Search results for ""schiffer publishing""

This book presents vintage, often whimsical, and one-of-a-kind wooden figurine carvings by ANRI, the world-renowned company founded in 1912 in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. Among the more than 2,500 carvings featured are bottle stoppers, bottle openers and corkscrews, bar sets, calendars, letter openers, bookends, humidors, ashtrays, lighters, cigarette boxes, pipe rests, salt and pepper sets, pepper mills, napkin rings, timers, toothpick holders, brushes, salt and serving spoons, spoon and key racks, door knockers, and figurines, including monks and characters from novels by Charles Dickens. Collectors with a wide range of interests will be delighted with the amazing number of woodcarvings shown. This book will amuse and inspire today’s woodcarvers and collectors, novices and experienced devotees alike.

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Here is an assortment of carving projects unlike any other! This book captures the magic and fun of a street-corner band, with eight different personalities jamming away, heart and soul, for passers-by. The whimsical characters are irresistable—you’ll want to clap your hands and sing along with them. Al guides the reader step-by-step through the carving of “Hurricane” Brown, the saxophone player for this wonderful ensemble, from using the pattern, to carving the figure, to painting and finishing it. In addition to the actual project instructions, some very helpful tips and techniques are presented in the introductory section. Beginning and advanced carvers alike will learn a great deal from Al’s many years of carving experience! A colorful gallery introduces you to other members of the band and a chapter of patterns provides the specifics for carving all eight characters.

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The ancient and wonderful art of direct stone sculpture is brought to life in this comprehensive new book by the noted sculptor, Milt Liebson. After a brief, informative historical overview of stone sculpture, he leads the reader through the hands-on experience of sculpting in stone. This is an invaluable book for artists and would-be artists in stone. The types of stone used in sculpture are covered, as well as the basic tools for hand sculpting and the techniques for their use. For the advanced sculptor there is detailed information on power tools and their use, the methods of lamination and repair, the business side of stone sculpture, and other helpful information gleaned from years of experience. Detailed photographs take readers from rough stone to the polished and mounted piece. Already a standard reference, **Direct Stone Sculpture now includes 47 new pictures, updated stone-working techniques, and a gallery of students' work.

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Here’s the help you need for one of life’s most critical undertakings -- making your own coffin. Author and craftsman Dale Power revisits one of his most popular woodworking projects with additional embellishment, adding finery and fancy to what could easily become your final resting place. Easily, that is, since, more than 230 color photos and detailed instructions have been provided to help guide you step by step toward your own casket. This project might truly be your life’s finest accomplishment. The installation of working coffin hardware, both exterior and interior, is explored and the proper application of finishes and linings are explained. Patterns for the coffin are provided, along with two lid designs. The color photo gallery and detailed instructions will challenge the novice and inspire experienced craftsmen.

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Smaller-scale replicas of dream vehicles capture the imagination and touch the child in each of us. Here are Jaguars, Bugattis, Ferraris, Jeeps, MGs, and many, many others, made from 1900 to the present day, powered by pedals, electricity, or gasoline. It covers a spectrum of cars made from the turn of the century to the present day. Over 300 photos of children’s automobiles make this book valuable to collectors, restorers, and researchers alike. Detailed captions for each car explain the model, its unique qualities, current value, and interesting restoration information. A large supplement loaded with catalog material presents children’s vehicles produced by the Tri-Ang company. Both toy and full-size vehicle enthusiasts will stop to enjoy this interesting corner of the automotive world.

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“Vigorous training, hazardous duty.” These were the words that lured prospective volunteers to the First Special Service Force, and that promised, for those who measured up, the chance of getting into the war quickly. Unique during World War II, the First Special Service Force evolved as the amalgam of two Armies, Canadian and American, and the men who filled its ranks were among the hand-picked best from throughout North America. Their diverse and intensive training took them from the dust-covered prairies of Montana, to the bitterly-cold peaks of the Great Divide, to the waters of Chesapeake Bay. Their skillfulness, their remarkable esprit de corps, and their legendary endurance saw them through tough combat missions in both the Asiatic-Pacific and the European Theaters of operation. The Supercommandos chronicles the organization, training, and combat operations of the First Special Service Force during its brief but exhilarating history. Accompanying the broad text are nearly 400 black and white images, most unpublished, including a photo-essay by renowned combat photographer, Robert Capa. As well, there are more than forty extraordinary full-color wartime images of the Force both in training and in the combat zone. Beautifully rendered full-color maps, highly detailed Order of Battle graphics, charts, and numerous facsimiles of noteworthy original Force documents are also included. Completing this volume are over eighty full-color images of exceptionally rare, authentic First Special Service Force uniforms, insignia, weapons and equipment. The Supercommandos offers an unparalleled view of one of the world’s all-time military elites, and will prove to be an invaluable resource for any collector, reenactor, veteran, or historian.

