Guns Books

A must-have for anyone even remotely interested in the ingenuity of American soldiers and troops during the war in Vietnam. Some of these designs are even being used today in Iraq & Afghanistan.

I also have Volume 2, and these two books are invaluable references to not only the gun trucks themselves, but a good history of how our troops did their best to overcome adversity in wartime. Highly recommended for anyone interested in combat resupply and transportation.

Part 2 of Hard Ride; Vietnam Gun Trucks is almost available.
Sample copies have arrived in the USA and are being distributed to vendors and reviewers to get their feedback.

The sample copy is printed in Black and White. 70 plus pages.
Part 2 The Hard Ride; Vietnam Gun Trucks by James Lyles was printed in November 2003 and attached to Part 1.

Future sales in the USA of the book "The Hard Ride; Vietnam Gun Trucks" will include Part 1 and 2 as a package.

A full color version of Part 2 was laid out by the publisher but was not printed due to the slow initial demand for Part 1.

The Black and White version of Part 2 was attached to Part 1 to generate additional sales.

This book has the ISBN: 971-93037-2-7

If and when a large order of at least 1000 copies is placed with the publisher, then a color printing of Part 2 will be available in six months in the USA. This will be assigned a new ISBN.

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Table of Contents

APCs: P. 1
Quad 50s P.10
Gun Trucks with Multi-angle Armor P.21
M37 ¾ ton Truck Beep P.23
M151 Gun Jeep P.27
Misnamed Gun Trucks P.31
Humorous Gun Truck Stories 2 P.32
Enemy Gun Truck P. 34
OPERATION LAM SON 719 / DEWEY CANYON II: 2 P. 36
Ambush Stories P. 39
Enemy Weapons P.55
Gun Truck Weapons P.57
Related Artwork P.63

This is quite possibly the richest collection of vietnam era photos I have ever seen, let alone collections of gun trucks. Too often in books on the subject of Vietnam you see the same old boring dry "war is hell" photos. This painstakingly assembled collection of everything having to do with gun trucks is well worth the purchase price, and every photo tells a story. Every time I pick it up I lose track of time studying the photos. Practically every single gun truck pic I have seen on the web comes from or is in this book, and in the book it is full color and in much better quality. There's no better book, article, website, etc. on the subject, bar none. You need this book! I am anxiously awaiting volume II

As a person born and raised in Chicago I really enjoy this volume of excellant detective work. I heard so many times from people in the area that "..this happenend here/somewhere," or "...this was here I think at sometime." Just vague rumors of where historic scenes occured. Now I have the exact locations of such famous shrines as the original site of Camp Douglas. The location of the Crosby Oprea House. Where the Lioncoln's lived. The place where Mary spent much of her time as an inmate, and so on.
Very interesting tid-bits of local history and trivia abound in this masterfully executed book. I would not wish to be a Chicago area, history/Civil War enthusiast without it. It will stay in my car, and I see more than a few weekend local trips approaching in the near future.

The Hoofs And Guns Of The Storm: Chicago's Civil War Connections by Arnie Bernstein is an exciting compilation of history and trivia concerning Chicago's role in the American Civil War. Historical maps, and region-by-region analysis of different facets of Chicago and its connection to both President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War itself make The Hoofs And Guns Of The Storm a fascinating trip through time and a unique contribution to the growing library of Civil War Studies reference materials.

Arnie Bernstein's new book is a fascinating look at Chicago's Civil War history. The book is both a compilation of interesting anecdotes and a guide to Civil War-related locations in Chicago.

Students of Abraham Lincoln's life will want to examine the sections on Lincoln's Chicago connections, as well as the sad history of Mary Todd Lincoln during her stay in the city. Other prominent Civil War figures appear in Bernstein's book, including Ulysses Grant and Phil Sheridan.

The story of a cemetery where thousands of Confederate prisoners of war are buried is one of the most poignant in the book. Readers may be intrigued to know that one of the prisoners, a Mississippian, was the great-great grandfather of President William J. Clinton.

