Or is it hoplobibilophilia? What do you call it when you have a fondness for gun books?
Whatever it is, I have the fever. And the only cure is…more cowbell, er, buying more books. Now it’s your turn to suffer for my -phila.
Seriously, I’ve picked up a couple of books lately that I want to endorse and document Lawrence style. (Please do not confuse “Lawrence style” with “Gangnam style“.) Half-Price Books has been having another coupon sale, but the first two books here I actually ordered new from the publishers.
I don’t want to review The British Sniper – A Century of Evolution. I am not qualified to review this book. (I have, however, actually read it.) If you want a review, Ian McCollum has one over at Forgotten Weapons.
I do want to say a few things:
- This is a beautiful book, well printed, well illustrated, and well put together.
- Yes, it is an expensive book. The price gave me the leaping fantods. But have you priced sniping books recently? Plaster’s books on Amazon are going for even higher prices. And Swift and Bold only plans to print 2000 copies.
- Steve Houghton and I exchanged a few emails during the purchase process, and he comes across to me as a true gentleman and scholar.
- He also ships fast. I ordered the book on February 8th, and received it on February 21st. And that was with shipping from UKOGBNI.
- Did I mention that this is a well-put together and thorough book? Honestly, I wonder how Mr. Houghton got some of his information and photos, given the British gun culture. I suspect he had unprecedented access to various military collections, and to the “library” (so to speak) of Accuracy International. And if I understand correctly, he’s also been a long-time collector of sniper accoutrements, and I’m sure he had help from other collectors. But, wow! Some of the stuff he’s documented…
- Quibble #1: I wish there was a bibliography or source list.
- Quibble #2: I wish that Mr. Houghton had gone into more detail on the exterior ballistics of the .303 round, especially out of the Rifle No. 4 Mk1(T) with the No. 32 scope. Certain writers seem to have built up a mythology around this particular combination, and I would have liked to have more detail about actual real world performance. (I would have liked more detail about the 7.62 NATO and .338 Lapua, and their performance in issue British rifles, as well. But those two rounds are more common and, I think, better documented on this side of the Atlantic.)
- Quibble #3: some of his writing about AI is maybe just a touch too friendly. I think I understand why this is: I’m sure he relied heavily on the factory for a lot of his information and photos of later period British sniper rifles, and didn’t want to alienate them. But there are parts of the text that sound just a little like AI press releases.
- Quibble #4: while the book is remarkably free of typographical errors and dropped words, there is the occasional run-on sentence that’s a little distracting.
My quibbles aside, I think this is an important book for anyone interested in sniping or sniping history. I encourage those people to order now, before you’re paying north of $250 for a ratty used copy.
I have not read Holstory yet. My copy only arrived yesterday. Nor have I met R.E.D Nichols yet, though I do hope to have that honor someday. I do, however, know John Witty, his co-author: Mr. Witty and I both attend the S&WCA Symposiums, I’ve broken bread with him and some other folks on one memorable occasion (and would be glad to do so again, if his dance card wasn’t constantly filled), and I think maybe he could pick me out of a police lineup.
Actually, I blame Mr. Witty and the S&WCA for the dent in my wallet caused by this book. He gave a presentation several years ago at one of the symposiums about holsters and holster history: I hadn’t thought much about that subject before listening to him speak, but afterwards I caught the holster bug. I’ve managed to pick up a few decent books, such as a reprint of Chic Gaylord’s book and Bianchi’s Blue Steel & Gunleather, but Holstory is the first book I’ve found that appears to answer some of my more obscure questions: what distinguishes a Threepersons design holster, just to take one example.
Yes, this is another book with a price that gave me the leaping fantods. Just based on looking through it so far, though, it’s another beautifully put together piece of work. This book would look stunning on a coffee table, if I had a coffee table. (I really should get one.) And there are sources out the proverbial wazoo, too. (You can even download the source list and errata from the book’s website.)
I’m excited about this book, and have no qualms about recommending it to all of you.
The Lee-Enfield Story by Ian Skennerton: this was my one big find during the coupon sale. It’s been in the collectables room for a while now, with a $100 price tag and the notation that it’s out of print: Amazon says they have two in stock for $170, and the cheapest used copy is $135 in “good” condition. (I also see it asserted that this and another book were compiled into the 2007 The Lee-Enfield: A Century of Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield Rifles and Carbines, but I can’t prove that, and even that book is going for $125 from Amazon.) Paid $50 + tax for this one with coupon.
(Do I have a Lee-Enfield? Sort of. It’s complicated.)
Other than that, pickings were a little slim at HPB. I did get a few things of varying quality and interest:
- A ratty but cheap with coupon copy of Ovid Demaris’s The Boardwalk Jungle, sort of a sequel to The Green Felt Jungle, but covering organized crime and gambling in Atlantic City instead of Vegas.
- A mint copy of In Sunlight or in Shadow, Lawrence Block’s anthology of stories inspired by Edward Hopper paintings. I’ve had a copy of Alive in Shape and Color, the follow-up volume, for a while now, but hadn’t been able to find a good copy of Sunlight before now.
- A copy of Cooper’s Fireworks (the Paladin Press paperback edition). I already have a personal copy of this, but with the 40% off coupon, I plan to flip this one. I haven’t listed it yet, but if anyone reading this is interested: $30 plus media mail shipping.
- Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park, 2nd Edition. $5.69 plus tax with coupon. I figured at that price, it was worth adding to the collection briefly discussed here. Plus: Joe D. endorsed!
- The Forgotten Winchesters : a History of the Models 1905, 1907, and 1910 Self-loading Rifles. $12 after coupon. I thought this was worth taking a chance on, even though I don’t own any of those rifles, as the book appears to be totally unavailable. And you never know when one of them might follow me home.
- A nice facsimile first edition of All the King’s Men for $9 after coupon. I read the book some time ago and loved it, but I don’t know where my cheap paperback is now, and this will look pretty on the shelf.