Can anyone comment on the reference book-"German Combat Badges of the Third Reich"--I saw a past post and it was directed at price of $129.95---Now that it has been out a while and people own it-How good is it ect-is it worth the price-how's the pictures??-info acurate?-are there fakes in by mistake?--Thanks in Advance
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Depends
I guess it depends on what your collecting goals are.
This book concentrates on 18 specific badges that may or may not be of great interest to you. Unless you're going down the Heer or Kriegsmarine routes you might be barking up the wrong tree.
The images in the book are large and very clear which is great, no muggy or blurred postage stamp pictures here. There are also superb hinge/catch close ups and some great period shots of awards being worn.
However...
Some of the badge descriptions add little new in terms of analysis or debate and that is especially grating when there are things like an entire chapter on the notorious Balloon badge in there.
It's a lot of money in my opinion and I was a bit disappointed.
I found Gordon's book much more useful.
At the end of the day, the forum is THE place to go for a good gritty debate on authenticity etc... -
Hi VonLuger,
a well made book as far as looks go but a dangerous one for the not so advanced collector. To name some mistakes or things I think are strange):
-there are production timeline graphs under each badge, so basically each IAB pictured of some maker or even the non maker marked ones, hollow or massive, has it´s own timeline. This is broken down to year´s quarters like: badge x was produced from spring 1942 until end of autumn 1944. My question is: how would the author possibly know that? He would need to have accurate production books of each German company in his hands to do that in the accurate way it is shown in the book. IMO, this is just guessing around and would have better left out of the book. It tries to give the book an academic aura but the contrary is the case.
-page 80: PAB numbered 25 by JFS is a fake IMO.
-page 82: PAB numbered 50 by JFS is a fake IMO.
-pages 134/135 comparison Wernstein GABs: these are NOT Wernstein badges, they are unmarked and by an unknown maker. This is not a simple mistake of a misplaced text, it is repeatedly said in the caption that these are Wernstein.
-pages 140/141: Heer para badge is a fake in expert´s opinions about these badges.
-page 152/153: Juncker Heer Flak badge is a fake IMO.
-pages 185 - 191: Balloon badge, no comment.
-page 273: questionable outer carton for a U-Boat Badge with bogus German text on it.
-many, many typos in the glossary (maker´s names and locations) and some products of halfhearted research like "Gablonz an der Neckar", which is usually abbreviated in German Gablonz a.d.N.
1) it has to be Gablonz an der Neiße
2) even if it was located on the Neckar river, it would be "Gablonz am Neckar" not "an der Neckar".
These are the mistakes that I could find by just flipping through it, I just own it for a couple of days. I am not well versed with numbered Assault badges or Rudolf Souval Fleet Badges, but I assume these are ok. At least I give them the benefit of the doubt. Others might comment on this.
I knew of most of these mistakes (although the "Juncker Army Flak Badge surprised me) and had to have that book. I am a freak for good presentation and this book cannot be presented in a better way. A new standard in that respect, no doubt.
If you are somewhat educated in Army and KM badges, this book should do no harm to you. It is educative to sort out the fakes and kind of fun.
Cheers, FrankCheers, Frank
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