A surprisingly informative work, The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm is a very useful guide book, and a welcome addition to Civil War literature

Like most of the How to Draw Manga series, this is more of a reference guide then a book on how to draw. The cover says Guns and Military, but it's mostly only guns (although it does have about 3 pages dedicated to Russian, Japanese and American police uniforms). It has over 22 different types of guns, and gets very detailed as with the types of bullets the gun uses, who uses them, and how to a person would aim them. You probably shouldn't get this unless you have some experience in drawing, since as I said this is a reference guide and it only shows drawings of what the guns look like, not how to draw them.

The types of guns shown in this book are:
Walther PPK
Parabellum P08
Beretta Cougar
Walther P38
Heckler & Koch P7M13
Beretta M92SB-F
Kalashinikova AK-47
Schmeisser MP40
S&W M29
Glock 17
Wildey .45 Magnum
Nambu Taisho 14
Gyrojet
Makarov
Remington M31 Riot Shotgun
Colt SAA (Single Action Army)
Nambu Type 94
C96/M1916
M1908 Pocket .25
Colt Third Model Dragoon
Webley & Scott MK. VI (IV)
Sten Mark II

I really enjoyed this book. It is great for learning how to draw weapons, not just anime style, but any style. This book really has little to do with anime. But the weapons are great. There are many different angles and bits of information, like how many bullets they use, what country used them and when, etc. My only complaint would be the lack of futuristic weapons. Also, don't expect knives or swords. It's just a book of guns (and some random motorcycles).

This book is really great for anyone wanting to include guns or other military realted tools in their manga or stories. The book is very well done and the pictures are accurate. The author has also included useful information about diffrent types of guns, ammunition, fireing styles, gun modifications used by shooters around the world. The other great thing about it is it is layman friendly, the author goes through alot of information that will help you better understand how guns work and why diffrent modifications and ammunitions are uses for diffrent purposes. Besides guns the book also cover accessories and some military uniforms from diffrent countries. Again I have to comment on the accuracy of the information. I've seen firearm encyclopedias that don't cover as much as they do in this book. It is really work getting.

The humor of Jeff Foxworthy reminds me of the old television show "Sanford and Son." The main characters were all black, and most of them were poor. Therefore, they could poke fun at it and even use the stereotypes used to depict poor blacks. It was the only network television show where the word ni**er could be used. Foxworthy claims to be a redneck, so he also can poke fun using the stereotypes of what many people call "trailer trash."
The people are depicted as dumb, toothless, crude and ill mannered. In only a few pages, he manages to hit just about every stereotype. My favorite is on page 32, where he says, "You might be a redneck if your Thanksgiving dinner was ever ruined because you ran out of ketchup." I found some of them mildly humorous, but most of them were a bit silly. I thought the dumbest one was "You might be a redneck if you think Volvo is part of a woman's anatomy." Foxworthy's humor does little for me, but that might just be personal taste. Therefore, if you like this kind of humor, you will probably bust a gut when reading this book. However, if your tastes are more towards intelligent humor, it will probably just bore you.

Fans of the 'redneck humor' of Jeff Foxworthy as seen on TV comedy shows will be glad to know his one-liner observations about what makes a 'redneck' translate well to text and one-panel comics, too. David Boyd's illustrations grace a funny book perfect for the non-reader fully aware of all-too-real 'redneck habits'.

this book by the southern flavored performer is a work out for the stomach muscles . foxworthy tells the story of his childhood , teen years and about his present day life in a manner that makes you jealous you didn't grow up with the guy. his stories about deer hunting and playing pranks on his mom will make you break out laughing in the middle of your train/bus ride. if you are a fan of foxworthy (as i am) you will recognise the classic bits and enjoy lots of new and hillariously funny ones. if you want to avoid embarrasing yourselves in public , read this book alone , because you will laugh out loud. click on the add to cart icon you will not be dissapointed

I picked this book for a school persuasive speech on school shootings and gun violence. From the front flap, this book says it all. On the flap, it says a few of the school gun shootings in American history. In the first section, it shows a good overview of what started it all, the first accounts, and such. I was able to use this book for my project, because it gave TONS of information.

