No comments about Collecting Anodised Cap Badges.

No comments about Gallantry Medals & Decorations of the World.

1 comments about Coins & Currency Of The Middle East: A Descriptive Guide to Pocket Collectibles.

1. Well, this is hard. I hate to downgrade this work, but I do it on two accounts, and I'm sure people will kick me for it.
   
   One had best re-read that book title v-e-r-y carefully and digest the meaning before purchasing.
   
   It is NOT: Coins & Currency Of The Middle East
   
   It IS: A Descriptive Guide to Pocket Collectibles
   
   This is a guide to a multitude of fairly common "collectibles" related to the Middle East fiasco - Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Re-election, Operation $4 Gas, etc. - that we've been embroiled in for the last 25 years. And "25 years" is a key phrase. You see, none of the coins or currency in this book goes back farther than 25 years (approximately) so it's absolutely NOT a modern "coin & currency" book.... It's a collectible guide, for cardboard pogs, old magazines, and oddball souvenirs - just the typical stuff that bored GIs buy at the PX and fob off on their relatives after having been stationed in the desert for 6 months, playing basketball and watching war movies.
   
   For indeed, this is the stuff of modern warfare - 3 hot meals, suntan lotions, and CNN images of bombs going off somewhere else. Remote control.
   
   Nevertheless, this is a collectibles book - the type of stuff aunt Martha will pull out of the closet and drawl, "Dang, lookit this Day-sart Storm caw-fee mug. That's got to worth a passel!".
   
   Well, sorry, but the PX imported millions of them from China, just so young Joey could take it back home after the festivities were over, along with his "Stay Back 100 Meters or You Will Be Shot" beach towel , and the "Who's Your Baghdaddy?" t-shirt, available in Small or XXL only. Go figure.
   
   But I digress. I was looking for, and it's my fault, a book on Middle Eastern coins and Currency. Now, most of the nations there have fairly limited issuances anyway. Qatar and UAE, for example, have a very few issues, dating to as early as the early 1960's, some of which is quite valuable. Now would it have been a strain to reduce some of the fluff and fill out the coins and currency section a bit? Nope - the authors felt it very important to detail AAFEES' (Army & Air Force Exchange Service, i.e. the company store in the war zone) pogs, which are cardboard tokens, again issued in the millions so that AAFEES can: (1) make change on their inflated prices, and (2) put cute pictures so every GI Schmoe will keep the pretty paper and invest their pocket change for a souvenir.
   
   No on really knows how much AAFEES makes from never having pogs redeemed but it must be millions by now. In fact, even from a collecting standpoint, only the first issue was at all "limited edition", and these are quite rare. Subsequent issues are valued, even in this magnificent, at original issue price. So, I go to war, get a 25 cent pog, take it home and save it for 5 years and it's worth... 25 cents. IF I can find a buyer. Hmmmmm.
   
   OK, so what is this book about? Kitschy treasure trash that most GIs throw or give away. Is it about anything cultural or numismatic to the Middle East? Nope, nothing - it's virtually devoid of anything that might approach collectible status, excepting the person who would buy 27 piece hunting knife collections on late-night TV that "you can sell to your friends and make a profit!"
   
   I'm disappointed with Krause Publications, the premier publisher of numismatic, and to some degree, collectibles books. I have every reason to believe this was someone's idea of a good book to publish, but much like the Seinfeld Show, it's really a book about nothing.
   
   Be sure of your needs. Within 2 minutes of receiving this book, after flipping through it, hoping beyond hope of the first 10 seconds of discovery, I resolved to give it away.

1 comments about The International Militaria Collector's Guide (International Militaria Collector's: The Guide).

1. I'll keep this short. If you want to look at some cool pictures, buy the book. If you want a guide for the purpose of collecting militaria, don't waste your $$$$$. I find it to be of no worth.

4 comments about Uniforms of the Civil War.

1. I won't disagree with the previous three reviewers except to note that this makes a poor painting guide if you're looking for a wargaming reference. Very few color plates, so it's primary use is for style and equipment rather than color schemes. For $12, however, not a bad reference.



2. An excellent guide for reenactors, wargamers, and those who, like myself, are simply interested. The book discusses the unique units and their uniforms for each invidual state on both sides, and is well-endowed with haunting photographs of individual soldiers, and brilliant color plate by Richard Hook. A good starting point and also a useful reference!



3. Very good, very detailed, by unit. Lots of good photography. For the novice like myself, a great starting point.



4. Excellent overview of uniforms and equipment of the Civil War. Book is broken into Union Epuipment and Confederate Epuipment and further subdivided into States. Especially notable are the many photos and color plates throughout the book.

1 comments about Japanese and Other Foreign Military Collectibles Price Guide: Collector Items of Historical Interest from Japan and Other Nations of the World.

1. Save your money and buy a current book with current pricing. This historial document shows how rapidly prices and information changes, and provides a sobering look at the need for collectors to keep up to date. ...

2 comments about MiG Pilot Survival: Russian Aircrew Survival Equipment and Instruction.

1. The book is a good reference source on specialized equipment. Its only limitation is that it covers only a narrow period of Soviet equipment. Even so, it is a good book for a collector of Soviet items, flight gear, or anyone with an interest in military survival gear.



2. With the largest wilderness areas in the world, hostile climates and unfriendly local populations, Russian pilots had better know effective survival techniques and have good equipment. And they do! A very refined science, Russian survival tech has saved countless pilots, and cosmonauts too! This is the only text to cover the subject and includes a complete translated copy of their issued manual using the original illustrations. Lots of color photos details all their gear.

1 comments about Buying and Selling Wartime Collectables: An Enthusiast's Guide to Militaria.

1. I waited a long time for the release of this book and was very disappointed. If you collect British militaria you might find some use in it. My recommendation is that you save your money because this book is not worth the asking price.

1 comments about Military Medals, Decorations & Orders of the United States & Europe: A Photographic Study to the Beginning of World War II (Schiffer Military Aviation History).

1. Luckily, I purchased this book used after eyeing it for a while. Having collected medals for 20 years now, I hoped that this would shine some more light on the subject. Well, it didn't.
   
   You would expect a decent return on an investment like this one, however what is between the covers is lackluster to say the least. The book is essentially a photo album of medals from various countries. It doesn't come anywhere close to being a complete catalog of medals, as you would expect. Sure, I wouldn't expect each and every medal to be shown, but major holes in even common medals are evident. The photos come from various sources and many look to be color plates from books published 40+ years ago. Alarmingly, huge gaps between photos and huge blow-up shots graphically demonstrate that the authors were hurting for material to fill the book. If this was the case, at least some additional historical information or information useful to collectors on the medals could of been included. Except for hit-or-miss identification of medals, this book is nothing more than a really expensive coffee table variety. I would look elsewhere for definitive coverage. Or, if you can get it for $10 like I did, go for it. It's not worth much more than that.

No comments about F6F Hellcat - Walk Around No. 9.