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Holder of the Knight’s Cross with Oakleaves and Swords, Otto Weidinger was the last commander of SS-Regiment “Der Führer.” Among the best field officers of the Waffen-SS, he graduated from SS officer school and served throughout the war. This fully revised and expanded edition of his authorized biography provides a wealth of information for the historian and military collector. Lavishly illustrated with more than 130 photographs and documents, many never before seen, the volume covers Weidinger’s military career and life in complete detail. This vastly expanded classic is an essential study of one of the most decorated officers of the 2.SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich.”

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The worldwide Studio Glass Movement has stimulated a fresh look at the ancient material by sparking dramatic developments in its use as a vehicle for making contemporary sculpture. In the last 20 years, an incredibly diverse group of important artists and designers have been associated with UrbanGlass: New York Center for Contemporary Glass, influencing the character and shape of the Studio Glass Movement in many different, and sometimes profound ways. This gorgeous volume documents the work of 173 of these artists and designers in over 500 lush color pictures, and celebrates their achievements in art and design using the most exciting art medium being explored today. This book illustrates glass in its full expressive range and suggests exciting future possibilities. An authoritative text by prominent curators, critics, and writers round out this definitive survey.

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The finer points of beer advertising appear with over 500 color photographs of the many sharp or pointed objects associated with beer. Here are beer promoting knives, letter openers, ice picks, scrapers, tongs, forks, cigar and box cutters, scissors, writing instruments, screwdrivers, nail clippers, toothpicks, can openers, fishing lures, sewing kits, combs, golf tees, and much more. Informative and truly entertaining, this book is peppered with beerbits, bizbits, and bullbits, information about the breweries and brands advertised, the makers, a price guide, and a detailed index.

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This new book contains not only a history of the legendary Lafayette Flying Corps, but also detailed biographies of the 269 volunteer American airmen and gunners of France’s Service Aeronautique who flew in sixty-six pursuit and twenty-seven bomber/observation squadrons over the Western Front – also included are the thirty-eight pilots of the Escadrille Lafayette. It is an accurate and absorbing account of the lives and combat experiences of the men who later formed the nucleus of the American Expeditionary Force squadrons. This ground breaking work contains comprehensive research, including details of war casualties and survivors, and many unpublished photographs.

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A hot, new collectible has gone international as great M&M's*r items are being released all over the world! Now M&M's fans can see lists and values for all known M&M's dispensers, toppers, tins, and other items, plus related ads and displays from the USA and around the world. NASCAR M&M's items, French pocket surprises, and examples of earlier collectibles are all included in this expansive and colorful guide. Get in on the ground floor of this fast-growing hobby and join the hunt for "the collectible that smiles back at you!"

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Rich in history and valor, the multicolored woven art known as "tartan" is centuries old but has been codified only since the late eighteenth century. Conjuring images of kilted warriors and lively bagpipes, tartan has survived hundreds of years to become the very fabric of the Scottish nation--as popular today as in years past. "All Scots are color coded," it is said, and in this third of three alphabetically arranged volumes you will find over 400 examples of vividly striped tartans covering the names MacNichol to Yukon. "What are my colors?" is the most frequently asked question of the International Association of Tartan Studies, and chances are you will find them in this beautifully illustrated book. Compiled from the nearly 5,000 tartans in the Association's database and selected by two leading authorities, this outstanding assortment ranges from the simplest to the most complex. Includes brief historical background, definitions of related terms, and thread counts for the tartan weaver. An invaluable resource for families, clubs, historians, and designers.

