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.

[congaman]

Thank you Don! The amount of time spent on this must have been enormous. My check is already in the mail to Simpson. Thanks again, Scott

[Don M]

At long last, printing of History Writ in Steel is complete! I have just received advance copies of the standard and deluxe editions of the book and the rest should be shipped to Simpson Ltd. and Kurt Bouras very soon. I am pleased with the job done by Brad Simpson and Thai Watana Panich Press in Bangkok. The text, maps and illustrations are faithfully reproduced in full color on heavy glossy paper. I am no expert in bookbinding but the books seem very sturdily constructed and should serve as durable references for many years to come.

HWIS is designed for readers with varying levels of interest. Those who want only to identify a particular mark need go no further than the eight-page table in the Introduction alphabetically listing over 300 police markings (see example page below). For those interested in more information about a mark and the police unit that used it, this table references the chapter(s) in which this information may be found. The book contains virtually all of the data from my database of over 2,300 recorded markings which can be used to launch further research into many fascinating questions remaining about these marks.

[Don M]

The books have now been shipped from Bangkok and distribution by Simpson should start in late June or early July. For those of you who have pre-ordered, thank you for your patience. I think you will find the wait well worth it!

[Ron Smith]

I received my copy today. This is an excellent, and a long past due book. A very well done top quality publication.

If you have any interest at all in Police unit marks, or need a ready translation for Police unit markings, this is a must have book. Very well thought out format, and user friendly.

Not to mention that the proceeds go for a very good cause.

Ron

[suum cuique]

POLICE LUGERS:

Did the German Police in WW2 just use lugers with the police markings or did they use regular lugers like byf or (for example) 1937 S/42 marked lugers, too?

[Ice]

The police used Lugers that were allocated to them by the Reich. The ones they received during WW2 came from Mauser (byf) but they also used DWM and Erfurt from WW1 and pistols manufactured during the 1920's and 30's like Simpson Lugers and Mauser dated Lugers. Police markings refer to police acceptance stamps imprinted into the metal just like the proof marks. Police Lugers were usually equipped with the sear safety and the mag safety (which was later removed).

Charlie

[Don M]

The police markings discussed in my book are those applied by individual German police forces during the Imperial and Weimar eras, not the Nazi-era police acceptance stamps referred to by Ice. Some examples are shown in my avatar to the left.

[Don M]

it's hard to believe that it has been eleven years since HWIS was published!

I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who purchased this book from Brad Simpson Publishing. To date, about $6500 in royalties from these sales have been paid to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to find a cure for this disease. While the search for a cure continues, a new drug has been recently developed that greatly reduces the deadly effects of this disease and, hopefully, will result in longer and better lives for those afflicted. The royalties from your purchases have contributed to this success.

I have a grandson with CF and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Fla.Mallard]

Originally Posted by Don M

I have a grandson with CF and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Things have advanced pretty far from the days I was in college. A good friend had CF and yet he still played a trumpet in a pep band that traveled with the U of Alabama basketball team. He traveled to Johns Hopkins every summer where they beat on him to relieve congestion.
Unfortunately, he resisted treatment just before finals of his senior year and received his BS degree posthumously.

[Don M]

Originally Posted by Fla.Mallard

Things have advanced pretty far from the days I was in college.

They have, indeed!