[Ron Wood]

The "dendritic" or "flow chart" at the beginning of Aaron Davis' book is a super tool for a novice to identify the make and/or model of a Luger. Once identified it is best to go to a more reliable source to find out detailed information and possible value. Davis' descriptions and values are, as John pointed out, woefully inaccurate with much of the information "cut and pasted" from other model descriptions which are totally inappropriate. It is too bad because the books had great potential for gun show ID.

The "Lugers at Random", although outdated and having less than optimal photos is still one of the best general references for the new collector. It gives a broad brush look at many variations and serves as a basic entry level tool. Once the Luger "bug" has bitten it is best to quickly move up to a more current publication that targets your specific interests. I can highly recommend Jan Still's "Central Powers Pistols" (currently the most comprehensive and affordable reference on the market IMO), Vittorio Bobba's "Parabellum" which is a marvelous treatise on Swiss Lugers, Martens & de Vries "The Dutch Luger", and the list goes on. Each resource goes into considerable depth and detail but some are a bit expensive and difficult to find. So it is a good idea to initially zero in on a narrow category of Luger interest to minimize up front cost. But every dollar spent on books will eventually be rewarded.