Hardcover, black cloth cover, the text on the spine in gold-coloured ink, with dust jacket, entitled "The Iron Cross - A History 1813-1957", by Gordon Williamson, first published and copyrighted in the United Kingdom by Blandford Press Limited of Poole, Dorset in 1984, reprinted in 1985, typeset by Graphicraft Typesetters Limited of Hong Kong, printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Limited of Bungay, Suffolk, ISBN 0 7137 1460 3. As stated on the dust jacket: "The Iron Cross is probably one of the world's best known decorations. It was first awarded in the 1813 'Freedom War' which ended with the defeat of Napoleon, and became so deeply embedded in Prussian and then in German culture that almost every facet of life, from the National flag to cheap souvenirs, featured the Iron Cross. Gordon Williamson traces its history and design from 1813 and gives brief notes on all the principal recipients in various wars including the Napoleonic, Franco-Prussian (1870), First World War (1914-18) and Second World War (1939-45) and its 'de-nazification' in 1957. Throughout he gives full information of grades, award documents and other details ending with a look at values, collecting, restoring and recognising fakes. The author has been assisted by numerous collectors (including Dr. K.G. Klietmann) as well as surviving German veterans (including Richard Schulze, Hitler's SS Adjutant, Heinrich Springer, Knights Cross holder and Otto Weidinger, Regimental Commander in 'Das Reich' Division. "The Iron Cross" is both an invaluable reference for the collector and a unique guide to an unusual aspect of military history." It begins with a Table of Contents, followed by a Foreword by Heinrich Springer, Former SS-Sturmbannführer and First Ordnance Officer on the Staff of Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (dated September 12, 1983 at Oelixdorf), an Acknowledgements and an Introduction. The book contains four basic sections: 1 - The Iron Cross of 1813 (Second Class, First Class, The Grand Cross); 2 - The Iron Cross of 1870 (Second Class, First Class, The Grand Cross); 3 - The Iron Cross of 1914 (Second Class, First Class, The Grand Cross); 4 - The Iron Cross of 1939 (Second Class, First Class, The Knight's Cross, The Grand Cross). It concludes with four Appendices (1 - The Iron Cross of 1957; 2 - The LDO; 3 - Post-War Reproductions; 4 - Collecting and Restoring), a List of Comparative Ranks, a Glossary, a List of Select Metric/Imperial Equivalents, a Bibliography and a three page Index. The book contains 176 pages of detailed text and photographs, printed in black ink, on a white paper stock, measuring 145 mm (w) x 222 mm (h) x 15 mm (d). It has had the previous owner's name struck out on the inside cover endpaper, with sunning evident on the spine of the dust jacket, the pages themselves remaining pristine and the photographs very crisp. Near extremely fine.
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