Chief_Chum Posted 8 August , 2011 Share Posted 8 August , 2011 Today I received my copy of Howard Williamson's new 571 page Great War Medal Collectors Guide. I have been friends with Howard for many years and I always marvel at the research he does and the staggering amount of information he unearths; often bringing fresh information to collectors and researchers for the first time. This book is a real example of this. In great detail Howard tells the reader what to look for when collecting Great War Medals; how to spot fakes, how to look after them, how to de-cypher Medal Index Cards, the information engraved on the medals and much, much more. After years of research this book gives full details of the London Gazette entries for the Military Medal, detailing the campaigns and actions that particular Gazettes refer to, and which Gazettes give the MM awards to escaped POWs, etc. I don't have a huge medal collection myself but any of you who do will find this essential reading. The detail here is invaluable to researchers too. It is not a cheap book but it could certainly save you money by showing you how to avoid fakes - or how to get a bargain by recognising rare gallantry groups. Cheers, Taff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmm45 Posted 8 August , 2011 Share Posted 8 August , 2011 Have to admit I got my copy yesterday at Outwood and havent put it down...The MICs chapter is excellent.Excellent book for collectors and researchers alike look forward to the MM Book in the future. Ady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Yup, same here. Picked mine up at Outwood. Very impressive ! Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Chamberlain Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Today I received my copy of Howard Williamson's new 571 page Great War Medal Collectors Guide. I have been friends with Howard for many years and I always marvel at the research he does and the staggering amount of information he unearths; often bringing fresh information to collectors and researchers for the first time. This book is a real example of this. In great detail Howard tells the reader what to look for when collecting Great War Medals; how to spot fakes, how to look after them, how to de-cypher Medal Index Cards, the information engraved on the medals and much, much more. After years of research this book gives full details of the London Gazette entries for the Military Medal, detailing the campaigns and actions that particular Gazettes refer to, and which Gazettes give the MM awards to escaped POWs, etc. I don't have a huge medal collection myself but any of you who do will find this essential reading. The detail here is invaluable to researchers too. It is not a cheap book but it could certainly save you money by showing you how to avoid fakes - or how to get a bargain by recognising rare gallantry groups. Cheers, Taff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Chamberlain Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Having seen these reviews I would like to obtain a copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Buy it quick I have seen how much his previous pair of volumes are going for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 I got mine this weekend, too. Excellent reference book which is no doubt going to pay for itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Is this a reprint of his previous work or a wholly new work (I'm presuming the latter)? And if new, what does it cover that the earlier one did not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 It's wholly new, Chris. I don't have his previous work, so I can't comment on any duplication between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collectorsguide Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Hi Chris,The book covers some of the ground of the Collectors Guide but in far greater detail and illustrated in full colour.Book is 600 pages ,section sewn,hardcover on 135gsm silk paper.You will find the reviews on the BMF under SERVICES Posted by Pete Sharp.Also shows you how to contact me and purchase the book. ALL PROFITS from the book are going to cover the typing costs of the MM ROLL which Chris Bate and myself have been compiling since 1997 and which is due for publication in 2014,again see BMF for details There is a huge amount of previously unpublished material in the book.The book comes with a guarantee that if you don,t like it you get a full refund. A couple of questions on the content; 1)What can we learn from the different colours found on medal index cards? 2)What are Schedule numbers and how do they help us research Military Medals 3)How was the BWM manufactured,how did the naming machine operate,what did it look like? 4)Who designed the 1914 star clasp? 5)What was "MARK OF DISTINCTION TO 1914 STAR" 6)What was Form WM5 in relation to the Mercantile Marine Medal? 7)What were the DANGER ZONES and where were they. 8)Between which dates were 1914 Stars issued singly? 9)What does the abbreviation TT- stand for on AVC medals? 10)What role did "transfer"badges and "enrolement "badges" play in th OWS Scheme? Anyway you may get the idea? YOU WILL FIND THE FULL BOOK DETAILS INCLUDING CHAPTER CONTENTS ON THE BRITISH MEDALS FORUM.BEST W, HOWARD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Thank you Howard - just the ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Chamberlain Posted 9 August , 2011 Share Posted 9 August , 2011 Thank you Ken, Chris, and all. AM now under way for getting a copy. Regards Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 Can I just say that this book is very expensive, my copy was 60 quid plus 10 quid postage, and difinitive is an overused word so it will have to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collectorsguide Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 Hi I think it worthwhile to answer the points raised in the previous post. COST OF BOOK The production costs for this book ,printing, binding,typing,and photography,come to a little over £22 per volume over a 3,500 print run.This meant using my own funds plus loans of £57000 from pals and the bank.All this up front.Being fed up with reference books which came apart in my hands,lacked quality illustrations especially in colour,had covers which curl up in a roll,and were printed on see through paper,I decided to try and create a high quality product with no thought given to maximising profits at the expense of quality.To this end I uprated the paper quality from 85gsm to 135 gsm at a cost of an extra £4,700.The binding was also the most expensive, going for