2 comments about Support Our Troops: Quotations on Patriotism and Prayer.

1. 
   It makes me feel really good when driving down the highway and seeing another car displaying a "Support our Troops" car magnet. It is amazing how quickly they spread across America and even some here in Canada.What also surprises me is that even more people don't have them. This is the first book I've come across on these and it has chosen to quote many famous people on Patriotism and Prayer.It shows tremendous support for the Troops and shines like a beacon for what makes America what it is. During this time when Evil forces are bent on the destruction of Liberty and Freedom,there is no greater target for them than America.Particularly during the last century,many times evil men,systems and countries have challenged Freedom and Liberty and it has been the Troops of free countries,led by America,and with the help and faith of God,that Freedom has prevailed.After reflecting on the quotations in this little book,you will be less bothered by much of what is being represented by the media,Leftist groups,secularists,anti-war demonstrations,cut and run and appeasement politics,political correctness,anti-christian agendae,and all other attempts to negate the ideals and patriotism that are the foundation of a free society.Everytime I see a person in uniform,I can't help but be thankful to them for serving on my behalf.
   These thoughts may be a surprise coming from a Canadian. Unfortunately,Canada has drifted far to the left ,with 2/3 of the government,people and media becoming Liberal and Socialist. This has resulted in Canada leaning more to Europe and the weak and virtually useless United Nations to defend us while at the same time great increases in anti-Americanism and anti- Bush rhetoric. We have a few Troops in Afghanastan,but all to little for the threat that is upon us.As far as the rest of our support on the War on Terror is concerned,our involvement is pathetic.
   I have been approached by people here in Canada who see my "Support Our Troops" with the stars and stripes,and they have commented;"What's with that sign,they're not "Our Troops"". I reply,"Maybe so,but they're protecting me too,and I for one appreciate it."
   The review by Carolyn Howard -Johnson leaves me wondering .She talks about whether the artwork is paintings or photography.I don't see what she is getting at. My book has only simple drawings. There is no cut-out on the cover. My copy has a detachable car magnet ,same as the illustration .Carolyn seem very knowlegeable in publishing etc.;so either I don't get the points or there are different versions.
   It is also commendable that "A portion of the profits from the sale of this book are being denoted to FISHER HOUSE. Gary Trudeau of Doonesbury fame has done likewise with two books.
   
   Before you jump on the Anti- America bandwagon;
   
   Imagine the world without America.



2. This is both a disclaimer and a sort of review. I first found Eric's work in a book I was reviewing and fell in love with it. It looks like painting but is really--I don't know--retouched photos. I raved in the review and he wrote to thank me. I have written a couple of forewords for him since then. This book is my favorite of all he has designed. A little cut-out on the cover reveals the first photoart. From there it gets better because, though the content is inspirational, this book depends on the artwork to give a yoga practitioner a feel for the discipline.
   
   Andrews McMeel does beautiful gift books, but this is one of their best.
   
   Carolyn Howard-Johnson
   Author of the foreword for Effort and Surrender and award-winning author of This Is the Place, Harkening, Tracings and two books in the HowToDoItFrugally series, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS

No comments about US Navy Submarine Patch Guide: U.S. Navy Ships and Submarines.

3 comments about Uniforms of the Republic of Texas: And the Men That Wore Them, 1836-1846.

1. Sir Bruce Marshall has provided a significant historical service to the followers of Texas, Texans and those who follow them with the publication of this tome of authenticity. Never before has there been available to historians a reference of the many impressive uniforms worn by the various military services of the nation of Texas. In the short ten year life of that republic, its admirable uniforms are only a representation of its many accomplishments before signing its treaty of annexation with the federal government. The fact that Marshall both edited and illustrated the book personally only adds to its impressiveness.



2. This book is pictorially and historically a masterpiece at depicting the uniforms of the Texas Republic even though it only existed as an independent nation for ten years. It helps us in the North to better understand the fraternity and even occasional superciliousness of Texans and why the Presidents Bush emulate and claim them. The pictures in this book are a treat to the eyes of those who enjoy the military history of other countries.



3. The documentation provided was good, but the plates were a bit disappointing. I would have liked more detailed views, but this is a subject that is extremely difficult to pursue and often the information simply does not exist. The uniforms of this period were often gaudy and impractical, but oddly enough the Republic was able to buy the most up-to-date weapons and equipment. The image of the buckskin clad, fur capped backwoodsman is a myth when it comes to the Texas Republic. As time marches on, hopefully more information will surface. For students of this period, I would recommend this book.

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 A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO THE LUFTWAFFE (Collector's Guide).

1. This is a nice little book, but it concentrates almost totally on the many badges and medals of the Luftwaffe. It has virtually no use for those interested in uniforms and headgear. The information included should prove valuable for collectors, but the book's title is a bit of a misnomer, in my humble opinion.

No comments about Military Collectibles: An International Directory of 20th Century Militaria.

3 comments about Civil War Knives.

1. It was quite a wait to obtain a copy of Marc Newman's book regarding Civil War Knives & it was worth the wait to find one at a resonable price.Marc's book gives us a look at a lot of knives rarely mentioned in print. Although I believe that a couple of his knives are misidentified as Civil War era (specifically the knives featured on page 32). For the most part, this book gives the reader a chance to see knives carried by both the front line soldier and the officer.These are using knives,,,not the presentation for pomp knives often featured in similar guides. If I were Marc, I would not worry about the misidentified knives. Even Harold Peterson has knives in his " American Knives " that were later identified as contemporary recreations.All & all, Marc has done an outstanding job compiling this selection of historic Americana.



2. Civil War Knives must be the most boring book in the world but Mr. Newman is still my favorite teacher ever in regard to his knowledge in history or whatever in regard to the artifacts, costumes, and the rest of it. Basically, Civil War Knives will help you do well in college or whatever. If you were to ask me if Civil War Knives is a good book, I would say "yes". Mr. Newman has been researching history since he was 7 years of age so he'll bsaically turn around to you and wind up teaching you a lot about the Civil War in regard to knives, weapons, and the rest of it. Stop playing games and buy the book!



3. Author Marc Newman has succeeded in his 1998 book Civil War Knives in going a long way toward filling a void that has long existed on the subject of, as the title indicates, the many and various types of knives used by both sides for everything from preparing meals to rendering the enemy hors de combat. The book is well illustrated with clear, sharp photos of the knives. The text, although somewhat lacking in descriptive quantity, more than makes up for it in the quality of writing. My only wish is that he had described the sheaths of those knives which have them. Marc has gone a long way toward supplementing the work begun by Abels, Peterson and Albaugh a number of years ago.

1 comments about Official Price Guide to Elvis Presley Records and Memorabilia: 2nd Edition (Official Price Guide to Elvis Presley Records and Memorabilia).

1. This book is filled with great information about Elvis' music and other memorabilia. I bought mine at Graceland in 1999 and after seeing the current prices, I'm glad I did. It is a treasure trove of trivia and details about the great variety of music that was published when Elvis was alive and in the years following his death.

No comments about The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Civil War Collectibles: A Comprehensive Guide to Union and Condederate Arms, Equipment, Uniforms, and Other Memorabilia.

No comments about More Painted Ladies: Modern Military Aircraft Nose-Art & Unusual Markings (Schiffer Military Aviation History).