New book on police markings

[Don M]

My book History Writ in Steel: German Police Markings 1900 -1936 is finally available for pre-order. It is 384 pages in length, approximately 8.5 x 12 in. (22 x 30 cm), with about 350 full-color illustrations (photos, maps, charts, documents). Extensive tables contain data on over 2,300 observed police markings. Much of the data and many of the photos were contributed by forum members, for which I am extremely grateful. My analysis of these data and period documents allowed me to identify the markings of hundreds of police units with at least “probable” certainty and revealed previously unknown aspects of the history of some of these groups. The Foreword is written by Joe Wotka, one of the foremost authorities on German police history and weapons.

The book will be very useful to collectors, buyers and sellers of German police artifacts (handguns, rifles, edged weapons, holsters, etc.) and to those interested in the history of the police during this turbulent and fascinating era in Germany. It covers the markings of the police and other law-enforcement agencies of the Imperial, Weimar and early Nazi eras. About half of the book is devoted to the markings of the Prussian police while the remainder addresses markings of police in Bavaria, Saxony, ThÃ?¼ringen, Anhalt, Braunschweig, the Mecklenburgs, Oldenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, LÃ?¼beck, Baden, WÃ?¼rttemberg, Hessen and the territories surrendered after World War I – Alsace-Lorraine, Danzig, Memelland, Saarland and German Southwest Africa. Other law-enforcement agencies included are the Customs and Finance Administrations of Prussia, Hamburg and Danzig and the Railway and Waterways Protection Police,

The book is being published by Brad Simpson Publishing, a division of Simpson Ltd. in Galesburg, Illinois. You may pre-order it using a form available at http://www.simpsonltd.com/HistWritSteel.php or telephone them at 309-342-5800. The books are presently awaiting shipment from the printer in Bangkok and are expected to be available for distribution in May. Your credit card will not be charged until your book is shipped to you from Simpson. Standard copies are hardbound and cost $89.95 plus shipping & handling. A limited edition of 200 Deluxe copies has been printed. These are signed, leather-bound, have gilded page edges and cost $150.00 plus shipping & handling.

For those in Europe, shipping may be much less if you order from Kurt Bouras of Classic Firearms in Mainz, Germany (http://www.classic-firearms.com). He will receive 200 Standard copies that are being shipped directly from the printer. He may be contacted via email (kurt.bouras@classic-firearms.com) or telephone (0049-6131-674160). Deluxe copies are available only from Simpson Ltd.

Several persons have expressed interest in a signed copy of the book. As noted above, the 200 Deluxe copies are signed. Standard copies will be shipped from Simpson unsigned. While I will be very happy to sign any copy personally presented to me, I am unable to accept and return books mailed or shipped to me for signature. I plan to attend several gun shows and other events over the next year. These should provide signing opportunities.

I am unashamedly promoting sales of the book. Royalties will be paid directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to sponsor research to find a cure for this disease that threatens the lives of about 70,000 children and young adults worldwide. This cause is close to my heart because one of my grandsons is afflicted with this disease.

I hope you will find this book interesting and helpful.