The Great Book of Britains: 100 Years of Britains Toy Soldiers 1893-1993 [Hardcover]

James Opie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1993 | ISBN-10: 1872727328 | ISBN-13: 978-1872727325

Produced to celebrate the centenary of Britains, the company which launched the first hollow-cast toy soldier sets in 1893. This book discusses production of the soldiers, and also includes extensive appendices, listing all Britains' non-military figures and giving a rarity rating.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Antique Collectors Club Ltd (November 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1872727328
• ISBN-13: 978-1872727325
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 10.7 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monumental, Definitive, and a Must Have, July 9, 2000

By 

Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Book of Britains: 100 Years of Britains Toy Soldiers 1893-1993 (Hardcover)

I received my first set of old Britains lead toy soldiers when I was five years old. Two sets, actually, the cavalry and infantry display sets of Union and Confederate troops of the American Civil War were under the Christmas tree and I played with them until they literally fell apart, except for one Union infantryman which I still have.

I was hooked, and I scrimped and saved to get the ocassional set for myself when going down to the old Buffums' Department Store in downtown Long Beach, California through grade school and high school. Metal and plastic, swoppet knights and Guradsmen, Waterloo artillery and French Zouaves, they all found their way into my modest collection, to end up in boxes in my closet until one day in 1987 when I bought one of James Opies' superb books on Britains and the bug hit again. I broght out the old figures, put them on display and started to buy the old veterans on the secondary market, to where I now have over 2,000 of them and my modest collection is becoming somewhat definitive.

This book, which chronicles the output of Britains for 100 years is indispensable to the collector and enthusiast. If you don't own it, you are missing out on a visual treat, seeing soldiers produced by Britains that you may not know even exist. As I restore and convert the old broken ones I find, it is also invaluable as a photographic record of Britains immense output over the years.

The book was issued a Britains catalogue number, was issued in two 'versions', one with a set of four new figures, two Scots' Greys and two fusiliers, in a box, the other with a dustcover.

The book IS expensive, but well worth the cost, and I have used it innumerable times to research a figure, read the text, or to just enjoy the pictures.

I have over 4,000 total Britains now, old and new, metal and plastice, and the collection has grown in large part because of James Opie, and his books, especially this one.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A splendid century., May 15, 2000

By 

Miura Anjin "Foxile" (Nottingham, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Book of Britains: 100 Years of Britains Toy Soldiers 1893-1993 (Hardcover)

This lavishly illustrated history of the world's greatest manfacturer of toy soldiers is a must for fans of William Britain's company. From the early hollow metal days through the years of great plastic models to the recent resurgence of metals, it's all in here.