German Automatic Weapons of World War II [Hardcover]

Robert Bruce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 1998

Exceptional color photographs and an authoritative text reveal the individual charateristics of weapons used by German soldiers during WWII. Weapons are shown being handled by firers wearing authentic period uniforms and field equipment placing the weapon in its correct historical context. Weapons profiled include: Mauser Schnellfeuer machine pistol; MP40 sub-machine gun; MG34 machine gun; MG42 machine gun; FG42-I and -II paratroop assault weapons and the StG44 assault rifle.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

In this new paperback editon of German Automatic Weapons of World War II, the seven classic automatic weapons of the World War II German Wehrmacht are described and illustrated in color photographs. Detailed sequences show them in close-up; during step-by-step field stripping; and during handling, loading, and live-firing trials in outdoor settings, by gunners wearing authentic period uniforms.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Robert Bruce is a US Army Sergeant First Class and a former infantryman, tank crewman and military intelligence analyst.  An internationally published magazine writer and book author, photojournalist, archivist, lecturer and authority on military small arms of the 20th century, he has been shooting, evaluating and writing about the world's infantry weapons for over 20 years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Crowood (December 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861262698
• ISBN-13: 978-1861262691
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,567,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for enthusiasts, January 6, 2005

By 

LHS - See all my reviews

This review is from: German Automatic Weapons of World War II (Hardcover)

I originally checked out a battered, near-death copy of this book from my local library for some research. I was so impressed, I ordered my own copy for my personal library. The photos are absolutely gorgeous, with detailed shots of live-fire in historically accurate environments and excellent photos of the disassembled weapons as well. I was also very pleased to see the choices made in subject matter. In addition to the commonly documented weapons like the MP-40 series, MG-34 and MG-42 GPMGs and the much-touted MP-43/StG-44, this book also showcased the Mauser Schnellfeuer automatic pistol and both models of the FG-42 paratrooper rifle. Being something of an FG-42 lover, I was quite ecstatic at the amount of coverage lavished on these oft-overlooked weapons. For sheer photographic beauty and good research into the development and utilization of German WWII-era automatic weapons, this book is the gold standard. It may not pack as much detail on individual weapon types as a more specialize book like Senich's "The German Assault Rifle 1935-1945", but the overall coverage is still excellent, and the photographs just launch it over the edge into the required reading zone.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Photos, December 26, 1999

By 

Gary J. Hirdler (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: German Automatic Weapons of World War II (Hardcover)

Each page is filled with large, sometimes full page, color photos of actual German automatic weapons of WWII. Also shown in color are close up photos explaining, and depicting the operation, as well as "field stripping" of each weapon. Due to the great photography, this book serves well as a valuable adjunct to the library of any collector/owner of WWII German smallarms, and militaria.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, Bruce is an Expert, January 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: German Automatic Weapons of World War II (Hardcover)

It is very interesting, how an author who only done one other book specifically on guns can make such a good and realistic book on the subject. This book not only gives you a scence of knowledge about the guns after you read the book, but it also gives you a look into the furture of guns. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about guns. It is also interesting to note that German weapons have forever changed the course of gun manufactuering. Overall, I think it is one of the best books on guns that I have ever read.