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As the Luftwaffe’s standard fighter, beginning in 1937 the Bf 109 was produced in large numbers and after the outbreak of the Second World War saw action over every front. With this light, high-performance aircraft Professor Willy Messerschmitt had created a ground-breaking design. The Bf 109 had to remain in continuous development in order to keep pace with advances in Allied fighter design. 1941 saw the advent of the Bf 109 F, a clearly improved version, which was soon replaced by the more powerful and better armed Bf 109 G. The Bf 109 H high-altitude fighter reached a ceiling of 14,000 meters, and the Bf 109 K, the most potent of all the variants of this fighter aircraft, entered production in the last year of the war. This is a complete summary of all versions from the Bf 109 F to K with many photographs, some never before published, and details.

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Here for the first time ever, is a book dedicated to the head-dress worn by the British Heavy Cavalry, both regular, and volunteer of the period 1842 to the present day. It is lavishly illustrated with both colour and black and white photographs of helmets, most of which have never previously been published, together with contemporary black and white photographs of officers in full dress uniform. Each pattern of helmet is fully described, including the type of materials and metal used, the number of component parts, and method of construction for both the officers, and the other ranks pattern of helmet. The head-dress includes the three Household Cavalry regiments from the c. 1842, the seven regiments of Dragoon Guards, and three of Dragoons from 1847, and some twenty-seven regiments of yeomanry from c. 1848 to 1914. Additionally there is a brief description of the pattern of helmet worn by many of these regiments prior to 1842/47, a 'thumbnail' description of the full dress uniform worn, together with the address of the Regimental Headquarters of each yeomanry regiment as at 1914. This book is an essential source of reference for both the established, and new collectors of heavy cavalry head-dress of both the regular cavalry and the yeomanry regiments, and to the student of cavalry full dress uniforms of the period c. 1850 to 1914.

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Monsters of all shapes and sizes stalk the pages of this entertaining and informative "creature-feature." Over 600 color photos capture the incarnations of all the ghouls, mutants, and vampires that ever sent chills up your spine at the theater or in the den, from Alien r to Z-Ton r. Monstrous banks, board games, costumes, fiendish figures, model kits, and wind-ups are included! The collectibles covered in this book range from the early 1960s, when monster toys were first introduced, through the decade of the 1980s and touch upon the recent fare of the 1990s. Whether you prefer monsters from Hollywood or Japan, the silver screen or the small screen, there is something in this book for you. Prices for every item displayed are found in the captions, often with loose and mint-in-package prices.

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This book provides a review of the history behind colourful Depression glassware, descriptions of specific pieces along with their values, and information on how to collect and display Depression Glass. Illustrated with nearly 300 colour photographs, individual chapters highlight premium give-aways, children's sets, unique pitchers and pitcher sets, butter dishes, serving pieces, the decorated Swanky Swigs, reproductions, and much more. Also included are a vocabulary list, a review of important glassware companies, and a bibliography. This book is an excellent guide for all lovers and collectors of Depression Glass.

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In 1983, Cabbage Patch Kids*r inspired a nationwide craze unlike any toy before them, inviting children to "adopt" their very own Kid. Of course, parenthood is a real responsibility--a new baby needs toys, clothing, diapers, and countless other items! Coleco and a host of other toy companies were happy to supply a massive assortment of merchandise for these child "parents" that created a multi-million dollar market apart from the dolls themselves. Now this merchandise is part of a new Cabbage Patch craze among collectors. Here is a guide devoted entirely to the thousands of items surrounding the dolls, including doll furniture and clothing, jewelry, games, miniatures, and school supplies. The book includes almost 600 color photos and up-to-date pricing information.

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This book covers Gulf Oil Company items from by-gone years. Arranged in easy-to-follow alphabetical sections, it has over 700 color photos and descriptions of popular Gulf-related service stations, blotters, signs, pumps, globes, toys, and many more items with current market values. Collecting the advertising, promotional items, and products from Gulf Oil provides a colorful, nostalgic, and never-ending hobby.

