Book Review of
Weapons of the Great War
Automatic Weapons of the Russian Army
Author: Vladimir Glazkov
Stratus Books
ISBN: 978-83-65281-28-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $62.00
ISBN: 978-83-65281-28-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $62.00
THE BOOK:
Stratus Books is located in Sandomierz, Poland. They do their line of books in both Polish and English. This book is in English. They are associated with MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) based in the U.K. and they do all their books for them in English.
This book has a hard-cover of 189 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format. Six pages are blank.
The cover is divided in half diagonally. At the top there is a solid red photo of 4 Russian soldiers standing in a pill box.
In the center there is a color illustration of a Lewis machine-gun,
In the lower white section there is a pale line-drawing of the Maxim’s wheeled cart.
The cover art wraps around the book’s spine with half the images on the back cover.
There are 92 black and white photos.
The book features 10 guns.
It begins with an INTRODUCTION that shows Russian troops around a biplane.
CHAPTER 1 –AUTOMATIC RIFLES:
Four black and white war-time photos of Russian soldiers and their automatic rifles, four sectionalized line-drawings of the rifles.
Color side view of a 3-line Fedorov automatic rifle and 3 sectionalized illustrations.
Two color side-views of a different Fedorov automatic rifle and a sectional illustration of it.
Two color side-views of a Rosh Chepey automatic rifle and a sectional illustration of it.
Two color side-views of a Yasnikov automatic rifle and two sectionalized illustrations of it.
CHAPTER 2-MAXIM MACHINE GUN
25 black and white wartime photos of Russian troops and the gun (one includes a woman in the photo), The gun is shown on a tripod, wheeled carriage and loaded on horseback.
There are 14 blueprints of the gun and many line-drawings of it, including some cutaway illustrations.
There are 23 color cutaway illustrations of sections of the Maxim. 4 color illustrations of it’s wheeled cart, a color illustration it’s metal ammo case and one of it’s canvas bag ammo case. Two color illustrations of its ammo belt, a color illustration of the Maxim on the wheeled cart.
CHAPTER 3-SCHWARZLOSE MACHINE GUN
Eleven black and white wartime photos of Russian soldiers with the gun, a black and white photo that shows the gun loaded aboard 4 different horses, 2 black and white illustrations of the gun on it’s tripod, a illustration of it’s elevation wheel, a color side view of the gun on it’s tripod, 11 sectionalize color illustrations of the gun.
CHAPTER 5-COLT MACHINE GUN “THE POTATO DIGGER”.
Two black and white photos of it on it’s tripod. 2 cutaway line drawings of it, black and white illustrations of the gun loaded on 3 different horses. Thee black and white wartime photos of Russian soldiers with the gun and 3 black and white photos of the gun mounted on a biplane. Three color sectionalized illustrations of the gun.
CHAPTER 6-HOTCHKISS MACHINE GUN
Black and white illustration of the gun on it’s tripod. 5 cutaway type line-drawing of the gun, black and white illustration of the gun loaded on two different horses. One black and white photo of Russian soldiers with the gun. Seven color sectionalized illustrations of the gun.
CHAPTER 7- MADSEN MACHINE GUN
2 color side views of the gun. Black and white illustrations of 2 bayonets. Six black and white cut-away line drawings. Black and white illustration of gun on its tripod. Line-drawing also of it on it’s tripod. Seven black and white wartime photos of Russian soldiers with the gun.
CHAPTER 8- CHAUCHAT (CSRG) MACHINE GUN
Four color side view illustration of the gun. Many line drawings of it. One color sectionalized view of it.
CHAPTER 9- LEWIS MACHINE GUN
Four color side-views of the gun. Four line drawings of it. Two color sectionalized illustrations of it. Black and white photo of 2 of it’s ammo drums. 4 black and white photos of the gun. Two black and white photos of the gun mounted on a biplane. Four sectionalized color illustrations of it and a color illustration of the ammo drum.