This book does have a lot of good information and does attempt to present both sides of the gun issue. Yet, the word 'fear' is used quite a bit in refernce to gun owners -casting a "phobic" light on them. I found this a subtle yet effective attempt to discourage responsible gun ownership or participation on shooting sports. It is clearly irresponsible for a young person to be allowed ownership of a firearm, and promoting (no matter how subtle) fear of firearms themselves does not serve our young people well. I recommend this book for the good information it does contain, and recommend parents do more research on their own and to be aware of bias on both sides of this issue.

This is the only book for kids that explains why kids use guns and why they act out violently in school. It offers real solutions that every kid can relate to and can use to solve problems in their own schools. It's also a great book for parents to buy and read with their kids as a way to open up communication. An important book to read today.

Well,not really but I was disappointed with the advertising inserts in this year's issue. It detracts from the overall usefulness of the book. The Knives series are reference manuals in my opinion and the semigloss Junglee insert and the "Marketplace" advertisement was a bore.

The B&W photos of the knives are nice as usual and even with a new editor (Joe Kertzman) at the helm the book still seems to retain a lot of Ken Warner's flavor.

This year's articles are interesting though not as much as last years issue. I particulary liked the article by Mastersmith/Wordsmith Ed Fowler. Man, does that guy know how to write about knives. He can make 'em, too! It is nice to see Bernard Levine and Butch Winter back again this year.

The Trends section placement of photos are A1. There are some stunning knives there like Jerry Fisk's damascus bowie and Tom Johanning's survival knife. How do these guys do it? There were many other great knives there. Too many to list, though. Check out the pocketknife section. I would love to own anyone of them. Dan Burke's work is just out of this world as is Richard Rogers.

The factory trends section is very good this year with a nice variety. Some excellent knives there also like the Benchmade Mel Pardue Axis lock and the reemergence of the Marbles knife co. Missing in my opinion is the knife/bargain of the year. The MicroTech LCC design by Greg Lightfoot--an exception tactical knife built like a tank and priced most folks can afford.

The directory gets bigger and bigger each year and I like that. The Knives series books are the first I turn to when I am checking out a new maker. The directory includes a state-by-state listing along with the alphabetical listing, a knife photo index (smart move) and a plethora of other specialist ranging from sheathmakers to engravers and etchers.

Knives 2001 is the number one knife reference book to have this year. Overall I am really pleased with it and each year seems to get a little bit better sans the advertising pitch.

I highly recommend this book. A must for any knife nut! :-)

This outstanding showcase of new 2003 custom blades features a brand new eight page color section to accompany over 1,000 black and white photos and an in-depth history covering knives and their custom designs. From scrimshaw and ancient steels to a directory of knifemakers and suppliers, Knives 2003 comes packed cover to cover with invaluable information, in-depth history and detail.

This book is part of a series of books that has been coming out now for many years. They consist of an article section, a trends in cutlery section (with lots of artfully done photos, and a directory section of the cutlery collectible trade and custom makers, etc. I have the whole run and look at them now and again for reference.

this a a great book loaded with little variations on common exercises as well as some very unique excerises. Ive used this info to make dramatic changes in my physique. the techniques used will no doubt add to your musle mass but also will give an added magic to the appearance. Ive always wanted flairing kind of triceps and if you just do larry's routine (which includes the kneeling tricep extension on the low pulley machine) it will feel great and you will have triceps that hang like grapes. Arnold said " this is a treasure chest of bodybuilding pearls..." I feel the same way. Even though it does not have nutritional info it is still a great investment and a gem for anyone into bodybuilding or interested in altering their appearance. I think Larry is the best for sharing this info...

Larry Scott's book, "Loaded Guns", is more of an exercise routine book (and autobiography). Most of his new exercise routines concentrates on his specific body parts, such as the deltoids, biceps, triceps, and lats. This book is not a complete body-building resource; no nutrition info, and some of the programs are suited for advanced bodybuilders. It also reiterates some concepts already known, such as cardiovascular exercise (aerobics, in other words). All in all, a book for inspiration (for those looking for inspiration).

Loaded Guns begins with the inspiring tale of Larry's life, and then lets the reader in on some great training techniques. A must have for anyone interested in bodybuilding, written by one of the greatest.