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The enigmatic science of military intelligence is examined in this personal record, written by Brig.Gen. Oscar W. Koch, who served during World War II as chief of intelligence for General George S. Patton, Jr., one of the most colorful military leaders in American history. General Koch traces the growth and development of the infant science through detailed accounts of the intelligence role in some of the most celebrated battles of the war, and through his personal remembrances of Patton and his relationships with members of his intelligence staff. His story moves from the African campaign through Sicily, into France on D-Day and on to the Battle of the Bulge, pointing out how the work of the intelligence staff made the differences in the final reckoning. General Koch’s book is more than a historical study, however. It is the exciting story of the operations behind the cloak and dagger illusions.

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French Aeroplanes Before the Great War is a catalog of the aeroplanes of the nearly 700 French builders who worked before the onset of World War I. Most of these aeroplanes flew – some did not – some were never even finished – but all of them reflect the extraordinary vitality and sense of optimism that powered the aeronautical world before the future of the aeroplane began to become clearer in wartime. If the Wrights had not flown in 1903, one of the early French builders would very quickly have won the laurels for the first flight. Some of the machines appear in these pages probably for the first time in print; others are rarely seen. This collection serves as a kind of super Exposition Internationale de Locomotion Aérienne; readers are invited to enter the Grand Palais, as they might have in 1908 or 1909, to enjoy these marvelous aircraft.

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Two thousand nine hundred forty-five men lined up in four motorized columns immediately behind the German Army on June 22, 1941 as it prepared to launch Operation Barbarossa – the German attack on the Soviet Union – an attack designed to win the war. Their mission – for the glory of Greater Germany – was to butcher as many human beings as they could get their hands on – men, women and children who were at that very moment peacefully sleeping in their warm beds in dozens of large cities and scores of small hamlets from the Gulf of Finland to the Black Sea, and from the border with old Poland to the outskirts of Moscow. The field men of the Einsatzkommandos, the men of Bach and Beethoven, Grimm and Gutenberg – and now Hitler and Heydrich – were very thorough at what they did. Over the course of the next two years, by means of machine-guns, carbines, gas vans, explosives, rifle butts or ax handles, the field men would slaughter 1,300,000 people. The Field Men, a companion volume to MacLean’s The Camp Men: the SS Officers Who Ran the Nazi Concentration Camp System, covers the entire gamut, from the organization of the units, to the SS officers who served in this scourge on the Eastern Front. Some 380 SS officers are described in full detail and extensively analyzed. The photographic section of the book contains over 175 photographs, while detailed maps show the locations for each unit throughout the campaign.

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Willy Messerschmitt (1898-1978) was indisputably one of the most significant of Germany’s aeronautical design engineers. This book examines Messerschmitt’s life as a designer, aircraft builder, and businessman; it begins with the Harth-Messerschmitt gliders (1913-1923), winds its way through the sportplanes of the 1920s and 1930s, the M 18 and M 20 passenger airliners, the Bf 108 Taifun commuter plane, the Bf/Me 109, 110, 210, 410 military aircraft, and continues on to the Me 261, 264, 321, and 323 behemoths, as well as the Me 262 jet powered combat plane and swing-wing P.1101. The activities of the Messerschmitt AG after World War II, with the forced interruption of German aircraft production and Professor Messerschmitt’s foreign developments in Spain and Egypt, are also given a thorough treatment.

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Happiness is...a whole new book of Peanuts collectibles! Attention Peanuts Gang lovers! Here is another huge volume of treasures from our favorite crowd of kids. Jan Lindenberger has made another visit to the massive collection of Cher Porges to bring back over six hundred full color photographs of "Peanut-phernalia" not seen in any other book! In the enormous field of Peanuts collectibles, this series is a must, providing the photography, information, and up-to-date prices you need to keep your collection at its best. This is a fantastic book for the serious collector, but it's also a great Peanuts tribute-if you'd rather just play catch with Charlie Brown, get advice from Lucy, play a duet with Schroeder, fly with Snoopy against the Red Baron, or hang around the pumpkin patch to get philosophical with Linus. This book celebrates the wonderful innocence, cleverness, and unique humor of Charles Schulz's Peanut Gang.

