models for the Police and FBI are covered, as are modifications performed by such notorious criminals as Clyde Barrows.

To be frank, $80 is a lot of cash for a book. However this is not your run of the mill firearms book. Extremely well illustrated it covers the B.A.R. from A to Z. If you want information on the Browning Automatic Rifle, this is your one stop shopping. I highly recommend this work, the amount of research that went into putting it together must have been staggering. If you love B.A.R.’s you’ll love this book.

1900 Luger, US Test Trials
By Michael Reese II
Published by Pioneer Press
Union City, Tennessee 38261
Library of Congress # 71-117532
Price $6.00 plus $4.50 shipping and handling
105 pages
Reviewed by Stephen Stuart

One of the most sought after variations of the Luger handgun is the 1901 US test specimens. Early in the spring of 1901 two test Lugers were bought and tested through the United States Board of Ordnance and Fortifications under Lieutenant Colonel Frank H. Phipps. After an initial test of these two pistols, he ordered a field trial to be conducted. This field trial would include a thousand model 1900 pistols, 200,000 round of ammunition and extra magazines. The first shipment arrived in October 1901.

This test trial of the Luger handgun came up with mixed results. Some commands like the pistol, others did not. These trials proceeded until finally DWM, the manufacturer of the Luger handgun stopped the trials. Some arms historians have pondered the question why they stopped the trials. Many believe that DWM would no longer put up with the requests of the US Ordnance Department. Still some say it was because DWM knew that the Luger was going to be accepted by the German Military in large numbers. In Mr. Reese’s book, 1900 Luger, he provides insight into the trials of the 1900 Luger by providing the test results of these pistols for the reader to discern what is fact and fiction. Included in the test are photos of actual surviving specimens and some of the holsters specially produced for them by Rock Island Arsenal.

Even though the photos are sometimes of poor quality and the Xeroxing of documents are a little fuzzy, the book as a whole is well worth the six bucks. It gives the reader insight into the minds of the Luger testers almost ninety years ago in their own words. It is also a wonderful piece of reference by providing the serial numbers of all the pieces actually tested. Even with some of the problems in printing I found this a worthy edition to my reference library.

The Official Soviet 7.62 mm Handgun Manual
Translation by
Major James F. Gebhardt,
U.S. Army (Ret.)
Paladin Press
P.O. Box 1307
Boulder, CO 80306
1-800-392-2400
ISBN 0-87364-907-9
$20.00 plus S&H
104 pp
Reviewed by David M. Fortier

Underneath the title it says “Instructions for use and maintenance of the Nagant 7.62 mm Revolver Type 1895 and the Tokarev 7.62 mm Semi-Automatic Pistol Type 1933” and that’s exactly what this book is. Here is a translation of the original Soviet handgun manual for these two combat pistols. The Nagant served from its adoption in 1895 to the end of the Great Patriotic War in front line Soviet service. The Tokarev served from its adoption in 1930, through its simplification in 1933, until it was replaced by the PM Makarov in the early 1950’s. Like all Soviet weapons these two handguns earned a reputation for being tough and reliable no matter the abuse they were subjected to.

Now with large quantities of these handguns in the United States there is an English translation of the Soviet manual available to the American shooter. Piece by piece identification and explanation of each parts function is given. Step by step disassembly and then assembly of the Nagant and Tokarev is given. Trouble shooting and repair work is taught. Accessories and cleaning equipment are covered, as well as ammunition. The Soviet military method of sighting the weapons in is detailed, as well as cleaning, and maintenance. The deployment of the handguns in combat is explained, not only with and without the use of cover, but even from horseback!

Anyone who owns a Nagant or Tokarev will find this manual informative and useful. The drawings (original Soviet)are excellent. The translation is extremely good and reads perfectly. Now you can have the information directly from the source on how to use and maintain your Nagant or Tokarev pistol.

That antiquated public scold, Andy Rooney, who worked for the service newspaper Stars and Stripes during Work War II, hated Patton. That ought to be enough for me to appreciate the general called “Old Blood and Guts.” Bill Mauldin, the Stars and Stripes cartoonist made famous by his drawings of scruffy World War II soldiers, also had problems with Patton. Rooney has been a waste of airtime and newsprint for years, but I appreciate Mauldin’s World War II cartoons. That leaves me with a contradiction, when considering Patton, this is not unusual.

