Customer Reviews

U.S. Chemical and Biological Defense Respirators: An Illustrated History (Schiffer Military/Aviation History)

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Super reference book on the subject! I have been collecting for years and I still learned something from Chris' Book. Highly recommended reference for the historian or collector! As there is no other available except military publications, I cannot compare it to others. However, unlike the military Technical Manuals, this book covers every mask in one book with real photos as opposed to many books with drawings! Recommended!!

Highly recommended! The first book on the fascinating subject of respiratory protection for America's soldiers. Well researched and written. Get it now!

This book is a MUST HAVE for any militaria enthusiast. The book contains a beautiful photo section and an accurate history on chemical warfare and US gas masks in particular. Carey's extensive research brings us a long overdue source for information on the subject at a very affordable price.

In a field as highly esoteric and frequently as academically 'dry' as that of chemical and biological warfare, it is always both surprising and delightful to stumble across a book that manages to successfully span the yawning chasm that invariably separates pure academia and popular reference.

In his book, author Carey has provided a wonderfully interesting book that will surely attract a broad range of interest from an equally wide range of readers. Ostensibly an illustrated reference on the historical development of American military NBC respirators (popularly known as 'gasmasks'), the book combines a wealth of excellent visual reference material with an interesting and frequently quite droll accompanying narrative. Having spent a number of years in the Middle East, working for the Saudi Arabian government on medically related programs both before and after the Gulf war of 1991, Carey is excellently positioned to speak on this subject with convincing authority.

Anyone who has had even the most remote interest in protective measures developed for use against chemical or biological threats will immediately find this book both informative and stimulating. Regrettably, public interest in the deadly threat posed to modern civilisation by modern chemical and biological war agents is, as history shows us time and time again, extremely short lived. During the 'Gulf War I' of 1991, public interest in this subject was so great that whole families and private citizens were buying 'gasmasks' for their own protection against feared attacks with these deadly (NBC, or 'Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical') agents. As soon as that war had ended and Saddam Hussein had been shown to have not used his much feared NBC weapons, this same fevered-pitch public interest just as quickly dissipated. There is no doubt at all in mjy mind that in future, similar moments of unanticipated panic and fear over terrorist use of these weapons will again spark renewed interest in the subject of Carey's book.

This is a book that is equally at home on the scientist's reference shelf or the casual reader's coffee table. It will certainly provoke much interest and speculation, upon even a casual read-through. In dealing with the subject matter chosen for this work as he has, Carey has created a truly unique book that will likely stand alone as the best possible reference of its kind to be found anywhere in the world for many, many years. I recommend this large format and bountifully illustrated book without reservation, as being well worth its price.