Book Reviews Page

    When I first started getting serious about collecting firearms I was fortunate to receive advice from a much older fellow who had been a collector for several decades. Of all the advice he gave me probably the one that truly struck home and has served me best was this: “Every time you buy a gun, buy a book.”
    It was his way of telling me that knowledge was one of the most important things in collecting. Over the years I have noticed that the more comprehensive and complete a collection is, the larger the owners library.
    Books are not cheap. Good books are expensive, but so are mistakes. I have books that cost more than some of the guns I’ve bought.
    I would be embarrased to tell you some of the horrible deals I've made because I either lacked knowledge or, much worse, presumed to have knowledge that I in fact did not possess.
    As I have gotten older and more experienced though, I have used information gleaned from my books to make some good deals. One of the better ones was buying a $250 revolver that I later sold for $6,000. I’ve also passed on deals that looked good in person while standing in a gun show aisle but that a few minutes of reading showed me was not a good deal.
    My opinions and estimations of a book are subjective. I prefer certain styles and formats that others may not. Even if you don't agree with what I value in a book, at least let my thoughts and comments prod you into looking at it and deciding for yourself.