Patton was famous for the belligerent speeches he made to his troops and his aggressive, driving style in combat. He was infamous for slapping two shell-shocked soldiers in Sicily and having to make a public apology to his army for the incidents. At the same time, biographer D’Este shows that Patton was sentimental, usually polite to women and personally and publicly religious. He was both different and more complex than the man shown in the film Patton with George C. Scott. Patton did say, “The object of war is not to die for our country. It is to make the other poor dumb bastard die for his,” but there was a lot more to his before-battle exhortations.

In Patton A Genius for War, D’Este reveals that Patton was dyslexic. The academic difficulty Patton had because of this at both Virginia Military Institute and West Point contributed to feelings of inferiority and wide mood swings. While in school Patton could be devastated by a bad grade, and his spelling fluctuated as wildly as his moods. Samples of his personal correspondence showed that George Smith Patton was not among those boring souls who can only spell a word one way.

Despite dyslexia, Patton was able to produce clear and precise reports and battle plans. He also seemed, D/Este says, to have an instinctive grasp of where battles would develop and be decided. He was usually one of the best at reacting to conditions and carrying out plans with the maximum force and speed. D’Este also shows that Patton was one of the first American generals to appreciate what a potent force armor and air power could be when working together. On his smashing attacks in France, Patton used air power both to prepare the way for his Third Army and to protect his flanks.

Patton began working with tanks in World War I, when he ran the first U.S. Army tank school in France. Before and after that, he was a cavalryman who designed a new saber and studied famous cavalry campaigns including those of Confederate generals who gave the Union so much trouble in the Civil War. Patton saw his first action as a cavalryman in the Punitive Expedition into Mexico in 1916. During this attempt to punish Pancho Villa, who had invaded the U.S. and attacked Columbus, New Mexico, Patton led the first motorized assault on an enemy position ever made by the U.S. Army. That assault was made with Dodge Touring Cars, not tanks, but Patton did take tanks into combat in World War I, and was wounded after four days of combat.

In the years between the wars, he played polo, wrote papers on tank tactics and waited for the next war. During that time, he and another junior officer, Dwight Eisenhower, were stationed together at Camp Meade, Maryland. While there, D’Este says, “By themselves they stripped a tank down to its last nut and bolt and managed to put it back together-and make it run.” They also did some machinegun shooting.

“Patton was test-firing a .30 caliber machinegun while Eisenhower observed the trajectory of the bullets through field glasses. Without warning, the weapon “cooked” and began spewing bullets everywhere. The two future generals raced off in panic but returned to disable the gun with sheepish expressions on their faces.”

There were subjects on which Patton deserved to be ignored. However, if he had been listened to about the desirability of capturing Berlin and Prague instead of letting them be taken by the Soviet Army, and if his predictions of future bad behavior by Stalin had been believed, the postwar years might have been much different.

This book is well written and well researched. The author, Carlo D’Este, is a retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel and a military historian. He is the author of four other books on World War II: Decision in Normandy, Bitter Victory: The Battle For Sicily, 1943, World War II in the Mediterranean and Fatal Decision: Anzio and the Battle For Rome.

Ruger & His Guns
By R.L. Wilson
Published by Simon & Schuster
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
ISBN #0-684-80367-4
Price $65.00 plus s&h
Reviewed by Christopher Trumble

Sturm, Ruger and Company Incorporated has been producing quality firearms since it first started producing its .22 rimfire caliber semi-automatic pistol, that just about everyone is familiar with firearms either owns, owned or wished they owned. There have been numerous books written chronicling the history and development of American gun manufacturing companies such as Smith and Wesson and Colt. The Sturm, Ruger company has not been paid much attention to by authors until this book. I am pleased that this book was written because the Sturm, Ruger company has been a very active participant in the development of quality firearms and the promotion of safe and responsible firearms use.