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Adversary takes an inside look at the dedicated adversary tactics units within the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Every unit in this highly specialized group, from the Navy's well known TOPGUN program to the US Air Force's elite 414th Combat Training Squadron is reviewed. The Marine Corps Sniper squadron and Navy reserve units are also covered. Over the course of a two year time-frame, authors Rick Llinares and Chuck Lloyd were afforded unprecedented access to each of the five remaining aggressor squadrons. Join the authors as they go inside the best air combat training units anywhere in the world. Fly with USAF F-16 Vipers, Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Marine F-5E Tigers during actual training missions. Hear directly from actual aggressor pilots as they describe what it's like to simulate the bad guy. Learn how they fly their 'Soviet fighters' against American airman in mock air battles. The book covers the history of the adversary programs in the American military as well as exploring the current air combat environment Modern threat aircraft flown by the former Soviet Union as well as the three American aggressor fighters are also included. Playing the role of the 'bad guy' in the dangerous environment of aerial combat is not an easy task. Adversary pilots must first be superb fighter pilots. They must also be excellent teachers of the art of air combat, masters of their trade. Their job is to teach, to take the best fighter pilots in the world and make them even better. Adversary tells their story in dramatic photography and fascinating text.

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Following the tremendous success of his first book on the subject, The Queens of Burlesque, Len Rothe has again pulled from his collection of original photographs of entertainers this delightful selection of over 100 images of Burlesque stars. Together with a revealing text that introduces burlesque to today's new audience, these photographs retain the surprise and teasing elements that endeared the dancers on stage in the heydays of burlesque shows, before television. In theaters throughout America, striptease dancers entertained grateful audiences. Here are Tempest Storm, Scarlett O'Hara, Lili St. Cyr, Georgia Sothern, and Zorita and her doves. With this book, they look out again with timeless beauty and show you the Bare Truth.

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Slovakia split from Czechoslovakia and formed its own state on March 14, 1939. The Slovak State was born under the auspices of Hitler’s Third Reich and became its first ally on September 1, 1939, when it took part in the invasion of Poland. The Slovak army inherited its weapons, equipment, training manuals and its doctrine from the defunct Czechoslovak Army. Though hampered by a shortage of specialists in its air force, armored units and artillery, it managed to field several division-sized units and sustain them during the initial three years of combat on the Eastern front. Its Mobile division fought its way all the way from the Carpathian Mountains to the Caucasus. In the last years of the war, the Slovak people became more and more disillusioned with the war and with their own semi-fascist government. These feelings led to mounting desertions in the fighting units, and culminated in the Slovak National Uprising in August 1944. Though the uprising was liquidated after two months of bitter fighting, it gave the Slovak nation the right to join the victorious allies and be accepted back into the restored Czechoslovakia. Though the Slovak army was by far the smallest of the armies of Germany’s allies on the Eastern front, it was part of this grandiose “clash of titans” and deserves thus a place in the history of the Second World War. This book describes in detail the composition, dislocation and equipment of all branches of the Slovak army (infantry, artillery, armored and air force) and its operational history through the war years.

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The final stage of the Second World War, with the enemy across the Reich’s borders, saw final desperate battles for numerous “fortified places” and blocking positions. Hitler ordered the defense of these fortified places such as Königsberg and Breslau, Wesel and Kolberg, Danzig, Posen and many others. In these isolated bastions the war-weary German units offered desperate resistance, offered for good purpose. This stubborn holding-on to the last round saved hundreds of thousands of women and children, made possible the evacuation of hospitals and the transport out of surrounded Wehrmacht female auxiliaries. The fates of German soldiers were realized in bunkers and caves, in tunnels and fields of rubble. In the Hürtgenwald as in the Reichswald, during the crossing of the Rhine between Wesel and Emmerich, in the Remagen bridgehead, on the hill at Keppeln, in the Ruhr pocket, as well as in the east of the Reich in the East Prussian pocket, in Pomerania, in Silesia and in the Reich capital. Shocking scenes of apocalyptic battle were played out wherever Hitler’s last bastions held out against the onrushing enemy, whether at the frontiers of the Reich or inside Germany itself.

