Insignia and Artifacts of the Waffen-SS by Beaver, Bando and Shea

[A c h t u n g !]

For Achtung to post the cover and pages from the Heukemes Badge book, on a thread about the Beaver Insignia book, was just a cheap shot to give that book publicity and to insinuate that it is a 'better' work than the latest Beaver book. He is in no position to even have an opinion on that, since he has not even seen the Beaver book, by his own admission.
Pretty low and transparent tactics at work here.

Then we have Achtung again casting aspersions against a book he hasn't even seen yet. Like most other Internet Trolls, he doesn't have the courage or integrity to post his real name or even which country in Europe that he resides-in. Any individual who criticizes something he hasn't even seen, is destructive and hateful, to begin with. Another poster applied the term 'pathetic'. That might be too generous a term to describe behavior that is born of despicable jealousy and blind resentment.

I am not a criticizing your book, instead simply trying to find out more what this book is about before I spend money for it. No need to get angry with me as it is a pretty logical thing to expect from the buyers, isn't? IMO "pathetic" is when a seller attacks with "blind resentment" when asked simple and general questions about the item he sells. So please take it easy as the only one who is trolling you is yourself.

I also see no possible connection between my location or my real name and the level of my courage and integrity. Didn't you know that most people worldwide (including our employers, neighbors, etc.) do not like our hobby for well-known reasons, which sometimes have a negative effect on collectors lives, and revealing you identity (real name, location) on these public forums as not the smartest thing to do for many of us?
Tons of books have already been published about the SS militaria. Unfortunately, none of them is complete, and most of them are just a brief overview of the subject and/or on the introductory level. I have many reference books including the very best ones both American and European but I hardly ever open any of them, they only collect dust on my shelves as in most cases they are pretty useless and all the information that I need is on this very forum just one click away.

What collectors would really need IMO and can only dream about including myself is a new ultimate tool on the brand new and advanced level - a complete, comprehensive and detailed book, something like the "Definitive Guide" that Frank Heukemes made for General Assault Badge collectors. Imagine yourself a book where you can find, for example, any cap insignia with a precise measurements, large-format high-resolution pictures, that really enables you to see all the crucial details like the wave pattern of the material, to count stitches in embroidery, etc. All insignias would be nicely categorized and aligned in the production time sequence there, the flatwire officers skulls are all in one chapter, the cotton sleeve eagles would be in a separate chapter, not mixed all together with shoulder boards and collar tabs.

Nowadays, I can find an info on pretty much any SS insignia with just a little time on the Internet, but that would be the book I would buy in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, your book seems like another an old-school tool to me, many already like it and it is great but I will wait for a "new generation" book, a complete and "Definitive Guide to SS Insignia".

[Obergruppen2]

Jesus, its only a book,good book but still not a holy grail for Gods sakes, take it easy Bando,nobody said it is a bad book, on the contrary but this thread is getting utterly annoying though, pm's are for this kind of communication and threads should be interesting and educative

[M Bando]

There will never be a 'complete' book on the SS, period

Belt buckles alone would fill a book, if every variant of every maker was illustrated. Ditto for metal cap insignia or TK insignia.
Aside from the differences in nickel silver, Aluminum or steel construction, all belt buckles of the same maker will look the same on the obverse. At some point, the goal of making a work 'complete' becomes redundant.

No author you can name has even come close to a 'complete' book on any aspect of the SS, including Mollo, Bender and Beaver. All have them have produced multiple volumes.
The Internet contains a lot of great images, but they are scattered and not as easy to access as having a bunch of items between two book covers.
This point has been brought-up before. Having a book you can hold in your hands is still more convenient.

Achtung writes:

All insignias would be nicely categorized and aligned in the production time sequence there, the flatwire officers skulls are all in one chapter, the cotton sleeve eagles would be in a separate chapter, not mixed all together with shoulder boards and collar tabs.

That is basically how the Beaver book is organized but again, you wouldn't know, because you haven't seen it. There is a separate chapter for sleeve eagles, and within that chapter, a section for embroidered, a section for woven, a section for flatwire and a section for hand-embroidered bullion. Also a separate chapter for runic tab variants and another chapter for cap insignia. The only place where boards, tabs and eagles are seen together, are in the Chapters on Divisions and the one on tunic-removed and cut off insignia.
Speaking of battlefield cut-offs, I don't know of other books which even depict any-this one has a lot of examples illustrated.
Btw, there are not enough variants of the flatwire officers' skulls to comprise a chapter-more like one page, which is what is devoted to them within the cap insignia chapter of this book.

Ian Hulley writes:

"Mark, all I did was answer a guy's question honestly"



Was it honesty to state that some of the insignia have alleged veteran provenance? I don't have to take crap like that, lying down. As such, your claim to have made only innocent and harmless honest statements, is b.s.