section sewn over perfect binding ,to ensure a strong book which won,t fall apart with frequent use.I compared my price with other recent, similar medal publications,and came up with;BRIT.BATTLES.AND MEDALS AT £85 WITH NO COLOUR illustrations bar the ribbon chart and on lighter paper.The Order of The Thistle £75,"HONOUR THE ARMIES"etc£75 no colour plates.All my friends and others feel the book was undersold for what it was,and the information it contained.Remember the cost of the book and all the information it contains is less than the price of a standard 1914/15 trio.So would you rather have a cheaper copy with every corner cut or a beautiful book that is a pleasure to own? POSTAGE £10 POSTAGE EH!The book weighs 2.8 kilos.Each volume we post at that loses us around 30 pence.I have discounted the overseas postage to USA,AUSTRALIA ETC BY £20 to help out those who order from overseas.I pay someone to securely pack and despatch the books. It is worth mentioning that any profit from the book is going towards the production costs of the MM Roll due in 2014.Currently I have spent over £30,000 of my own money so far on conserving the original cards and producing the Roll for all to use in the future. Lastly ,is this book definitive? The definition of the word in book terms is "most authoritive"on any particular subject,in this case WW1 medals.I am open to suggestions for other books on WW1 medals which give more ,or even the same info as this one.Sorry that ones beaten me!! I am open to suggestions on what I have omitted,and the questions the book fails to answer.Remember this is actually only half the book ,Vol 2 is on its way.Final point,if you feel its overpriced,and not worth it,return it for a full refund inc.postage.best w, Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 I can HIGHLY recommend this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 Can I just say that this book is very expensive, my copy was 60 quid plus 10 quid postage, and difinitive is an overused word so it will have to be good. I rather think 'definitive' is used far more than 'difinitive'. And in what way is this book, which you appear never to have seen, very expensive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 Can I just say that this book is very expensive, my copy was 60 quid plus 10 quid postage, and difinitive is an overused word so it will have to be good. I made a similar comment about Wings Over Wiltshire being a prohibitive price a few years back. I eventually purchased this book about 12 months ago and I learnt my lesson as it has been worth every penny. If you want a book superior in quality of paper, binding, photo-reproduction, informative text etc., then it will cost more although that extra cost is relative to the extra quality. I had pre-ordered Howard's book so have had it for about a week. Given my interest, it is amongst the best £70 I have ever spent. Other than having bought this book I dont know Howard, never met him, nor, to the best of my knowledge, corresponded with him. Regards, Jonathan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 I still have the very first one somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Chamberlain Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 I can really understand the cost of producing a top quality book. In 1995 I produced a book on recipients on the MSM in New Zealand. My wife and I decided to go for a quality production. Although no colour we had numerous photographs of the recipients, it was sewn and glued and hard bound. The paper was high quality with very little or no 'see through' and the weight of the book (600 A4 pages) could be held up by one page. That showed the strength of the paper and the binding. The dust jacket in three colours was an expensive item that turned out to be about one sixth of the cost of the book. So Howard's book, which I have been loaned while I await my copy, I regard as a superior production. My wife, who is not really a medal fan, suggested that I should not hesitate to get my own copy. When I look at what people like, people like quality medals so why not quality with medal books? Well done Howard W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacks4jules Posted 10 August , 2011 Share Posted 10 August , 2011 I picked up my copy on Sunday and it's the best £60 I have spent in years. It's a must have for WW1 medal collectors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief_Chum Posted 10 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 10 August , 2011 "Other than having bought this book I dont know Howard, never met him, nor, to the best of my knowledge, corresponded with him." Just as well Jonathan - he's a very dodgy geezer. I was going to leap to the books' defence but I see that I have been beaten to it! Many books are now printed in vast quantities in the Far East and shipped back to the UK for sale at cheap prices. It is never going to be economical to produce something like this in that way and in any case, as I said before, it's quite likely that this book will save you more than the purchase price when you start applying what you have read in the book at medal auctions... Cheers, Taff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nthornton1979 Posted 11 August , 2011 Share Posted 11 August , 2011 The book will save numerous people from buying fakes/copies etc and in doing so will pay for itself ten times over. All it takes is one expensive mistake. I had no qualms in buyin this book and will reccomend it to anyone. Also, the book pinpoints gallantry LG dates with the actions awarded for which for me is fantastic. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave G Posted 11 August , 2011 Share Posted 11 August , 2011 My wife and I will be in London for a visit next month. Is the book available through any retail outlets in the city? It would be nice to save a bit on shipping and have something to read on the plane back to the states. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 11 August , 2011 Share Posted 11 August , 2011 Looks good so far, although the last paragraph on page 427 ends abrubtly, should there be a full stop or more information? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depaor01 Posted 12 August , 2011 Share Posted 12 August , 2011 Looks good so far, although the last paragraph on page 427 ends abrubtly, should there be a full stop or more information? Also... shouldn't there be an apostrophe either before (singular) or after (plural) the "s" in the word "collectors" on the cover title ? Sorry... I can't help myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now