The first chapter of this book is an extremely interesting section on the development of the company leader, William Ruger. Without him there would be no development of the company, and I feel it is always helpful in understanding a firearm to understand both the person who designed it and the purpose of the design. The photographs through this chapter and all the chapters are excellent quality and a fascinating trip into the near past.

The following chapters, two thru ten chronologically follow the development of the various firearm models. Interspersed through each chapter is interesting information about each firearm including great photographs and schematic diagrams. Included are variations to each model, numbers produced and initial suggested sales prices. Also, there are numerous annual reports that were produced by the company outlining its financial achievements.

Chapter eleven gives insight as to the company’s future path and philosophy of continuing to produce excellent quality firearms in a socially responsible manner. There is also an excellent photograph of the very well designed MP9 submachine gun along with the schematic drawing for same.

The final chapter contains more exquisite photographs of what can only be described as works of art that happen to be firearms. The final chapter of the book is a nice summation of the Ruger empire reflecting on the past success, but also making it obvious that this is not the final chapter to this company’s history.

If you are interested in determining the date of manufacture of a firearm in your collection, interested in Ruger firsts or wanting to know if the manufacturing markings on your firearm are authentic, then the appendixes are for you.

This book does not have detailed information on the disassembly of firearms. Nor does it have extensive explanations as to the inner operation of firearms. This book was not written for those purposes and if that is what you are looking for then avoid this book. If you are looking for excellent information on the history and development of the Ruger company and its products than this is the book for you. I feel this book is worth much more than the asking price and makes a welcome addition to my library.

Military Book Clubs Classic Weapons Series’: The Thompson Submachine Gun
By Chris Ellis
The Browning M2
Heavy Machine Gun
by Terry J. Gander
Review by Lee Arten

I’ve been a member of The Military Book Club three times. I’m not so devoted to military history that I’ve stayed for years, but I have found club selections useful at times. I’ve bought several books on sniping from the club’s list, some of which were not available elsewhere.

The Thompson Submachine Gun is 64 pages long with black and white photographs, many of which I’d never seen before. Besides the photos, the book covered the history of the submachine gun in general, and the Thompson in particular. Chapters I found most interesting were “The Thompson SMG in Production,” which had information on a version almost produced by BSA, and “The Tommy Gun in Service,” with pictures of Thompsons in all the theaters of operation in World War II, and “Rivals and Successors,” which covered guns that were supposed to replace the Thompson and one that eventually did.

The Thompson Submachine Gun was originally printed in the United Kingdom. The edition I have was produced in 1998 for the Military Book Club. It is not the most comprehensive book on the Thompson by any means, but it does contain some interesting information.

The Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun follows the same basic format. It was first published in England in 1999, and the book club edition came out here the same year. It is 64 pages long and filled with black and white photographs. Beginning with John Moses Browning’s first machinegun experiments, it goes on through the 1895 Potato Digger, the Model 1917 and 1919, and then goes to the .50 in Chapter 2, “The M2.”

That chapter includes sections on US Navy M2s, M2HB Mountings, and tank and aircraft guns. Other chapters cover new developments, attempted replacements for the M2, new uses for the gun, and ammunition and production data. The photographs in this book are varied, showing the M2 and variants in use in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and during various training sessions before and during the cold war. One shot of particular interest shows two captured M2HBs used by the Germans in an antiaircraft mount.

I found these books to be good additions to my MG library. The Military Book Club can be reached at 6550 East 30th Street, P.O. Box 6357, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6357 or on the web at www.MilitaryBookClub.com. (Tell them you saw the review in SAR)

Blackjack-33: With the Special Forces in the Viet Cong Forbidden Zone by James C. Donahue is the story of how a few U.S. Army Special Forces advisors and a battalion of Cambodians took the war to the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army in their own sanctuaries. While U.S. Army Special Forces units were primarily involved in training units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1957 to 1961, their mission was significantly broadened in 1961 when they were ordered to train and advise South Vietnam’s minority groups; Montagnards, Cambodians, Nungs, and ethnic Vietnamese of the Cao-Dai and Hao Hao sects. This marked the beginning of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) program. By 1965 SF “A-teams” had established forty-eight CIDG camps. In 1967, Colonel Kelly, the commanding officer of the 5th Special Forces Group, directed the formation of Mobile Guerrilla Forces Detachment A-303 in order to introduce American led “guerrillas” to Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) controlled sanctuaries, specifically War Zone D, a Viet Cong “secret zone”. Kelly ordered Captain James “Bo” Gritz, the executive officer of the Nha Trang Mike Force to form the MGF.

