No comments about Catalog of the Islamic Coins, Glass Weights, Dies, and Medals in the Egyptian National Library, Cairo (Catalogs / American Research Center in Egypt).

No comments about Italian Medals C.1530-1600.

No comments about The Last Goodbye.

No comments about The rare silver dollars dated 1804 and the exciting adventures of Edmund Roberts.

No comments about Coins of Greek Sicily.

1 comments about The Lure of Gold: An Artistic And Cultural History.

1. THE LURE OF GOLD: AN ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL HISTORY tells how the search for gold has shaped mankind from prehistory to modern times. It's a long history and a long story: to best organize the information, THE LURE OF GOLD places each epoch in a different chapter, explaining where people of the era found gold, how they mined and worked it, and how it affected their lives. Nearly three hundred color photos of art objects and relics enhance a detailed, outstanding survey.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

No comments about Queen Elizabeth II: A Portrait in Stamps.

5 comments about The Comprehensive Guide to Soviet Orders and Medals.

1. If you have any interest in collecting Soviet orders and medals, this is the only book you'll need. Every other reference on this subject I've read isn't even close to this one in detail, information, history and variants. From the earliest days of the revolution to the fall of the USSR, this book has detailed info for them all.
   
   My only complaint is that it's a bit outdated when describing known fakes. For example, for the Order of Nevsky (probably the one medal who's value is increasing the fastest) the author lists no known fakes of sufficient quality to consider. That may have been true then, but not today. I've seen fake Nevsky's that are completely indistinguishable from the real thing, even when compared side-by-side. If it's worth enough money, someone will fake it.



2. This is the best book on medal collecting out there. Period. Combining detailed, color pictures, specific award criteria and a comprehensive thoroughness it easily outdistances any other medal collectors guide in *any* field (Third Reich, British, American, Imperial German (would that there was one even half as good as this)). Only Previtera's "The Iron Time" can match it in quality and "The Iron Time" is limited to investigating one award (The Prussian Iron Cross) so it has a very narrow focus despite it being a five star book in it's own right. Schmitt & McDaniel's book has set a very high bar that any "comprehensive" medal collector's book issued in the future will have a struggle to match. Not only that the publication of this book helps legitamize the collecting of the "evil empire's" awards unlike any other publication from the past. Well worth it's price.



3. Being a relative newcomer to collecting Soviet Militaria, but collecting German Militaria for years, I found the book to be the best all around book on medals that I have ever read. This book details in very clear color photographs the intricacies of the medals of the Soviet Union. I would recommend this book strongly for anyone who is interested in Soviet Militaria or even Militaria in general as it is an excellent resource book.



4. The Comprehensive Guide to Soviet Orders and Medals is the bestbook on the market so far, and if you are a collector in this field, I strongly recommend you buy it. It's good - very good actually - but it's not comprehensive. McDaniel and Schmitt try to list all known different types and variations, and this is of course, almost impossible. But it's a start. And it's needed. Furthermore they illustrate their descriptions with very detailed pictures - that's excellent! The only problem with this kind of book is lack of information, but I'm sure they are working on it. Especially their information on fakes needs an update. In all case this is a book to buy...



5. An excellent reference guide, but NOT comprehensive. The pictures are beautiful, detailed, in colour and comes in plenty - this is necessary for the serious collector. Their grading system (both concerning rarity and different variations) is usefull but NOT comprehensive. If you have travelled in Eastern Europe as a collector, you know much more about rarity and variations than they do. Furthermore, their variation-system is only really usefull if your counterpart has read the book. Say, does The Order of the Red Banner Variation 3, Type 2 means anything to you? Their rarity-system may be helpfull as a guideline - not as a fact. I'm not saying their information is incorrect, it's just that there is a difference between living in Europe and in the US. It's probably a matter of distance and therefore price and rarity. What is really good about this book is the information about the fakes. It's very usefull (and unfortunately VERY brief) but of course outdated the moment you get it. But again, use it as a guide - don't trust everything you read. Remember that your common sense is your most important tool. Conclusion: You will not find a lot of books on this subject in english so I recommend you buy it, while it's still in stock. At present it's the best buy on the market. If you consider buying it, remember to check their Newsletter with the latest updates (and it's allways about 2-3 months delayed) at Historicalresearch.com

1 comments about Blue Mauritius: The Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Stamps.

1. A book of deep scholarship, exactitude and completeness; wonderfully written conveying a sense of the collector's passion and the excitement of discovery. In Helen Morgan's world, the search of, and affirmation for rarity and worth is contained in the history of the first issuance of the the Blue Mauritius in September 1847 and the story of the many collectors and philatelists who have owned or now own one of the treasured stamps called Blue Mauritius. Drawing on sources worldwide in many languages, Morgan's philately is more than the love of those "dirty little pieces of paper, " but the study of countries and their histories and the beauty of the art of the commonplace. Her concluding chapter of the return of two of the prized stamps to an honored place on the small island nation of Mauritius is a fitting coda to a story well told.

1 comments about Collecting World Coins: A Full Century of Circulating Issues (6th ed).

1. Great for its price , and first choise for beginner. However its not complete as it need to be for the more advance collector (e.g. it dosen't show the ISRAELI commemorative coins etc).