Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Reference book even for non-shooters November 23, 2007
There must be millions of readers out there who don't really care about guns, per se, but run into various types of weaponry when reading historical or crime fiction.
I know a little about guns -- grew up in a southern family, first .22 rifle when I was 13 years old, etc. -- but when I'm reading a World War I novel and the hero pulls out a huge Austro-Hungarian Empire military revolver, I may be a little lost.
Hogg's book fulfills a useful function for those who want to doublecheck and see what some weapon in a story actually looks like.
(Oh, so that's how a Webley Fosberry automatic revolver worked, huh?)
(A DeLisle carbine is a silenced Enfield rifle in .45 caliber? What the heck would that look like?)
Gun nuts (like me) can get a little picky about details in far-ranging reference books. But if you're starting from scratch, books like this are invaluable.
 Best but could be better April 15, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have had this book for a number of years and, although the research is excellent, it does indeed have substantial typo's and reference errors as if the material was compiled by a staff editor who knows nothing about firearms and has not taken the trouble to make simple corrections. Many firearms are omitted and some included, however revolutionary and ground-breaking they are not always representative of the whole. Furthermore, the entire category of combat shotguns has not even been addressed but anti-materiel rifles have, which are undeniably interesting but only a small part of the whole. The organization is good as are the photographs but I would have made a number of editing corrections as a previous reviewer has noted (I have written in the corrections in my own volume). I rely upon this volume for information but often double check the facts through other sources as the glaring errors reduces my confidence in this as a comprehensive reference. As a reference book writer myself, I have written to the publisher offering to edit an 8th edition should such a thing be in the works but of course there is no profit margin for a slightly corrected version of a popular volume. My edition is so heavily thumbed and used that I will likely acquire another and not balk at the price but would gladly pay more for an accurate reference.
Review of Military Small Arms of the 20th century. April 3, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Actually I was being lenient with 3 stars... It is an incomplete work with HUGE gaps on vital basics, leaving out prominent manufacturers and models manufactured, and above all, grossly wrong on stats on some items. Mr Hogg needs to do a lot of further work before he can claim it to be a quality reference work of note.
Definitive March 24, 2006
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book lives up to its name. It provides an overview of the 20th Century. Lots of photos for reference. Exactly what I thought it would be.
Most Comprehensive Ever! August 19, 2003
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is truly the first and last book when it comes to 20th century small arms. Ian Hogg does it again as he categorizes weapons by type then country. Every gun is included from WWI to 1990. This book is black and white but the photos are good, and he has some for some very rare guns. Each gun is accompanied by a photo and a chart laying out the facts. Each gun also contains a few paragraphs of history and review as to how it should be placed in history. For example the MG42 is rightfully hailed as the best machine gun of WWII, while the M16 is ridiculed as reason we lost Vietnam. I'm read a lot of gun books and this one is the best because of Hogg's writing, and the fact that it is the most comprehensive I've ever seen. He doesn't just include his favorite guns but every gun ever used in 20th century combat. The HK G11 cover is also impressive.
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