The Khmer Serei (Free Cambodians) troops Gritz recruited to form the MGF were young — many only 16 or 17 years old, but they were experienced fighters. Some of the older soldiers fought the Viet Minh. One, Thach, was at Dien Bien Phu with the 5th Para Brigade. The Khmer Serei were recruited from CIDG infantry companies already working with U.S. Army Special Forces. Donahue, an advisor to a Montagnard light infantry company at Duc Phong special forces camp, was recruited as cadre for the new unit. Donahue describes the camaraderie between Green Berets and their Cambodian troops. His rapport with the Cambodians of the MFG is readily apparent. Indeed, unlike many other memoirs of duty in Vietnam, the indigenous troops are central to the story and you get to know many of the Cambodians as well as you do their American Green Beret commanders.

James Donahue (currently the US Department of Labor’s Assistant Director for Veteran’s Employment and Training in Buffalo, NY) had enlisted in the Marine Corps and served at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the missile crisis. After his enlistment in the U.S. Army he volunteered for Special Forces and saw action with Detachment A-343 at Duc Phong and Mobile Guerrilla Force Detachments A-303, A-304, A-361 and B-36 at Bien Hoa, Ho Ngoc Tao, and Trang Sup.

Blackjack-33 is not Donahue’s first book. No Greater love: A Day with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam was published in 1989 and earned the George Washington Honor Medal. I read it in one sitting and remember being stunned at the ferocity of the combat Donahue described. On that mission, Blackjack 34, he was a medic and deputy patrol commander when his mobile guerrilla force (MGF) found itself surrounded and besieged by regiment sized units of Viet Cong and NVA. Donahue followed that book with Mobile Guerrilla Force published by Naval Institute Press in 1994. I’m a fan of Donahue’s books so my negative criticism of his writing style is sparse. Some of the dialogue seems a bit stilted and sometimes melodramatic and the phrasing that Donahue has had to re-create (from his journal and conversations with participants) after thirty years isn’t always what you might expect men in the heat of battle to utter. Some of the political and cultural explanations couched in dialogue seem contrived. Although a necessary mechanism to inform the reader what the author obviously already knew at the time, it is sometimes a distraction to Donahue’s otherwise vibrant, descriptive prose on the sights, sounds, and smells of Vietnam. The chirping of crickets, screeching of monkey — faint smells of wood-smoke and Vietnamese food cooking in the predawn air — Donahue makes all these come alive for the reader. His storytelling is gritty and violently factual.

War Zone D was known to the Viet Cong as “The Forbidden Zone.” It was here that the mobile guerrilla force would out-guerrilla the guerrilla: sneaking around the Viet Cong and NVA sanctuary, penetrating his inner lair, hitting the enemy where he lived, literally, in his base camps. As Donahue recounts: “It was a dangerous game — like hunting a three-hundred pound tiger with a jackknife.

” With an M-5 kit in one hand and an M-16 rifle in the other Donahue was both medic and assistant platoon leader, healer and killer. This balancing act sometimes seem incongruous especially when Donahue shoots a Viet Cong in the throat and them attempts to treat him as the enemy soldier gurgles his last breath.

While many G.I.s in Vietnam never even saw an enemy soldier, Donahue and his unit were often nearly overrun by ranks of khaki clad, pith helmet wearing North Vietnamese. In the first action described in Blackjack-33, Donahue’s unit engaged a unit of mixed black and green uniformed troops, a unit of Khaki clad regulars, Chinese mercenaries (the Cambodians recognized the language), and blue uniformed troops. One of the MFG recon platoons is overrun by the Chinese troops. James Williams, a section leader, is killed and the platoon leader, Dale England, is wounded and radios, “We’re stackin magazines. This may be my last transmission. Over”.