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This third and final part of the narrative starts with the bitter fighting over Italy, where the Geschwaderstab together with I. and III./JG 53 had to face overwhelming odds in their struggle over both the front lines at Cassino and Anzio/Nettuno bridghead, and over northern Italy. I./JG 53 was later moved to Romania in order to protect the vital oilfields and refineries around Ploesti and later saw further action in Hungary, where it was to take part in the fierce fighting on the southeastern part of the Russian Front in the fall of 1944 and early 1945, eventually retreating into Czechoslovakia and Austria before it was finally disbanded in April 1945 – its remnants amalgamated into II./JG 52. II./JG 53, withdrew from Italy in October 1943, and was the first Gruppe of the Geschwader to be employed on home defense operations, being stationed near Vienna from October 1943 to March 1944 before moving to southwestern Germany, and was the only Gruppe of JG 53 to see action against the Allied invasion forces in the summer of 1944. III./JG 53 also returned from Italy in June 1944 and after a short period of rest and refit was active in the defense of the Reich. When the Allies launched Operation Market Garden both II. and III./JG 53 were called upon to take part in defensive actions. Autumn of 1944 also saw the addition of a fourth Gruppe to the Geschwader with Stab, II., III., IV./JG 53 based along the southwestern sector of the Western Front. For the remainder of the war the Geschwader – minus I. Gruppe – stayed in the southwest where it fought on until the end, retreating deep into southern Germany where the majority of the Gruppen and Staffen were finally disbanded a few days before VE-Day. This final volume of the epic saga of JG 53 concludes with a list of the officers in command of the Geschwader, its Gruppen and Staffeln, a listing of all known victories claimed by JG 53, strength returns, and other appendices.

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Here is the first book written about collectibles from the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, including Esso, Humble, and affiliate companies. To complete this authoritative guide, the author enlisted help from other collectors and included photographs of their prized collections. The result contains photographs and comments about some items so rare that the only ones known are reproduced here for the first time-this may be the only time you will ever see them. Also photographs of common items are here with comments on their origins. Globes, pumps, cans, signs, map racks, banners, lighters, ashtrays, buttons, toys, knives, and credit cards all will bring back memories. Gas and oil memorabilia collectors and all those with an affection for Esso and Standard Oil Company of New Jersey memorabilia will want this valuable reference work.

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The collecting of Staffordshire figures, a particularly English folk art, has expanded from its origins to include much of the English speaking world. This work, in two books, details and illustrates the range and depth of figures made by the potters. Over 2,900 figures are illustrated in Book One and Book Two, virtually all in the brilliant color which was imperative for the beauty and simplicity of the figures to be fully appreciated. Many of these figures have never before been recorded. A history of the figures, together with many sources and relevant bibliographical details, are included, along with a guide to current prices. Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835-1875, Book One is the definitive work on Portrait figures, and also includes Naval and Military, and Theatrical and Literary Characters (including Opera, Ballet, and Circus).

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From humble beginnings in the late 1800s, the popularity of cigarettes grew into the twentieth century, until they became far and away the favorite way to enjoy the pleasures of tobacco. To capitalize on the rising demand, new brands were introduced around the world, and every one had a distinctive, attractive pack. Most were executed in rich colors and with graphics designed to catch the eye and capture the imagination of the potential consumer. Today these miniature works of advertising art have attracted a large, international audience of admirers and collectors. This new book presents hundreds of cigarette packs from every corner of the globe, in full color, with vital information about manufacture and price that will be invaluable to the collector. The images themselves represent a fascinating visual history of more than one hundred years of cigarette manufacture.

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Coverage of a variety of unusual, experimental and one-off German armored projects.

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Detailed coverage of the massive concrete towers used as anti-aircraft bastions, some of which still stand today.

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The writing of this book, the first in-depth and fully detailed research about the early years of the Chel Ha’avir – from the light-plane days to the supersonic fighters received roughly ten years later – is the culmination of a long research period by the author. Research that was made harder by the tight – but understandable and respected – security measures involving Israel’s Forces. An exceptional source of information has been the help provided by many Chel Ha’Avir veterans who fought in the early days during 1948/1949, and those who helped establish a viable air force in 1949-1956 in spite of tight budgets, obsolescent equipment and lack of experience, and also those who fought in Sinai in late 1956, establishing the seeds for its future role as the airborne shield of Israel. As the reader will discover, the beginnings were extremely hard, and the Chel Ha’Avir had to face unfriendly attitudes from both the United States and the United Kingdom, which took place while many people – civilian and military – were dying in the newborn Hebrew state. But in observing that official policies do not always reflect the citizenship’s feelings, most of the colorful band of foreign volunteers that helped the Chel Ha’avir – and the other defense forces – to resist, fight back and win, came from those countries. These foreign volunteers, mostly with combat experience in World War II, provided a core in which many highly talented young Israelis learned fast. One thing was certain, then and now; Israel exists because of the resolute people that live in this small country, both civilian and military, but above all because of the Chel Ha’avir which in the following years would be proclaimed the most combat experienced air force in the world.

