Parker Pages Review of Books

[Austin W Hogan]

The winter issue of Parker Pages will close 15 October, just after the annual meeting. Art Wheaton began the re birth of the Parker Pages Review of Books in the current issue. We would like to continue with one or two book reviews each issue ( under direction of a book review editor if anyone would wish to volunteer). Two books I would suggest are Serven's "The Collecting of Guns" and A.J. Liu, "The American Sporting Collector's Handbook", Winchester Press, 1976

Best, Austin

[Austin W Hogan]

Bringing this back to the top.

[Bill Murphy]

I found Serven's book a total bore, but it's been years since I opened it. Maybe I'll take a look at it again to confirm. Can we have a list of books that have been reviewed so we can suggest new ones?

[Bill Murphy]

I did scan Serven's book and there is not a picture or a reference to a shotgun and no definitive information of any kind on the guns covered. The section on Winchesters is six pages! It was printed in 1964 when probably no more than a dozen serious collectors recognized shotguns as a collecting field.

[Bill Murphy]

I went through the tables of contents from 2009 back to 2004 on this website and found Hinman's Golden Age of Shotgunning, Dr. Norris' Eastern Upland Shooting, Lynn Bogue Hunt's Artist's Game Bag, and Art Wheaton's synopsis of Gene Hill works. That is about it except that the Winter 2009 which has not yet been posted. We have plenty of books to review it seems.

[Austin W Hogan]

Thanks Bill; I'll bring this to the top again. We have reviewed Peter Johnson, and several works of Burt Spiller. Book reviews are pure opinion, another review of a classic is probably welcome. Interestingly we have never had a review of The Parker Story; ten years after publication this should be an informative guide to new collectors.Also , no one has reviewed
Baer.
I have a copy of Serven The Collecting of Guns, and will bring it to Pin Tail if any one would like to do a review. I feel that this would be important and enlightening. Serven considered only a few non military arms to be collectable, but many people now consider Serven's formulae for military arms as criteria for collecting sporting arms. Is this reasonable?s it the way sporting arms collecting should proceed? A good revue of Serven has the possibility of being a major article.

Best, Austin