"Modeling the Marder Self Propelled Gun" by Samuel Dwyer is one of those modeling books that should be on your "must have" list. The book covers many of the Marder variants, and the modeler is introduced to the various mediums that are available on the market today - plastic injection molded kits, resin kits and after market products, photo-etched accessories, and a bit of scratchbuilding. The book is well written, very well organized, has a very good selection of "in process" photographs, a good bibliography and model/aftermarket parts list, and is overall a very good bargain on an interesting WW II German armored fighting vehicle. After reading this book, I'm ready to tackle those Marders in my model collection!

.....for Marders this is a must have book for your shelves. If you are a fan of German armor of WW II this is a must have book for your shelves!

Sam has put together an excellent publication on building, painting and weathering some of the more obscure German AFV's of the second world war.

Please note that you will not find any OOB builds in this book. All the projects showcased exhibit to some degree some fantastic scratchbuilding to either correct or further detail a kit. That being said, I do not want to discourage beginners from picking up this title. The skill shown with each build is well worth the money. Even if all one does is drool over each model.

But not only is the authors building skills put forth, but his painting and weathering skills which I feel are his strength. Sam has the ability to make plastic look like metal .. what I believe to be the single most difficult part of this hobby.

Modeling some of the most obscure German vehicles of the Second World War, this books fills the void of very unique armor of the self propelled gun family. Good modeling techniques are descriptively written with blocks of photos showing the build in progress. 1/35th kits Tamiya, Alan and Ironside, are featured. This one is needed for your reference shelf.

The book should have contained pictures of how the invention actually worked. Diagrams would have been helpful in order to understand why this gun worked and why it worked so efficiently.

One of the merits (and there are many) of Julia Keller's Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel is that the book is more than a biography of Richard Jordan Gatling (1818-1903), inventor of the automatic weapon which bears his name. It's also a well-written, well-researched, and insightful reflection on American self-identity and the icons by which we define ourselves.

We think of ourselves as humanitarian, ingenious, curious, mechanically skillful, industrious, problem-solving, determined, and upwardly mobile (the rags-to-riches aspect of the Great American Dream). As Keller points out, Gatling came to symbolize all these qualities. In the last quarter-century of his life, he was frequently pointed to as a man who personified the best of American qualities. His best known invention, the Gatling gun, was enshrined as "a laudable American accomplishment, another example of native ingenuity and craftsmanship and problem-solving acumen: America at its muscular, can-do best."

But as Ms. Keller also points out, there's a certain irony to all this. Gatling invented his gun in the hopes that its incredible killing power would end the Civil War quickly. As Keller says, the gun's "brutal spit-spot efficiency would, [Gatling] hoped, persuade nations of the waste and folly of war."

In fact, however, military conservatism sidelined its use on the battlefield. The only time it was used during the conflict was against civilians in the New York Draft Riots of 1863. It would be much used--some might say over-used--in the succeeding decades in the Indian Wars and by federal troops and state militia against striking workers. Foreign governments bought thousands of the guns to acquire and hold onto colonies, and Teddy Roosevelt, hero of the Spanish-American War, claimed that the Gatling was the decisive factor (along with Teddy himself, of course) in defeating the Spanish. Much like Alfred Nobel and his dynamite, then, Richard Jordan Gatling found his "humanitarian" invention used in quite nonhumanitarian muscular ways.

There's also irony in other aspects of Gatling's life too: after he sold the Gatling patent to Colt, his financial fortunes dipped; and although he continued inventing right up to the end of his life (his patents include a flushable toilet), he would forever be remembered almost exclusively for his killing machine.

America, argues Ms. Keller, has always had an ambivalent attitude to weapons (probably because their use against other humans tends to upset part of our self-identity as humanitarian). In the earliest days of the Republic, statesmen debated about them. That debate was cast in a completely different light by Gatling's invention of his lethal gun, which not only helped change the face of warfare, but also influenced the way in which Americans and the rest of the world thought about the ethics (and aesthetics) of killing in wartime. As Keller notes, killing became more impersonal, less one-on-one. Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel invites readers to reflect deeply on these kinds of issues.

Highly recommended.