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The units of the Waffen-SS were some of the most successful and influential combat formations produced by any country in this century. Their abilities and accomplishments, in both defense and offense, remain legendary. Finally, the commanders of these elite units are examined here in detail. In this book, the second of a two volume set, sixty-one biographies reveal the lives of the most senior Waffen-SS commanders. Details are provided for education, as well as pre-Third Reich era service in military and civil posts, and includes promotions, assignments and decorations. The 1933-1945 era, the most detailed, reveals all their commands and related data similar to their earlier service. Officially documented recollections of the combat actions that resulted in bestowal of their highest awards (Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold) are finally discussed. Heavily documented, their individual stories continue until their eventual fates are revealed. Beginning with the only two brothers to command a Waffen-SS corps, the study ends with a pair of officers whose units fought in the final defense of Berlin during 1945. The text detail emulates the initial volume, exhaustively examining the lives of all individuals with full biographical information to include higher award recommendations for the Knight's Cross and German Cross. With a foreword by Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and Swords holder Otto Baum, significant material was provided by numerous Waffen-SS veterans. Profusely illustrated with more than 470 previously unpublished or rare photos and war-time documents, eight Order of Battle charts are also included. A full Feldpost listing Order of Battle for the armed formations at the end of 1940 is also included. Also included is an addendum to Volume 1 that adds both text and photographic material uncovered during the concluding research. Supplementary tactical symbols are also illustrated and explained, expanding the coverage of those detailed in the initial work.

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From the moment American Greetings introduced the Care Bears® in 1982, they had a firm bear hug on the hearts of both children and adults. The delightful bears wore their feelings on their bellies: happiness, joy, love, celebration, and hope. And when you wanted to send a thought to a special someone, they were the perfect courier. Care Bears found their way into a variety of products from greeting cards to plush toys, figurines, books, and bedsheets, spawning a host of enthusiastic collectors around the world. Now, for the first time, a wonderful collection of these Care Bear objects and those of their Care Bear Cousinsr has been gathered into a book for collectors. Illustrated with more than 520 color photos showing the variety of Care Bears and their current market values, it provides a convenient guide as these creations show up in the collectibles marketplace.

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Covers the design and usage of the Blohm & Voss Bv 222.

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This third and final part of the narrative starts with the bitter fighting over Italy, where the Geschwaderstab together with I. and III./JG 53 had to face overwhelming odds in their struggle over both the front lines at Cassino and Anzio/Nettuno bridghead, and over northern Italy. I./JG 53 was later moved to Romania in order to protect the vital oilfields and refineries around Ploesti and later saw further action in Hungary, where it was to take part in the fierce fighting on the southeastern part of the Russian Front in the fall of 1944 and early 1945, eventually retreating into Czechoslovakia and Austria before it was finally disbanded in April 1945 – its remnants amalgamated into II./JG 52. II./JG 53, withdrew from Italy in October 1943, and was the first Gruppe of the Geschwader to be employed on home defense operations, being stationed near Vienna from October 1943 to March 1944 before moving to southwestern Germany, and was the only Gruppe of JG 53 to see action against the Allied invasion forces in the summer of 1944. III./JG 53 also returned from Italy in June 1944 and after a short period of rest and refit was active in the defense of the Reich. When the Allies launched Operation Market Garden both II. and III./JG 53 were called upon to take part in defensive actions. Autumn of 1944 also saw the addition of a fourth Gruppe to the Geschwader with Stab, II., III., IV./JG 53 based along the southwestern sector of the Western Front. For the remainder of the war the Geschwader – minus I. Gruppe – stayed in the southwest where it fought on until the end, retreating deep into southern Germany where the majority of the Gruppen and Staffen were finally disbanded a few days before VE-Day. This final volume of the epic saga of JG 53 concludes with a list of the officers in command of the Geschwader, its Gruppen and Staffeln, a listing of all known victories claimed by JG 53, strength returns, and other appendices.

