The History of Smith & Wesson Firearms

Rating:
Summary: NOT JUST FOR COFFEE TABLES
Review: As a collector AND afficionado, this book and the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson will get me what I need. One size seldom fits all, and I believe it is unfair to expect such from a single book. This attactive edition provides interesting information, very nice photographs, and (particularly neat) two pages devoted to pictures of the TWELVE REVOLVERS and their engraving, AND an explanatory drawing of the triple lock system. There are other books for the deadly serious collectors; this is simply a nice overview with a lot of good stuff.

Rating:
Summary: NOT JUST FOR COFFEE TABLES
Review: As a collector AND afficionado, this book and the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson will get me what I need. One size seldom fits all, and I believe it is unfair to expect such from a single book. This attactive edition provides interesting information, very nice photographs, and (particularly neat) two pages devoted to pictures of the TWELVE REVOLVERS and their engraving, AND an explanatory drawing of the triple lock system. There are other books for the deadly serious collectors; this is simply a nice overview with a lot of good stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Very Poor Book
Review: Of all of the Smith & Wesson books on the market and I own them all, this is the poorest excuse I have ever seen. The text is not only juvenile in content but inaccurate as well. There are some excellent photographs, and as a picture book it's not bad. Just don't read it.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth full price, but OK if you can get at a discount
Review: There are some nice pictures in this book, and some interesting stories. If you can find it at a discount store, then it may be worth the purchase price.

The writing style leaves a lot to be desired. It's as if the author did not know anything about firearms, and was writing the book using interviews and publications. The inaccuracies are plentiful (almost every paragraph), and some of them are amusing (ever hear of a .99mm?). Entire chapters are nothing more than a description of what is in the S&W catalog.

Reminds me of a travel book I purchased in Prague about 15 years ago. Has great pictures, but it was translated into English by somebody who did not speak English. The words may be English, but you can't read it because it makes absolutely no sense.

Rating:
Summary: Full of Errors- a coffee table book
Review: this book, long awaited, is full of errors and mislabelings.. Contains very little useful collector infomrmation. A coffee table book for casual interest.
No addition whatever to knowledge of this field.
Best done without.