The MGF had to react quickly, decisively, and aggressively. Their standard operating procedure was to assault, kill a bunch of the enemy, destroy material, boobytrap the area and any ammunition stocks, then break contact and withdraw before any counterattack could outflank them. One raid included assaulting thirty or more Viet Cong, their weapons stacked uselessly behind them, while they were sitting on benches in a map reading class in their jungle schoolroom.

During another of these base camp raids on the NVA’s inner sanctum the MGF breaks contact and while withdrawing back into the relative safety of the jungle Donahue falls into a trench, landing on top of a badly wounded VC. Before he can shoot he realizes the enemy soldier is a woman. He uses his scarf to tie a tourniquet around her leg and injects her with morphine. Scenes such as this makes Blackjack-33 a riveting and at times, emotional. There is pathos here. As a firefight erupts around them Donahue’s radio operator, Ly, shouts a warning and pushes Donahue out of the way of incoming fire, only to take a fatal bullet meant for Donahue. Another, Set, has his spinal column severed and is given an overdose of morphine by his friends and dies.

In the epilogue Donahue gives a history of Khmer Serei forces from Blackjack-33 up to May 1970 when Cambodians of the 3rd Mobile Strike Force were flown to Phnom Penh for integration into the Cambodian Army, and provides post-war biographical sketches of all the participants including his Cambodian comrades. While a few found a happy ending here in the United States most did not survive their decade long struggle for freedom.

‘Street Stoppers’ is the long awaited sequel to ‘Handgun Stopping Power’. Like their first book, Evan Marshall and Edwin Sanow have compiled the results of hundreds of real life shootings involving all the major handgun calibers. Of special interest are the chapters covering the 10 mm and the .40 S&W cartridges. These two loads were still very new when the original book came out and thus were not covered to any degree. Also the infamous Strasbourg Goat Tests are covered. In this test, French Alpine goats, under scientifically controlled conditions, were shot with all the current handgun rounds and the results recorded. The Alpine goats were chosen as their weight, lung capacity, and thoracic cage dimensions are very similar to those of man. The testing lasted 18 months and almost 500 animals were shot. The results are impressive and enlightening and correlate closely with the street results the authors have compiled. This book, like the previous one, is well written in an easy to read style. While the subject matter can cover engineering theories and medical information it is presented in such a way to be easily digested. The more you read the more you understand that there’s an awful lot to how a modern hollow point bullet actually functions. The authors also explore the latest designs of premium hollowpoints and exactly how they work. I would highly recommend buying and reading ‘Handgun Stopping Power’ before you tackle this book. This will give you a good introduction into the data being discussed in this book. If you’ve read ‘Handgun Stopping Power’, then you’ll want to read this. For the person serious about personal defense this book is a must read. Anyone who searches around for the best pistol, ammunition, holster combination should have this book on the shelf. The time for arguing over which caliber and load is best is over. Now take an objective look at how the load in the pistol on your hip actually performs on the street. Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re wrong, either way though don’t you want to know?

A SNIPER IN THE ARIZONA
by John Culbertson
269 pages
Ivy Books
www.randonhouse.com
ISBN 0-7394-0269-2
Reviewed by Seth R. Nadel

This is John Culbertson’s second book on the Vietnam War – his first was Operation Tuscaloosa, a prequel to this book. To readers of SAR, most of the book is another fine first person memoir. It includes the details that make the action real, and the book a first class read.

Unlike what you would expect from the title, there is little sniping covered in the book, and this text is not centered about sniping, but about the men Culbertson served with, and the conditions they served under. In fact, judging from some comments in the book, his platoon and company officers did not know what to do with a sniper once they had one on board. This is a situation alluded to in other works on the Vietnam War.

There are two real gems in A SNIPER IN THE ARIZONA. One is his description of attending the 1st Marine Division Sniper School. The rich detail of his experience fleshes out the raw lesson plans seen elsewhere. These chapters alone are worth the price of the book. If you have any interest in military sniping, this book is a must read.

