EK Books

[streptile]

It took me a long time to find this forum and share my hobby with others. Before that I learned all I could from books, and I collected a handful throughout the years. I collect the Iron Cross. Here, for anyone's reference and enjoyment, are selections from my library.


Clockwise from top left:
Nimmergut, Das Eiserne Kreuz 1813-1939;
Williamson, The Iron Cross of 1939 (in my own protective cover)
Williamson, The Iron Cross A History 1813-1957 ;



The "new standards":
Previtera, The Iron Time ;
Maerz, The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross


The "old standards":
Geißler, Das Eiserne Kreuz von 1813 bis Heute;
Bowen, The Prussian and German Iron Cross (in sleeve) ;
Heyde, Preußen Sammlung Max Aurich


Military Advisor issues with Iron Cross content


Biggers/Williamson, The Historic Iron Cross 1813-1957 ;
V/A; Das Eiserne Kreuz - Zur Geschichte einer Auszeichnung ;
DHM Magazin (on ODM in general)


Hamelman, German Iron Cross Documents of World War I ;
V/A, Das Grosskreuz Des Eisernen Kreuzes


von Zobelitz, Das Eiserne Kreuz (reprint);
Kurt Bauch, Das Eiserne Kreuz 1813/1939 ;
Schneider, Das Buch vom Eisernen Kreuze (reprint);
Vöker, Das Eiserne Kreuz und seine Wiedergeburt (reprint)

These last four are some of my favorite, though three are reprints. Each is a patriotic little book published around the time of the reintroduction of the award in, respectively, 1914, 1939, 1870, 1870. The lone original edition, published in 1941, is inscribed: "To my dear brother Adolf, with best wishes for the war. 1942"

The photos are pretty awful, sorry.
Hope you all enjoy these.
Trevor

[Robert P.]

Thanks for sharing your library, Trevor. I see you're missing Gordon Williamson's most recent work on the Iron Cross, "The Iron Cross of 1939". I own it, and enjoy reaqding it's text.

[streptile]

Thanks for sharing your library, Trevor. I see you're missing Gordon Williamson's most recent work on the Iron Cross, "The Iron Cross of 1939". I own it, and enjoy reaqding it's text.

Hi Robert,
It's in the top photo, in a buff colored card cover with a hand-drawn EK on it. I've been toting it around with me quite a bit lately, so I covered it up to protect it.
Thanks for your comments!
Trevor

[Robert P.]

Now I see it. Your 'custom' dust cover hid it from me.

BTW, welcome to this forum. You've already been a real asset to the forum community with your knowledge of EK's. Maybe you can teach some of the older guys like myself some of the things we have forgotten over the years. It's good to have new blood.

[streptile]

welcome to this forum. You've already been a real asset to the forum community with your knowledge of EK's. It's good to have new blood.

Thank you Robert.
I've been enjoying it immensely and have been made to feel very welcome.
Trevor

[Roglebk]

Hi Trevor, very nice collection you got there! Been looking for a long time after some of those, they are very hard to come by and priced accordingly.

[StefanK.]

What a great library! Which book is your personal favourite?

Stefan

[streptile]

What a great library! Which book is your personal favourite?
Stefan

Thanks Stefan. My favorite? Well, I'd have to say, for straight reference, Heyde for the Imperial era; Williamson 1939 and Maerz on Third Reich stuff.

This is a very fluid hobby. There's new information coming out all the time. It seems EK collecting is entering something of a "golden age" currently, and Williamson's 1939 and Maerz's RK book were harbingers of that: the study into different makers, die flaws, manufacturing techniques, etc. Some of the old "standard references" like Bowen and Geißler seem positively quaint these days; none of that type of information (or very little) can be found in them. Before the internet existed as an information-sharing medium, how would anyone have discovered all that stuff? They are filled with wrong information and questionable examples despite the best intentions.

But, then again, even the Williamson 1939 book, published 6 years or so ago, shows a postwar Souval Schinkel B-type EK1 as genuine, and Previtera - especially in the 1st Ed. as shown - shows a number of fakes (unknowingly). Suffice it to say that it was extremely difficult for me to keep on top of new information before I found the WAF forum which, I believe, is in the vanguard of the hobby.

In short: I find Heyde indispensable for Imperial stuff. It shows a gorgeous collection that was amassed before anyone thought to produce fakes, and is an excellent reference: if it's in Heyde, it's almost certainly real. Maerz, I think, takes the science to a new and welcome level of refinement. A new book like Maerz's is desperately needed on the 1939 EK1 and EK2, in my view.

Just for historical interest, I like the grouping in the last photo. They transport me back to different times.

I should also say that Nimmergut's book is superb as a historical reference - undoubtedly the best of the bunch - but there isn't too much information of value to, say, collectors of 1939 EK2 variants. The illustrations in Nimmergut are the finest of them all, and it's worth it for the 1870 Grand Cross photos alone, in my opinion.

[George Stimson]

Hmmm, I sense a new, "pinned" reference thread coming to this Forum.

[Dietrich Maerz]

T A new book like Maerz's is desperately needed on the 1939 EK1 and EK2, in my view.

Already in the works by George Stimson and yours truly. Spring next year!

[streptile]

Already in the works by George Stimson and yours truly. Spring next year!

Very exciting. Is it this one?

If so, it explains why the press, "AB&D," is so similar in name to your press!

Well, I can hardly wait.

[evilmike]

Cant wait... i want it now!!!

[Dietrich Maerz]

Very exciting. Is it this one?

If so, it explains why the press, "AB&D," is so similar in name to your press!

Well, I can hardly wait.

No, it is not that one. Ours will be in English.

Dietrich

[Douglas 5]

Over the last 5 years alot more refined study , testing and examination has taken place in regards to EKs and their makers . There are still some old timers out there that can shed some light on things , but not for much longer ! ... still all questions will never be answered .
Within a few years there will always be some changes to add - outdating any book . With todays technoligy it may be time for the 'On-line' Book . Lets say for an access fee , renewed every 3 to 5 years, ... it can be changed and updated over night ! Constantly the lastest version with digital pictures which cost effectly printed ones can not match .

Douglas

[streptile]

No, it is not that one. Ours will be in English.
Dietrich

Great. The press names are very similar - "B&D" and "AB&D" Coincidence? In any case, I'm looking forward to it.

With today's technology it may be time for the 'On-line' Book . Lets say for an access fee , renewed every 3 to 5 years, ... it can be changed and updated over night ! Constantly the latest version with digital pictures which cost-effectively printed ones can not match .
Douglas

An interesting idea. In some ways, we've already got that with this forum. However, servers go down, people lose interest in updates, sites go off-line permanently. Andrew Biggers' old "Historic Iron Cross" website was the web authority when I started collecting, and I haven't seen it online in at least 5 years. I think a real book is a better solution.

As a side note, can someone post a photo of the cover of The Iron Cross of Prussia and Germany by A. E. Prowse in this thread? I'm very curious about it... never seen it, and it commands extraordinarily high prices these days.

~TR