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Rating: 
Summary: A Great Addition
Review: For a firearms afficionado -- modern or historical --, The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WW2 is a godsend. The book covers everything from service pistols to the obscure German half-bikes personal transports.While it does have some fairly popular weapons missing from its pages, the book stands as a very coherent guide for any type of weaponry found in the bloodiest battle. One of the best coffee table books I can think of, though you might get some odd looks with this bad boy adorning your java bench.
Rating: 
Summary: An almost perfect reference book.
Review: It simply contains EVERYTHING. And very well organized by categories, so that you have all the weapons of the same category and origin grouped together. In additon to all the 'common' weapons you'd expect to find (tanks, aircraft, guns, etc), there are also detailed entries for everything else. From flamethrowers and anti-tank weapons to german radio-guided missiles and even a photo of a german heavy jet bomber with a forward-swept wing during a test flight. From patrol boats to battleships, and from mortars to anti-aircraft guns. It's simply ALL there. There are well-written detailed historical/technical texts and specs for each entry. Almost each entry has a color drawing, and most have one wartime photo or more. The quality of each entry's text is not compromised by the wide scope of the book. It's simply a BIG book. I have learned something new and interesting from almost every entry I read. A real all-in-one major reference.
Rating: 
Summary: General purpose average book at best!
Review: Thie repeat is to add a little more and to correct one part of my previous review. I tried to edit my last review 4 times but it never showed up: [Correction - The 40mm Bofors is included but has no artwork or pictures and the information on the most lethal medium range AA gun of the war is barely adequate.] This book is a mixed bag. Its well organized and easy to follow and read with above average numbers of very nice color plates and pictures. However, dont expect *every* weapon that played a part in the war, or very well could have, to be included yet some weapons were included that didnt even take part. On the naval side it lacks a lot! Missing ship classes: BC Dunkerques, BB Queen Elizebath (which includes the BB Warspite which had a very active career), BC Hood, BC Andrea Doria, BC Caio Duilio, CA Baltimore, SS Salmon/Sargo, CL Atlanta, BC Kongo, BB Nagato, BB Ise, BB Tennessee, BB New Mexico, BB Nevada, etc..etc.. Dont expect much in the naval sections at all except some repetitive entries of the same class of ship and skimpy numbers of entries for the rest. On the land weapons side its not bad but not spectacular. Some entries are included that are very interesting and not often seen in other books but other critical entries left out and another part that was missing that I feel should have been included are naval anti-aircraft guns which, like usual in many books, are ignored even though they were VERY critical in the war. The details are not bad for what IS included but it is DEFINITELY not (as shown on the cover fold) "the most detailed" of its class of military book... not even close. This book is very much like slapping together a bunch of general purpose military weapons books covering single topics that are NOT comprehensive and putting them in one book. The details are about the same as in any other general purpose weapons book.. no better. It is also not the most comprehensive. In the end this is a book that is worth about $20 as a general purpose book for a WW2 weapons enthusiast. On a scale of A-F its a C+ at best. Note: I have been researching military weapons for over 20 years and own a wide range of books of varying detail level levels and quality. Thanks for your time in reading this review.
Rating:
Summary: General purpose average book
Review: This book is a mixed bag. Its well organized and easy to follow and read with above average numbers of very nice color plates and pictures. However, dont expect *every* weapon that played a part in the war, or very well could have, to be included as some weapons were included that didnt even take part. On the naval side it lacks a lot.. for example the book leaves out the following ship classes: BC Dunkerque, BB Queen Elizabeth (the BB Warspite had a very active career), BC Hood, BC Andrea Doria, BC Caio Duilio, CA Baltimore, CL Atlanta, BB Nevada, BB New Mexico, CB Alaska, BB Nagato, BB Ise, BC Kongo, SS Salmon/Sargo, etc..etc.. Dont expect much in the naval sections at all except some repetitive entries of the same class of ship and skimpy numbers of entries for the rest. On the land weapons side its not bad but not spectacular. Some entries are included that are very interesting and not often seen in other books but other critical entries left out and another part that was missing that I feel should have been included are naval anti-aircraft guns which, like usual in many books, are ignored even though they were VERY critical in the war. The details are not bad for what IS included but it is DEFINITELY not (as shown on the cover fold) "the most detailed" of its class of military book... not even close. This book is very much like slapping together a bunch of general purpose military weapons books covering single topics that are NOT comprehensive and putting them in one book. The details are about the same as in any other general purpose weapons book.. no better. It is also not the most comprehensive. In the end this is a book that is worth about $20 as a general purpose book for a WW2 weapons enthusiast. On a scale of A-F its a C+ at best and that is only due to some moderately good sections covering aircraft and land weapons. Note: I have been researching military weapons for over 20 years and own a wide range of books of varying detail level levels and quality. Thanks for your time in reading this review.
Rating:
Summary: this book is awsome
Review: This book is really awsome, it has all the info you will ever need, buy it
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Weapons Reference Book
Review: This is not just another glossy coffee-table type book. The detail packed into this volume is impressive,both text and illustration.Lots of info on obscure weapons as well as the
well-known make this an important addition to the library of
the advanced ww2 buff.
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