Book: Parker-America's Finest Shotgun

[Jeffrey Eley]

I came across this book found in my Dad's storage shed. Written by "Peter H. Johnson," I believe in the early 1960's. I going to begin reading it immediately. Anybody else familiar with it or know anything about it?

[Mills]

Yes , that is the first great book on Parkers.

[Dean Romig]

That book is one of the five or six ‘must have’ titles for a true Parker collector’s library of books dedicated exclusively to Parker guns.





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[Researcher]

Take it with a grain of salt. A load of better research has been done in the nearly 60 years since Peter's book came out, and a lot better books have been written.

[B. Dudley]

Long on enthusiasm, short on facts.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Take it with a grain of salt. A load of better research has been done in the nearly 60 years since Peter's book came out, and a lot better books have been written.

Agreed, and the illustrations in it are quite poor but it is still the first book published on the Parker gun and though it is lacking in fact, should still be in a complete collection of Parker titles, IMO.





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[Randy Roberts]

Jeffrey I agree with all the previously posted comments on this book and I have it myself as should any Parker aficionado. However if you want the proverbial Bible get yourself a copy of The Parker Story, It's going to set you back about $300-$350 I think unless you come across a used copy but it contains more technarcana and basic knowledge than even the best can consume in one reading, sort of like drinking from a fire hose if you get my drift, You will not be sorry. Good luck with your quest for Parker knowledge.

[Nick de Guerre]

Yes, this book is a stinker. In some ways I came away feeling like it actually detracts from the guns, because he has a sort of sycophantic way of illustrating his opinions, framing them in bandwagon platititudes rather than evidence. Only stupid people form beliefs thusly. Like a John Deere aficionado who when asked why they are the best can offer only that "they are green and yellow." Such halfwitted statements only detract.

Parker made fine guns, but no better than the best that several others offered. Their success as a BRAND was as much a function of the family's excellent marketing and name leveraging as it was the quality of the guns. No other American maker had such business acumen behind them. And this isnt to say anything poor about the guns themselves...just that it certainly mattered that they were made by a snooty CT merchant family who were already successful manufacturers even before they went into the gun business. Kudos to them!

Johnson comes off like a fanboy who is long on emotional investment and short on substantive knowledge. He writes as if every other make of American arms maker was "Crescent" quality. I found myself rolling my eyes as I read.

I cherish my Parkers. But so too, my Smiths, Lefever's, and others. Still haven't owned a high grade Baker, and I have seen two Tobins that nearly brought me to tears. Oh, and what about high grade Remington 1894's!

Johnson is 'that guy' who agrees with you that you'd rather have disagreeing...because he's just so disagreeable. I'll stick with The Parker Story, and Brophy.

NDG

[Jeffrey Eley]

Gentlemen,
Thank you for the Full Spectrum of responses! I will certainly finish reading the book knowing that there is much more decisive & conclusive literature still to read! Thanks again.

[stumpstalker]

Nick:

That’s an audacious post of yours on this Association’s Forum. But I do appreciate that getting at the truth of a matter does not always call for “sunshine and lollipops”.

Not to dispute your facts or opinions (for now anyway), I respectfully ask that you direct me to the elements that form the basis of your “snooty CT merchant family" characterization.

Of the hard-bound Parker-dedicated books, I do have the subject book by Peter Johnson and the two-volume PARKER STORY. That could be limiting me, I understand.