I get sent a few millitary books to review from time to time and thought this one would be interesting to members here, my review of The Bofors Gun by Terry Gander is as follows.
I was rather happy to receive this book to review. It's a subject that has interested me since I was a child. Back then I had played on a World War Two era twin mount Bofors gun at a local, and sadly now lost, aircraft museum in South Devon. The Bofors gun is a well known weapon system that's made its way all over the globe. It has appeared in just about every conflict in one guise or another, not many other designs can boast that.
The author has researched this book very well, from the earliest beginnings of the Bofors Company in the 17th Century, through to the modern day. The book is illustrated with plenty of drawings and photographs depicting the different variations and developments. Some great pictures show the actual weapon in operation during conflicts as well as testing on ranges. Also within the pages are some diagrams and pictures of the ammunition used. This is always nice for me as a collector, as this detail is normally overlooked.
The Bofors gun is one of those books that as soon as I finished reading it I started again. The book is filled to the gunwales with every bit of information you could possibly want to know about each variant of the weapon system. The book covers the rate
of fire, ammunition type, supply, sighting, and more. I have learnt an incredible amount on top of what I thought I knew already, which was not as much as it turned out. This was a weapon design that appeared at the right time, and transformed the fortunes of a then small company, to that of a major player in the armaments business.
If you have any interest in the history of the Bofors gun then this is a must have book. Although the book is crammed with lots
of technical data, its a very easy and fascinating read. The book is well laid out and covers everything from the humble beginnings, up to and including the sales and the all important license agreements for customers to manufacture their own guns and ammunition. The author highlights the single, twin, and quad Naval AA mounts used in World War Two and beyond. Also discussed are some of the less than successful experimental designs like the United States DIVADS M247 Sergeant York project in the 1980's. The book culminates with the next generation Bofors 40/70 and Fast Forty and eventually up to the modern day.
Best regards Weasel.
I was rather happy to receive this book to review. It's a subject that has interested me since I was a child. Back then I had played on a World War Two era twin mount Bofors gun at a local, and sadly now lost, aircraft museum in South Devon. The Bofors gun is a well known weapon system that's made its way all over the globe. It has appeared in just about every conflict in one guise or another, not many other designs can boast that.
The author has researched this book very well, from the earliest beginnings of the Bofors Company in the 17th Century, through to the modern day. The book is illustrated with plenty of drawings and photographs depicting the different variations and developments. Some great pictures show the actual weapon in operation during conflicts as well as testing on ranges. Also within the pages are some diagrams and pictures of the ammunition used. This is always nice for me as a collector, as this detail is normally overlooked.
The Bofors gun is one of those books that as soon as I finished reading it I started again. The book is filled to the gunwales with every bit of information you could possibly want to know about each variant of the weapon system. The book covers the rate
of fire, ammunition type, supply, sighting, and more. I have learnt an incredible amount on top of what I thought I knew already, which was not as much as it turned out. This was a weapon design that appeared at the right time, and transformed the fortunes of a then small company, to that of a major player in the armaments business.
If you have any interest in the history of the Bofors gun then this is a must have book. Although the book is crammed with lots
of technical data, its a very easy and fascinating read. The book is well laid out and covers everything from the humble beginnings, up to and including the sales and the all important license agreements for customers to manufacture their own guns and ammunition. The author highlights the single, twin, and quad Naval AA mounts used in World War Two and beyond. Also discussed are some of the less than successful experimental designs like the United States DIVADS M247 Sergeant York project in the 1980's. The book culminates with the next generation Bofors 40/70 and Fast Forty and eventually up to the modern day.
Best regards Weasel.