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This volume of photographs provides a documentation of the many motorcycle riders and their various cycles between 1934 and 1945, including requisitioned machines.

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The little known command bunker complex south of Berlin as used by the Germans (WWII) and by the Russians.

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Petroleum collectibles are among the most popular antiques today, and Sinclair is one of the most fondly remembered of all the gasoline marketers. In this beautiful book the authors have told the story of Sinclair Oil, tracing its history through pictures of various marketing items, now highly collectible. Included are over 350 color photographs of early and rare Sinclair pump globes, colorful and interesting Sinclair signs, Sinclair cans emblazoned with "Dino," Sinclair's beloved mascot dinosaur, fabulously restored gas pumps, old station photos, toys, trinkets, and hundreds of other items. A value guide for each item is included, along with insights which will help the collector appreciate the historical value of these unique collectibles.

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Movado is one of the world's most recognized watch brands. This lavishly illustrated book, certain to delight collectors, presents the evolution of Movado from its roots in the Jura Mountains in 1881 through more than a century of tradition and technological advancement. Over the years, Movado earned a reputation for pioneering the art of the wristwatches, high precision movements, and watches with complications, as well as water-resistant watches. Through 250 color illustrations, the book presents the most compelling designs introduced by Movado, many of which have become coveted collectors' items commanding high prices at worldwide auctions. Movado watches have been favored gifts for heads of state because they possess and reflect the best in precision technology.

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This companion volume presents how the Panzertruppen fought during their defensive struggle with details on the units, organizations, types of Panzers, and tactics.

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This new work explores in detailed color the complex subject of Allgemeine and Waffen-SS uniforms, insignia, and accoutrements. Hundreds of authentic items are extensively photographed in close-up to enable the reader to examine and study.

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The 17th Aero Squadron flew Sopwith Camels under British command along the Western Front during the summer of 1918. This definitive work on the 17th Aero Squadron in World War I is drawn from a wide range of official and personal sources, including original squadron records (found in an attic!), numerous interviews, letters written home, and half a dozen diaries – including one kept by a German pilot flying in opposition.

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Since the publication of A Scroll Saw Christmas woodworkers have been clamoring for more three-dimensional patterns to use on the scroll saw. Now here it is. 54 new patterns to transform into wonderful creations. The marvelous thing about these is that they look great even as they come off the saw...and with a little hand carving and a touch of paint they come to life. Frank includes a short step-by-step guide, illustrated with color photographs, to introduce the use of the scroll saw for 3-D work . There is also a color gallery with examples of many cut items, showing them in various states of finish, rough and carved, natural and painted. You could expect to pay many times the cost of this book for the patterns alone. This wonderful volume has all you need for a pleasurable and profitable 3-D experience.

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The Grumman F6F Hellcat formed the backbone of America’s carrier-based fighter force as the Allies pressed the war toward Japan. Powered by a massive and reliable Pratt & Whitney radial engine, the Hellcat racked up an incredible 19:1 kill ratio against its foes in WWII, and 305 aviators earned ace status while flying the Hellcat. Such famed US naval aces as David McCampbell, Cecil Harris, Eugene Valencia, and Alex Vraciu all flew the Hellcat. In addition to its wing-mounted .50-caliber machine guns, the F6F was equipped to carry bombs as well, allowing pilots to deliver up to 2,000 pounds of bombs on targets. By the time that Hellcat production ended in November 1945, 12,275 examples had rolled off Grumman’s Bethpage, Long Island, assembly line. Through carefully researched photos, many never before published, the history and details of this iconic aircraft are revealed. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

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Developed to provide the US military with a fast-moving reconnaissance vehicle sufficiently armed to knock out WWII-era armored vehicles. The M8 Armored Car and its sibling, the M20 Armored Utility Vehicles, were the most widely used armored vehicles built by Ford. These vehicles saw use with the US Army as well as Allied nations during WWII and well into the 1960s. This book chronicles the development and use of the vehicle from concept to combat. Through dozens of archival photos, many never before published, as well as detailed photographs of some of the finest existent examples of these vehicles, this iconic tank is explored, and its history is explained.

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