Afrika Korps

[Beersheba4thLH]

Has anyone seen this new book on the Afirka Korps by Daniel Fisher? If yes, what did you think of it?





*Note: Moderators, I realize this isn't the book forum, but many times new reference books get lost there.

[Bond]

Is this the book where they call M40 caps M41's? Also see a thread in the caps forum.

Regards,

Jerry

[Mark Gibson]

Is this the book where they call M40 caps M41's? Also see a thread in the caps forum.

Regards,

Jerry

They're collector terms anyway.
I call them M40's, Afrikamutze, tropical caps....I used to call them M41's many years ago. I won't lose sleep over it.

Mark

[NZMark]

As I've stated on other forums, if someone can't get such basic information right - therefore continueing to dis-inform collectors - then what other mistakes will be found in there?
If you are going to call it by a collectors term, at least be accurate. How many collectors would scream out if I started calling helmets m36's, m41's and m43's?
I've been contacted by US and European collectors (with huge collections) who are simply boggled by it...
Mark

[Bond]

They're collector terms anyway.
I call them M40's, Afrikamutze, tropical caps....I used to call them M41's many years ago. I won't lose sleep over it.

Mark

I do the same, M40's afrikamutze etc...but as NZMark says, what if we started calling M35 helmets etc...by the wrong term? or can we all call them anything we want?

Regards,

Jerry

PS, I don't lose sleep over this, other things are far more important!

[Mark Gibson]

I fully support educating other collectors, but seeing collectors berated for calling a cap the incorrect name is something that I don't support. Not that you were doing that Jerry, far from it, but it happens over the M40 issue too often.
There's my gripe for the day.

Mark

[WEISNER]

So..... Has anyone seen the book? I am interested in content and text readability, photo and paper quality etc...
Kevin

[Bond]

On a related issue, a question if I may, but is there an acceptable terminology for the tropical sidecap, in a similar vein, with a M#?

Regards,

Jerry

[Mark Gibson]

On a related issue, a question if I may, but is there an acceptable terminology for the tropical sidecap, in a similar vein, with a M#?

Regards,

Jerry

I haven't heard of one but I'm sure that it will start. Most collectors just simply call them tropical sidecaps with or without soutache.

As for the actual book Kevin, it only first appeared a few days ago. Perhaps some of our UK members may have ordered one.

Mark

[NZMark]

I also would not support 'berating' collectors...who don't know any better and haven't done reasonable research. Education is the thing - that's generally what these forums are for.
Dis-information is something else altogether.
Tropical sidecaps with or without soutache - not too hard either, is it?
Kevin - I don't know anyone who's been keen enough to actually buy a copy after seeing the advertisement for it. Maybe someone who did can add something new to the thread?
Mark

[Bond]

I haven't heard of one but I'm sure that it will start. Most collectors just simply call them tropical sidecaps with or without soutache.

As for the actual book Kevin, it only first appeared a few days ago. Perhaps some of our UK members may have ordered one.

Mark

Thanks Mark.

Has anyone got or seen a copy yet and is it worth the £29.00? Only 76 pages long.

Regards,

Jerry

[Tim O'Keefe]

I'm curious about the book on several different levels... If its more of a picture book of his collection (ala Kurtz AK) or actually has helpful text too (ala Jose's Figueroa volumes) ? Also will we see mostly original items or souped up ? & even how many fakes

As far as the M40 mistake, its an uphill battle to get everyone to get on board. I have given up on correcting someone when they claim an item is a DAK piece when it is obviously not, vs just some tropical item used in Italy or even unissued...

[Mark Gibson]

As far as the M40 mistake, its an uphill battle to get everyone to get on board. I have given up on correcting someone when they claim an item is a DAK piece when it is obviously not, vs just some tropical item used in Italy or even unissued...

Why battle Tim? You shouldn't have to battle to get collectors to change what they call an item, or even ban the use of some terms for that matter. I'm a member of a forum which bans the use of the term "tropical" because a few collectors who run the forum don't like that term for items used in North Africa and the Mediterranean areas. They aren't technically tropical areas but tell that to the pale skinned Europeans who fought there. Basically they use censorship, but I will never stop using the term "tropical".
I completely understand where you're coming from with the DAK reference but the tropical items which we collect will always have an affinity with the DAK, no matter if it was used by them or not. I have some items which are North Africa souvenirs, but were they DAK? I really don't know. I'd like to think so, as would the many guys who post tropical items and describe them as DAK.

Enough on that, I'm starting to ramble.
One suggestion though, perhaps this thread should be moved to the headgear forum since it has such a M40...M41...Afrikamutze...Tropical Cap/Sidecap focus.

Take care

Mark

[Tim O'Keefe]

Agree Mark, was thinking more about the Afrika CT & those unissued felt tropenhelms & mint third pattern tunics & sidecaps & M40's with rbnr#s etc.

There is a difference also when the item is for sale or in a collection. If its for sale it will likely be labled a DAK piece, but if it resides in a collection it quite often is labled tropical (a beehive cap for example).

[NZMark]

Why battle Tim? You shouldn't have to battle to get collectors to change what they call an item, or even ban the use of some terms for that matter. I'm a member of a forum which bans the use of the term "tropical" because a few collectors who run the forum don't like that term for items used in North Africa and the Mediterranean areas. They aren't technically tropical areas but tell that to the pale skinned Europeans who fought there. Basically they use censorship, but I will never stop using the term "tropical".
I completely understand where you're coming from with the DAK reference but the tropical items which we collect will always have an affinity with the DAK, no matter if it was used by them or not. I have some items which are North Africa souvenirs, but were they DAK? I really don't know. I'd like to think so, as would the many guys who post tropical items and describe them as DAK.

By and large I completely agree with you Mark on this. Censorship is unwarranted and a useless tool in 'educating' people.
But at times the only way to inform and educate is to repeat, repeat and if necessary - repeat until the information sinks in. This has been seen and had to be done over many years in the collecting community to rectify previously held misconceptions and un-truths.
I for one cannot stay ambivalent about something I'm passionate about. Regards,
Mark