CHAPTER 10-HOTCHKISS PORTATIVE MACHINE GUN
Two color illustrations of the gun on its bipod. A sectionalized color illustration
This is a neat book about Russian automatic weapons used during the Great War (WWI). It will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Stratus books can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Stratus Books is located in Sandomierz, Poland. They do their line of books in both Polish and English. This book is in English. They are associated with MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) based in the U.K. and they do all their books for them in English.
This book has a hard-cover of 189 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format. Six pages are blank.
The cover is divided in half diagonally. At the top there is a solid red photo of 4 Russian soldiers standing in a pill box.
In the center there is a color illustration of a Lewis machine-gun,
In the lower white section there is a pale line-drawing of the Maxim’s wheeled cart.
The cover art wraps around the book’s spine with half the images on the back cover.
There are 92 black and white photos.
The book features 10 guns.
It begins with an INTRODUCTION that shows Russian troops around a biplane.
CHAPTER 1 –AUTOMATIC RIFLES:
Four black and white war-time photos of Russian soldiers and their automatic rifles, four sectionalized line-drawings of the rifles.
Color side view of a 3-line Fedorov automatic rifle and 3 sectionalized illustrations.
Two color side-views of a different Fedorov automatic rifle and a sectional illustration of it.
Two color side-views of a Rosh Chepey automatic rifle and a sectional illustration of it.
Two color side-views of a Yasnikov automatic rifle and two sectionalized illustrations of it.
CHAPTER 2-MAXIM MACHINE GUN
25 black and white wartime photos of Russian troops and the gun (one includes a woman in the photo), The gun is shown on a tripod, wheeled carriage and loaded on horseback.
There are 14 blueprints of the gun and many line-drawings of it, including some cutaway illustrations.
There are 23 color cutaway illustrations of sections of the Maxim. 4 color illustrations of it’s wheeled cart, a color illustration it’s metal ammo case and one of it’s canvas bag ammo case. Two color illustrations of its ammo belt, a color illustration of the Maxim on the wheeled cart.
CHAPTER 3-SCHWARZLOSE MACHINE GUN
Eleven black and white wartime photos of Russian soldiers with the gun, a black and white photo that shows the gun loaded aboard 4 different horses, 2 black and white illustrations of the gun on it’s tripod, a illustration of it’s elevation wheel, a color side view of the gun on it’s tripod, 11 sectionalize color illustrations of the gun.
CHAPTER 5-COLT MACHINE GUN “THE POTATO DIGGER”.
Two black and white photos of it on it’s tripod. 2 cutaway line drawings of it, black and white illustrations of the gun loaded on 3 different horses. Thee black and white wartime photos of Russian soldiers with the gun and 3 black and white photos of the gun mounted on a biplane. Three color sectionalized illustrations of the gun.
CHAPTER 6-HOTCHKISS MACHINE GUN
Black and white illustration of the gun on it’s tripod. 5 cutaway type line-drawing of the gun, black and white illustration of the gun loaded on two different horses. One black and white photo of Russian soldiers with the gun. Seven color sectionalized illustrations of the gun.
CHAPTER 7- MADSEN MACHINE GUN
2 color side views of the gun. Black and white illustrations of 2 bayonets. Six black and white cut-away line drawings. Black and white illustration of gun on its tripod. Line-drawing also of it on it’s tripod. Seven black and white wartime photos of Russian soldiers with the gun.
CHAPTER 8- CHAUCHAT (CSRG) MACHINE GUN
Four color side view illustration of the gun. Many line drawings of it. One color sectionalized view of it.
CHAPTER 9- LEWIS MACHINE GUN
Four color side-views of the gun. Four line drawings of it. Two color sectionalized illustrations of it. Black and white photo of 2 of it’s ammo drums. 4 black and white photos of the gun. Two black and white photos of the gun mounted on a biplane. Four sectionalized color illustrations of it and a color illustration of the ammo drum.
CHAPTER 10-HOTCHKISS PORTATIVE MACHINE GUN
Two color illustrations of the gun on its bipod. A sectionalized color illustration
This is a neat book about Russian automatic weapons used during the Great War (WWI). It will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Stratus books can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.