"The old Ballantine books - any good?" Topic

I was in the local used book store yesterday when I can across a stack of old ballintine paperbacks. They look like they cover just about every aspect of WWII. From what I could tell from a brief look-see, the production values seem very high, with plenty of good b&w photos, large maps and high quality paper.

My question is, are they any good? Have they stood the teast of time? Or is there something better out there now?

Thanks!

Like any other series, variable; and of course limitted by the scholarship of the period in which they were written. This shows up expecially in any discussion of East Front topics. But for a "what everyone knows" sort of introduction just fine if you can get them at a reasonable price.

And if you read many of them with caution. Unfortunately most of the scholarship is badly dated.

Some of the books are a good read. From a wargamer perspective though I'm looking for more detail which the books don't provide.

Following some of the descriptions of Eastern Front battles is difficult due to the lack of good maps.

I always liked the volume on the Zeebrugge Raid.

Agree with above comments. They are generally written at a larger level than most wargamers look for so if you're looking for the 'big picture' they'd work as a general guide or a starting point. Most of the time, they don't get too much below division level, though it depends on the topic of the book.

I had a vast collection in college. I sold them when I got married. I wish I had them back. As mentioned the quality varied but were good in providing reasonable background material for battles and campaigns.

I strongly recommend the "The Guns" titles from this collection. A light overview, but absolutely fascinating just the same. I have both of the WWII books, and have been looking off and on for the WWI title since I was a teenager.

I believe I have about 80% of the entire collection. They are generally competent in their subject. Some of the titles are very sought after. I got my first book from my Dad at age 8. It was 'Patton'. I still have it. I gave another copy of Patton to my son at age 10. I believe it was the start of my love of Military history. The books are LOADED with pics. I used to use my allowance each week to buy new copies. They were 1 dollar each. I wouldn't sell mine.

Thanks,

John

As has been pointed out, the quality is variable. Most were written before the Ultra program became de-classified, so that aspect is missing. And the Eastern Front stuff suffers from Cold War Soviet secrecy. But they are good overviews of many subjects.

The 'weapons' book are probably the best overall. The technical aspects of various bits of kit generally isn't all that controversial, so they tend to be pretty reliable.

As OldGrenadier pointed out, Ian Hogg's "Guns" books (there's one called "The Guns in Action" that is a companion to the original). John Weeks' "Infantry Weapons" is worth picking up, because it is educational, well-written and funny. It's written in a very conversational tone, with lots of snarky comments about various weapons systems.

I have two shelves full of these. Some are better than others, but I have found photos in these books that I have not seen in other sources, and the general writing/presentation is top notch. As mentioned elsewhere, the East Front books tend to be pretty skethcy and only use West German data sources, for obvious reasons.

+1 for "The Guns" and "Infantry Weapons"

My first Ballantine was "Waffen-SS – the Asphalt Soldiers" and I still have it, probably got it when I was 12 or so. A very cool book by John Keegan, and heavily illustrated too.

The scholarship may have been surpassed in some instances but they are still worthwhile, and a nostalgic thrill for some (like me)

Cheers

w.

I still have quite a few of them. They constitute a good introduction to WW2. I believe some people consider them collectors items.

I second (or third) the high recommendations of Ian Hogg's "Guns." It really helped me to understand 20th Century artillery (vastly different from the old point-and-shoot guns of the ACW).

A touch generic perhaps. The best thing they did was spark interest in young minds to delve more into these subjects.

There are some superb ones. Probably the best example is Sibley's "Tanganyika Guerilla", in the WWI series; but it's rather unique. So much depended on the selction of the author and his brief, the same as for Ospreys today.

A listing of the WWII series may be of interest:

auction

That page reminds me: the New Guinea volume (illustrated) wasn't bad. The one I've probably referred to most over the years is Richard Holmes' "Bir Hacheim".

Allen

Some good, some bad. But still useful reading. They also provide a starting point to carry out further research. In doing so I've found some to be amazingly accurate, while others seem like a pulp version of the wars.
The Guns is particularly useful, as Old Grenadier at work has mentioned.

Cracking little volumes for an introduction to a range of fascinating subjects, expect further reading to correct them. Imagine a book form of wikipedia…

It's sad to come across a thread like this about two months after I deposited a pile of (admittedly rather battered) Ballantine books into the waste paper container.

I'd rather not know which titles are sought after by collectors, according to John Leahy – these will surely be the ones I chucked away! Maybe I'll hang on to my remaining 15 after all.

I still have "The Guns" and "Infantry Weapons", which are very good.

They sold new for $1.00 USD here in the U.S. when they came out and now sell for about $5.00. I agree the Weapon series are the best of the lot.

Yep, there are a few titles that sell for a decent buck. I have some repeat copies of ones I read 30 years ago and picked up almost mint recently. The WWI books are some of my personal favorites.

Thanks,

John

Yeah, these and 'The Victor' comic were amongst my first military books. Worth getting at the time for the photos alone, 8 shillings and 6(d)pence I think.