Brilliant cultural study of the 19th century through the lens of weapons inventions and innovations. Keller places the Gatling Gun smack in the middle of Americas growth and westward expansion. She explores the contradictions of Gatling's life and the contradictions in Americas view of itself. From steam boats to small pox to agricultural inventions to the first "machine" gun we travel with Richard Gatling through the great American experience
Keller explores the importance of the American patent system and patent office, to America's rise and economic expansion. She really puts her finger on the pulse of this country in the 19th century.
Packed full of great history, well paced, and a joy to read.

I have three problems with this book. 1) Ms Keller takes us off on a survey of 19th century America instead of concentrating on Richard Gatling. What did John Sutter have to do with the Gatling gun? Well, nothing, but she drags him in by the heels nevertheless. The entire first half of the book is given over to these digressions.

2) She doesn't like firearms--a disabling qualification in somebody who sets out to write the biography of the first successful rapid-fire gun. "The fact that arms are necessary to a nation's survival is a grubby and uncomfortable truth." Uncomfortable to Ms Keller, no doubt, but not to those of us who have used firearms for hunting, for target shooting, and during our military service.

3) She is so enthused by Richard Gatling (though not his gun as an enforcer of government policy!) that she shades the facts. To read her book, you'd conclude that the machine-gun problem was solved by Gatling in 1862 instead of by Hiram Maxim twenty years later--that the single-barrel, auto-loading, auto-firing machine guns of World War One were just minor improvements on Gatling's design. Tain't so.

Dr. Vanderwood, a recognized authority of the Mexican Revolution, has produced yet another valuable work for this segment of history. His ability to gather primary source information written in Spanish and miraculously transcribe into beautiful English prose not only compliments but also lends respect to the Mexican social consciousness that he knows all too well.

This is a "must read" for any student of modern Mexican history.

WINNER OF THOMAS F. MCGANN MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR BEST BOOK of 1998. The prize committee said in part: "Vanderwood's beautiful prose can only be compared to Mario Vargas Llosa's The War at the End of the World. The primary difference between these two grand books is that Vargas Llosa made it up. Vanderwood, by contrast, provides solid archival evidence for every line for his insightful reconstruction of Mexican popular religion and mentalidad. In short, Vanderwood's book is a classic. It sets the parameters for practioners of the New Cultural History, and is a model for the highest standards in historical reconstruction for Latin American scholars, indeed all scholars, everywhere."

In this book Vanderwood achieves what he sets out to achieve and does so in colorful style. What stands out in this study of the 1892 religious revolt in Tomochic, Mexico is its fullness. Good historical scholarship is always an exploration of cause and effect. Here Vanderwood hunts down every person and group thought to be involved and searches for motivation; it's like a busy painting in which every detail is attended to. The conflict involved such a complex clashing of beliefs and values that a rich context is needed even to begin explaining it; fortunately the author realizes this and dives in headfirst. He gives a quite vivid account of the political, economic, social, and religious aspects of the incident. What mixture of circumstances could have led 50 townspeople to so resolutely reject modernity and Mexican government and place their trust entirely in God? And why did the bloody culmination happen as it did? Vanderwood addresses these questions and, in many ways, answers them. He falls short, however, in that he doesn't really get to the philosophical and ideological roots of the conflict. I'm not criticizing Vanderwood's execution as much as his choice of approach itself. At bottom this conflict was about vastly different views of the world. It was about what it means to be Catholic, Mexican, an individual in a society. It was about the nature of property rights, social and political autonomy, religiosity. It was about reason vs. faith and modernity vs. tradition. Vanderwood doesn't address such abstract themes; I realize they are enormous themes, and beyond his scope, but some mention of them would've been appreciated, especially given their glaring presence (and fundamentality) in the incident. In short, to truly understand what happened we need to know how and why those involved thought what they thought. Vanderwood's account is exhaustive but lacks this kind of depth. Another drawback is the author's general tone of admiration for the religious rebels. Whether their cause was admirable is not within his scope and certainly not supported one way or the other in the text, nor is it uncontroversial. Nevertheless, Vanderwood's book is an engaging read. He really has a wonderful writing style and a nuanced sense of presentation. And to be sure, he displays excellent scholarship. Given what he sets out to do, the execution is lovely.