People Like Obergruppenfuhrer have still not read the book or even seen it (correct me if I'm wrong), so their comments and opinions are totally without validity, regarding the Beaver Insignia book.

[M Bando]

another gem from Mr Hulley

"You said yourself in the book ... there are items which would be laughed off the forums or a show ... your words not mine, I will try to find the page if you wish ?"

The only statement in the book similar to that, referred to Christian Tychsen's modified Army Panzer officer's cap, which is in a period photo of him. I did not say that about any of the insignia which are illustrated in the book. I said the 'panel of experts' at a militaria show would denounce Tychsen's cap as an obvious fake, due to the relatively crude way it was modified. You are obviously interpreting things as you want them to be and not as they actually are. Your use of the word item(s) is inaccurate. There was only one such reference made and Tychsen's modified cap was the object of that statement.

I also stated that British narrators on film documentaries ae guilty of:

1) Referring to all German pistols (mainly P38s and Lugers) as 'Revolvers'.
2) pronouncing the word Leibstandarte as "LEEB standarte'.
3) Referring to Jochen Peiper as "Colonel PEE-per."-
all of which allegations are true.
Is this your real problem with the book?

[M Bando]

re: "take it easy Bando..."

You seem to mistake my defending the book against unwarranted criticisms with me getting excited about the subject. I don't intend to take such b.s.
without clearing the air and stating the truth; it's that simple. The negative comments that have been posted so far, have been mostly unfounded and even totally untrue. Folks who haven't even seen the book seem to have opinions about it, for some mysterious reason.

I've only seen one complaint so far, from anyone who actually owns the book, and that was the fact that foreign volunteer insignia are not included in it.
As to completeness, I've addressed that subject and it is simply impossible in a single volume, as repeatedly proven by previous authors on this subject.

Numerous customers have stated that they can't put the book down, which is the highest form of endorsement.

This book is unlike any previous collector book done on W-SS insignia and it is a lot closer to what Achtung describes as his ideal reference book than he realizes. Yet he keeps negating it, without even having seen it.

[Ian Hulley]

I also stated that British narrators on film documentaries ae guilty of:

1) Referring to all German pistols (mainly P38s and Lugers) as 'Revolvers'.
2) pronouncing the word Leibstandarte as "LEEB standarte'.
3) Referring to Jochen Peiper as "Colonel PEE-per."-
all of which allegations are true.
Is this your real problem with the book?

You seem to have a real issue with anyone non-American, I suggest you re-read what was posted but WITHOUT the chip on your shoulder. I like the book, is it flawless ? No. Is that surprising ? Equally No.

As for not being able to put the book down perhaps others have more free time on their hands. I did read the death of Tychsen and the trail of his artifacts was very interesting.

Enough anyway, Cheers. Ian.

[Sal Williams]

on page 119 both the reverse collar tabs seem to be the same picture. Is this correct and a mistake?

[M Bando]

re: printers mistake on page 119

Now this is a valid criticism, although the mistake was not my fault.
There is a repeated image at top and middle of the page, showing the same image of a reverse collar tab in both places. The top right image was a
buckram reverse, but instead of depicting that, the printer repeated the same image twice on the same page. This was NOT how we submitted that page to the printer, and I didn't know there was a problem, until I saw the page in-print.
The buck is being passed from the printer to the girl who did the final layout for me and the theory is that two different images had the identical computer image file name, which resulted in the same image being repeated twice. I plan to do an Ephemera page and put it on the internet and this will include the intended image for the top right of that page.
This was an infuriating mistake, but it just happened as a result of computer codes and a printing error. Btw, I had four hours to look at proofs of the final layout, before sending it back to the printer, as they were demanding it back almost immediately, and I was going out of town for 5 days, the day after I received the proofs via Fed Ex. Otherwise, if I'd had the usual week of inspection time, I certainly would've flagged that error before the book went to press. As it was, I opened the proofs, sped thru the entire 370 pages in 4 hrs, then re-packaged them and sent them back, via Fed Ex to the printer.
Apologies for this mistake in the book, believe me nobody is more upset about it than the author.

[mdk014]

I enjoyed the book and have had it for about two weeks now. I know there's lots of zingers flying around but am interested to know if a follow up book in the same style will be coming. I know you have asked somebody else to step up and do the second book. Any word if that has happened yet? I think there are plenty that would like to see a second volume.

