[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