Book DWM 1894 - 1907

[Edward Tinker]

Well, I broke down and bought this off of eBay. It was $125 and with a sob story of how grandfather has cancer, probably true so thought what the heck and bought the book.

I actually feel guilty writing this up...

Rare collection of books written by Author Jesse L. Murray, who has spent a lifetime studying Lugers.
Color Picture collection of over 300 select Lugers, including their serial ranges.

Over 300 pages.

DWM Pistole Parabellum Lugers (1987-1907)

I had been told by several collectors last year that the book was a guys fairly extensive collection, but based only on that collection and not worth the money.

In short:

1. Book has a great cover and nice color photos
2. Pictures are too dark many times
3. Huge inaccuracies in the book; huge
4. Shows the same pictures, again and again and again
5. He shows the same "perfect" with VERY gold, perfect strawed guns, again and again. This is a personal peeve of mine, hey these are old guns.... no patina, then something is wrong to me...
6. He blatantly puts certain serial number ranges into certain years, i.e. 1902, 1903, 1904, etc and states this is right, the last 50 years everyone else has gotten it wrong. Okay, I am okay with that, show me the proof, some documentation...
7. I assume some to many of these other carbines and such are or were in Ralph Shattuck’s collection, because I recognize them.
8. Again and again he shows a luger and then gives a title such as 1905 and a serial range. Why not the specific serial number? As an author, some of your privacy is gone or else you are just showing a picture book and not a historical book.
9. He tells very few serial numbers and when stated, no futher info, such as proofs, etc.
10. His writing is very choppy, short sentences and then repeats himself, sometimes verbatim for a page or two in different places in the book (I can live with that)
11. His serial numbers that he shows, well, at least two are different models than what Dwight has in his database, obviously one is wrong... example; one says and shows it is an American eagle and Dwight has it as a Swiss contract. A bit of a difference there...

Overall, and I hate to say this, it is a waste of money to buy this, I have to assume that the Swiss book is the same.

Ed

[Vlim]

Ed,

Any idea how he got to the 1894 date in the title? Since DWM was formed on november the 4th, 1896 (and yes, I actually have that on paper) I wonder why?

Confusion regarding to the production of the Borchardt pistol by Loewe, probably...

[cma22inc]

Think that was a type-o looks like 1897 on the cover.

[Edward Tinker]

Vlim, I have no clue, he had a lot of assumptions and old info, plus some assumptions that frankly I don't know where or how he came up with them.....


The oddest thing was he shows a few pictures of someones collection towards the back, which is fine, but in the picture are about 70 lugers and the back row has SA and SS daggers and two swastika flags. As a "up to 1907" book, why show anything that did not exist during that time frame??????

Ed

[Vlim]

Ed, that might make for an interesting read. It goes to show that having a collection does not make one an expert (or an author) at the same time. I like the cover material, though.

cma: thanks, need to clean my glasses (again)

[chuck watts]

Well sorry to report I have the same book Ed describes! However, unlike Ed I also have the Swiss book, Swiss Parabellum Lugers 1900 To 1947 by Murray. Both are, in my opinion, very poor with the exception of the covers. The old saying that one can judge a book by it's cover(s) doesn't apply in this case. Ed's detailed description is 100% acurate in my opinion. The sad part is the same description applies to the Swiss book. Frankly I've considered throwing both in the trash several times, and will now do so.

Chuck

[John Sabato]

Don't trash them... just put them back on ebay at substantially less than the original seller... someone will want to save money and buy them. ...just hopefully not anyone on this forum

[Vlim]

Well, for research purposes maybe. To see how not to do it.

[Edward Tinker]

I always figure that I can get something from training or a book, and besides a couple of new serial numbes for Dwight, I didn't see anything that I trusted. At least if it had footnotes or other ways to back up his claims, I would be a lot more excited....


Ed

[chuck watts]

John...Too late!

Out in the trash this morning.

Chuck

[jonnyc]

I believe the quote is actually "You can't judge a book by its cover", which is perfectly appropriate for this situation.

[chuck watts]

Jonnyc,

I'll stand corrected!

Chuck

[jonnyc]

Too bad the book wasn't!