Even more on point to SAR readers is his description of the introduction of the M16 to men “on the sharp end”. While the initial failure of the M16 has been noted and dissected by researchers, here, for the first time to my knowledge, is “the word” from one who was there. His tale of a patrol where every M16 jammed is enough to scare anyone who has seen the elephant. In addition, Culbertson was personally interviewed by Congressman Ichord, as part of the congressional investigation, and told it like it was. In short, he wanted his M14 back!

If you have any interest in sniping, military history, or the development of our service weapons, your library is not complete without A SNIPER IN THE ARIZONA.

HANDGUN STOPPING POWER THE VIDEO
By Paladin Press
P.O. Box 1307
Boulder, CO 80306
1-800-392-2400
ISBN 0-87364-910-9
$37.95 plus S&H
Aproximately 90 minutes
Reviewed By David Fortier

Evan P. Marshall and Edwin J. Sanow broke new ground on handgun stopping power in their two books “Handgun Stopping Power” and “Street Stoppers”. In them you can read about the reality of terminal handgun ballistics and why some handgun loads work better than others. Now Paladin Press allows you to see and hear the reality firsthand. Anyone who may ever need to defend themselves with a handgun should be interested in this subject as the choice you make in choosing the ammunition you put in your pistol may save! I was extremely impressed by the professional quality of this video. The graphics, sound, camera work, editing, and everything else was a definite cut above most videos I have seen. It takes you from the Thompson-LaGarde Study of the turn of the century to the more recent attempts at predicting stopping power. Each is described and their flaws shown. Then Marshall and Sanow’s street results from actual shootings are described and how they correlate with testing in 10 percent ordnance gelatin. The physical and neurological mechanics of stopping power are described in detail by a medical doctor. Testing in ordnance gelatin is shown step by step. From where to purchase the gelatin to how to prepare it, use it for testing, and how to measure and calculate the results to predict a particular load’s effectiveness are all shown in detail. Plus different bullet designs are shown fired into gelatin and why certain designs work better than others is explained. There is a lot of information in this video, and the interviews with witnesses to shootings are highly informative. But it is not a grisly, graphic shoot-em-up flick. This professional video is geared towards the person who is a serious student of stopping power, and for them it is excellent.

MEIN KAMPF
By Adolf Hitler
Translated by Ralph Manheim
Houghton Mifflin Company
215 Park Avenue South
New York, New York 10003
ISBN 0-395-95105-4
$18.00 plus S&H
694 pages
Reviewed by David Fortier

Mein Kampf?!! First let me allay your fears, this review has no Neo-Nazi or Fascist undertones or political leanings. Neither are we sympathetic to such types. It is precisely for this reason that I felt it timely, due to current events, to review this work. As you have probably grappled to understand the events and goings on in Yugoslavia so have I. Here in this often talked about, but seldom read book are many answers and insights to questions people are asking today. Adolf Hitler penned Mein Kampf while imprisoned in Landsberg Am Lech Fortress Prison in 1924. While writing about his birth, childhood, and events that led to World War I he gives a glimpse of the Eastern European cauldron that still boils today. As a subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Hitler saw firsthand the unrest and ancient hatreds that burned deep. For someone looking for information on the different people in the region of Yugoslavia, and why they dislike each other so, there is a surprising amount of information here that reads like the headlines off today’s paper. For the military buff Hitler’s infantryman’s view of World War I is eye opening. Sometimes we forget that he saw heavy combat from 1914 until gassed just before the end of the war in 1918. His account reads like Erich Maria Remarque’s “All Quiet On The Western Front”; the similarities are astonishing. And we find out why Hitler never allowed them to use poison gas on the field of battle even in the darkest days of World War II as he recounts being blinded by gas.
Then there is the Nationalistic Pride and boundless seething hatred. This too we see in today’s headlines. Here we have someone that harnessed it to the detriment of millions. In Mein Kampf, Hitler spelled out to the world what his plans were, and the world ignored him, hoping he’d go away. He didn’t. Neither are the problems in Yugoslavia going to go away anytime soon. For someone looking for answers to questions, you may find some here.