WTS: GREAT REFERENCE BOOKS!

Hi! I have a number of modeling and model related reference books for sale. All hard cover books that have dust jackets are covered with archival quality Brodart mylar covers. Please add two dollars for each book to handle shipping costs. Multiple book orders will probably get a shipping discount. I do not frequent this site very much, so if you would like to check out my marketplace rating, check under “gmundguy” on ebay. If you would like to buy a book, please email me at highschoolloser@yahoo.com with your request(s).

*NOTE*
For those of you not familiar with Jane’s products, I feel comfortable saying that they are, bar none, the BEST IN THE WORLD. These are not the mickey mouse books you see at Barnes and Nobles or gun shows. These are the same books that our OWN government, governments around the world, and private industry uses. In fact, some of these books are ACTUAL LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DUPLICATES, stamped as such, which were released to conserve space.

In a nutshell, these books break down, by country of manufacture, every weapons system on the planet. Pictures, specs, histories, etc. Think of them as comprehensive “Wish Catalogs” that entire countries can, and do, use to make arms purchases

You might think these are a bit pricey, but in reality, these prices are actually several orders of magnitude lower than their original cost. In fact, you can’t just buy “a” book from Jane’s (for the most part). You have to buy subscriptions for 5 years or so, that cost several THOUSAND dollars! Many countries use these books as intelligence “on the cheap”, as they lay out, for “public” consumption, all of the relevant data on an adversaries capabilities.

As you’ll notice, the newer the book, in general, the more expensive. However, just because it is newer does not mean it is “better.” For example, my favorite Jane’s is their Infantry Weapons 1985-1986 edition. I like it because a lot of the arms in there are currently hitting the secondary market en masse. So, a 2003-2004 edition of that title would concentrate on VERY recent arms, but still cover older ones.

Again, this is just a representative sample of what is available. Please contact me if you have specific needs. I fully guarantee your satisfaction with these books, no questions asked.


THE SCALE MODELLER’S HANDBOOK by Chris Ellis
1979. 208 pages. Hardcover with dj. Excellent condition. This book was produced in the UK and thusly reflects their thoroughness and detail. Techniques and tips for producing realistic scale models. Beautiful color pictures, illustrations, and diagrams throughout. If you would like to start making models, or even if you are an old “pro”, this book is for you. Price: $9.00.

MASTER MODELER: CREATING THE TAMIYA STYLE by Shunsaku Tamiya
2001. 242 pages. Hardcover in dj. Mint condition. This is the autobiography of one of the worlds leading scale-modeling manufacturers. If you have not seen his kits before (they usually come in white boxes, with a finely illustrated depiction of the model on top, and the red/blue stars logo), they are truly amazing. Cars and military machines seem to be Tamiya’s specialties. This chronicles the history of the company that bares his name and his rise to fame. Cover price: $35.00. My price: $18.

LANCASTER IN ACTION by R.S.G. Mackay
1982. 50 pages. Softcover. Very good condition. This is one of from a series marketed towards the scale-modeler. Lots of close up shots of various parts of the aircraft. Pictures of practically every variant, as well as color illustrations depicting side views of various paint schemes. Price: $6

WEAPONS AND TACTICS OF THE SOVIET ARMY by David C. Isby
1985. Hardcover with dj. 380 Pages. This is a Jane’s Publishing book. The initial chapters of this book focus on the tactical philosophies of the Soviets, and include chapters on “The Soviet Way of War”, “Order of Battle”, “The Offensive”, “The Defensive”, etc. The rest of the chapters deal with individual elements of the army. Chapters include “Tanks”, “APC’s”, “Artillery”, “NBC Weapons”, “Infantry Weapons”, Combat Support Vehicles”, etc. If you’ve seen any Jane’s books before, you know how utterly thorough they all are. Pictures and diagrams on practically every page. Cover price $34.95. My price: $18.00.

MILITARY SMALL ARMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY by Ian Hogg
284 pages. 1977. Hardcover with dj. Condition: see text. If you are familiar with Ian Hogg, this book needs no introduction (he has written for Jane’s for decades and is a legend in the annals of military history). Photographs of practically every 20th century small arm and brief stats and commentary by Hogg on each. There is a two page spread of an “exploded” FAL in this that I think TAPCO uses for its posters. The previous owner of this book some how “extracted” the section on German medium and heavy machine guns from this. That means no MG34/MG42, etc. It’s still chock full ‘o firearms goodness, though. The text has come apart from the spine as a solid, connected mass (which could be easily glued back) and there are two closed inch long tears on the dustjacket. I hope I’m not describing this book to a fault, as it really as a neat reference book! Cover price: $19.95. My price: $15.00.

BALLANTINE’S ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE VIOLENT CENTURY SERIES by various authors
This is a set of SEVEN different softcover books from this EXTREMELY popular WWII series. These have been out of print for about 20 years now. You have probably seen these before in library collections or at dad/grandpa’s house and wished you could have your own (actually, two of them WERE my grandfather’s!). Although they are small in size, they are full of great info and pics. Of the vast number of titles they offered, I feel these were the best of them all. The titles are as follows: Genocide: The Jews in Europe 1939-1945, Waffen SS: The Asphalt Soldiers, SS and Gestapo: Rule by Terror (the top of the spine on this one is chipped), SS Regalia, Nazi Regalia, and The Raiders: Desert Strike Force (this one is on Commonwealth forces) and Gas (book on use of gas in WWI and WWII by Ian Hogg). I think all the titles are self-descriptive. Although these books have a relatively small publisher’s price, they are now trading at a premium due to their scarcity and high demand. For the set I am asking $39.

JANE’S POCKET BOOK OF SUBMARINE DEVELOPMENT by John Moore
1976. 240 pages. Softcover. Overall very good condition, a slight crease in the cover and the first few pages. A small (about 4 ½” x 7 ½ “) but informative book that lists, by country, all major subs until 1976. For each model, vital stats, a picture, and some brief notes are provided. Very handy and chock full ‘o Jane’s goodness. Price: $5.


More Jane’s Publishing Books (these are the huge blue hard cover books):

ALL THE WORLD’S AIRCRAFT 1992-1993 $60

FIGHTING SHIPS 1989-1990 $30
1977-1978 $40
1983-1984 $45
1986-1987 $110

UNDERWATER WARFARE SYSTEMS 1994-1995 $30

AMERICAN FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE 20TH CENT. $35

ARMOUR AND ARTILLERY 1988-1989 $60
1986-1987 $40

ARMOUR AND ARTILLERY UPGRADES 1999-2000 $30

MILITARY VEHICLES AND LOGISTICS 1993-1994 $60

WEAPON SYSTEMS 1983-1984 $30
1974-1975 $25
1982-1983 $25

MINES AND MINE CLEARANCE 2000-2001 $275

INFANTRY WEAPONS 1989-1990 $70


NBC DEFENSE SYSTEMS 1998-1999 $125

LAND BASED AIR DEFENSE 1996-1997 $65

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES 1999 $60