STASI Decorations and Memorabilia Volume II

[Ralph P]

Hello all - I want to say thank you very much for your feedback so far. I am very glad to read that volume II has been worth while to the collecting community.

As of today, copies of volume II were reaching the collecting community in Europe.

[Gordon Craig]

Ralph,

Got mine a couple of days ago. It has proved well worth the price already.

Regards,

Gordon

[Pauly]

Ralph, with us being snowed in in Upstate NY I have had a lot of time to look through your book. I must say well done, I am glad I bought a copy.

Thanks for your hard work,

Paul

[Ralph P]

Gordon and Paul - Thanks for your comments from what you both have read since receiving your books. I much appreciate your feedback so far.

[David H]

Ralph,
I have only thumb read my copy thus far, but I must say it is a very impressive volume and most definately sets the bench mark in the subject. Congratulations.
Though I'm slightly surprised you couldn't spell honour correctly once in the entire book

[Mike G.]

Don't fret David, Ralph is also known to misspell words like "Colour" and "Armour" too.

[Katze Felix]

Ralph, a Splendid Work Indeed! My copy arrived today in good order and I am
more than pleased to add it to Volume 1 as well as the other DDR reference works
in my holdings. Many hours of study and enjoyment in this bound volume.
Congratulations!

[Ralph P]

Katze and David - Thank you both for your comments. Katze, I hope you find lots of useful information in volume II.

[desantnik]

Ralph, my hat off to you. After receiving an advance copy two weeks back I've finally been able to proceed deeper than just drooling over the great photos and get into the meat of the text. You've produced a truly detailed, accurate and thorough volume that improves over the first great one. A classic and thank you for your efforts.

[Ralph P]

Desantnik - Thank you very much for your comments and for taking a moment to make your post, much appreciated. I am glad to also read that the book made it out to you.

[Greg Collins]

OK, I've finished reading the second volume; an incredible amount of material is covered and beautifully laid out. What an effort on Ralph's part! I do not believe I've ever seen any subject covered so thoroughly.

This 2 volume set is, in my opinion, a new benchmark for books covering Cold War memorabilia. Not a catalog to use as a quick reference to see which medal is which- there are other books for that- but, rather, an incredibly in-depth, scholarly approach to orders, medals, badges and other memorabilia directly and indirectly associated with the Ministry of State Security. In describing these items and their associated documents and providing photos of the items being presented and worn, Ralph has given a glimpse of several key personalities as well as some insight into some operational aspects of the organization. It is a marvelous set of books and, as I said before, a must for all collectors of the Cold War.

Greg Collins

[torstenbel]

Hi Ralph, forgot to mention that my copy of your book has arrived ... thank you very much a very nice book with loads of rather interesting pics and information ... if possible, then I would say that it is even better and more useful than your volume 1 ... both volumes look good right next to eachother on my reference book shelf ... Cheers, Torsten.

[AR-11]

Hi Ralph,

my copy also has arrived a few days ago. Thank you.

I´ve just started reading and especially I like all these history-background- informations you involved... Great work, very well done.

bye, AR-11

[Drugo]

My copy arrived on Monday, and I finished reading it yesterday.

Being mostly a uniform collector, I am really impressed by the chapter about the Wachregiment, the impressive display of uniform jackets from the very early KVP () to the open collar era, and the most useful tables depicting the different collar tabs patterns etc...

The period photographs, both B/W and colours, some of which from the very early '50s, are IMHO worth the book's price, not to mention the overall quality of the project, of the hundreds of photographs (mostly in colour) and of the printing itself, that make this book a jewel - the previews on Ralph's website do not do it justice!

Moreover, I found several other chapters, from the Juristische Hochschule to the relations between the MfS and the KGB, illuminating and helpful in understanding how would a career in the Stasi develop (a very interesting chart with a few samples of promotions during some members' careers made me smile about pointless discussions among some reenactors about the correct number of service medals to be worn by an officer of this or that rank... ).

Ralph's expertise, as Greg Collins correctly pointed out, makes this book into something more than just a reference catalogue: through the hundreds of different items, from military uniforms, to plates and medals, birthday cards and gifts, this book turns into a political and sociological study, sometime amusing, sometime almost touching, about what really life in a state of Real socialism meant, in which the boundaries between private and public were so thin to verge between dread, insanity and naïvety.

Great job, Ralph, I'm really impressed!!!

Filip

[Ralph P]

Hello Greg, Torsten, Dirk and Filip - Thank you very much for your comments, I very much appreciate reading your feedback.