[Sal Williams]

Now this is a valid criticism, although the mistake was not my fault.
There is a repeated image at top and middle of the page, showing the same image of a reverse collar tab in both places. The top right image was a
buckram reverse, but instead of depicting that, the printer repeated the same image twice on the same page. This was NOT how we submitted that page to the printer, and I didn't know there was a problem, until I saw the page in-print.
The buck is being passed from the printer to the girl who did the final layout for me and the theory is that two different images had the identical computer image file name, which resulted in the same image being repeated twice. I plan to do an Ephemera page and put it on the internet and this will include the intended image for the top right of that page.
This was an infuriating mistake, but it just happened as a result of computer codes and a printing error. Btw, I had four hours to look at proofs of the final layout, before sending it back to the printer, as they were demanding it back almost immediately, and I was going out of town for 5 days, the day after I received the proofs via Fed Ex. Otherwise, if I'd had the usual week of inspection time, I certainly would've flagged that error before the book went to press. As it was, I opened the proofs, sped thru the entire 370 pages in 4 hrs, then re-packaged them and sent them back, via Fed Ex to the printer.
Apologies for this mistake in the book, believe me nobody is more upset about it than the author.

No problem, things happen, it would be great if you could post up the intended pic!

[M Bando]

re:"I suggest you re-read what was posted, but-

...without the chip on your shoulder."
There was no chip on my shoulder, until you put it there.

I read your previous statements carefully and I have addressed them point for point and I believe I have clarified what you accused me of saying and doing.
To imply that my written narrative trashed the items in this book, when in fact I was referring to a single period photo of Tychsen wearing the cap in-question, was clearly a misconception on your part. This needed to be clarified. As to the implication that I put fraudulent veteran provenance with any of the attributed pieces in the book, was a unfair, below the belt tactic, obviously meant to damage me, in retaliation for some perceived slight toward you, on my part. I've pondered what that might have been and the only thing I can imagine, would be that you might have taken offense to my statements about British documentary narrators.

I have only high regard for the British military in WWII and when I lecture to American audiences about the Normandy campaign, I always point-out that all SS Panzer Divisions on the western front (minus 'D R') and all the heavy Tiger Battalions, were arrayed around Caen, in the first 2 months of the Invasion.

[nutmeg]

It is a very good book and well worth having. It is far from complete and does not cover most the volunteer units. It is more the story of collecting SS Insignia then a definitive work. There are some inexplicable things like showing the runic decal of an SS helmet but not party emblem decal. There is IMO a lot of unrelated stuff that could have been left out ( or better yet form a separate book)which would have made plenty of room for the missing insignia. The pictures are mostly excellent. It is a worthwhile supplement to existing works but don't throw away your Ulric or Angola books.

I am not a criticizing your book, instead simply trying to find out more what this book is about before I spend money for it. No need to get angry with me as it is a pretty logical thing to expect from the buyers, isn't? IMO "pathetic" is when a seller attacks with "blind resentment" when asked simple and general questions about the item he sells. So please take it easy as the only one who is trolling you is yourself.

I also see no possible connection between my location or my real name and the level of my courage and integrity. Didn't you know that most people worldwide (including our employers, neighbors, etc.) do not like our hobby for well-known reasons, which sometimes have a negative effect on collectors lives, and revealing you identity (real name, location) on these public forums as not the smartest thing to do for many of us?
Tons of books have already been published about the SS militaria. Unfortunately, none of them is complete, and most of them are just a brief overview of the subject and/or on the introductory level. I have many reference books including the very best ones both American and European but I hardly ever open any of them, they only collect dust on my shelves as in most cases they are pretty useless and all the information that I need is on this very forum just one click away.

What collectors would really need IMO and can only dream about including myself is a new ultimate tool on the brand new and advanced level - a complete, comprehensive and detailed book, something like the "Definitive Guide" that Frank Heukemes made for General Assault Badge collectors. Imagine yourself a book where you can find, for example, any cap insignia with a precise measurements, large-format high-resolution pictures, that really enables you to see all the crucial details like the wave pattern of the material, to count stitches in embroidery, etc. All insignias would be nicely categorized and aligned in the production time sequence there, the flatwire officers skulls are all in one chapter, the cotton sleeve eagles would be in a separate chapter, not mixed all together with shoulder boards and collar tabs.

Nowadays, I can find an info on pretty much any SS insignia with just a little time on the Internet, but that would be the book I would buy in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, your book seems like another an old-school tool to me, many already like it and it is great but I will wait for a "new generation" book, a complete and "Definitive Guide to SS Insignia".

[M Bando]

correct images for top of page 119

[M Bando]

re: Ulric Book

I didn't get that book until a week ago and I found it is almost the perfect supplement, to the Beaver Insignia book, to cover Allgemeines items, that are not covered in the Beaver book.
However, the cufftitle (and other insignia) images in Ulric's book are so small, that they in no way compare in visible detail of fabric, weaving, etc.
Understandable, because he covered so many items and even with a page count over 400, he had to consolidate many items into relatively limited spaces.

[Capt. R]

Mark
I've had the book for a while now and have really enjoyed it especially the veteran stories. Well done! A fine addition to my militaria library.