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German Helmets of the Second World War Volume I: by Branislav
Radovic
Published in January 2002, the Volume I of this two volume series
features an extensive array of detailed full color photographs of German
helmets. Photographs depict helmets ranging from the earliest
transitional models to combat varieties including camouflaged versions
and battlefield relics. The book contains a number of helmets from
the private collections of the author and a handful of US and European
collectors. The author is a well regarded collector and historian
living in the UK who has been an avid helmet enthusiast since childhood.
Both
volumes are large hardback editions that average a price of about $80 US
per volume. These are expensive books, but perhaps the best in a series
of up and coming titles designed to give the reader a close-up look at
various details of the original helmets. Volume I features a brief
introduction of each helmet model, while Volume II provides photographs
of paratrooper helmets and a variety of battlefield recovered helmets
from Eastern Europe and Russia.
However
neither volume provides much text or historical information on the
helmets. This is a bit of a drawback in the sense that some information
published in other books on this subject could be refreshed and updated
with the latest information known to collectors. This series is
clearly intended to be simply a large photographic index of helmets in
private collections. Readers looking for clear photographs will be very
pleased with either book. However those seeking additional information
on the history of these helmets will find little information other than
the brief introductory comments found in Volume I.
A
number of helmets and related components pictured in the book have
already come under suspicion as being high end fakes due to their rarity
and also their appearance. These include SS helmets as well as
camouflaged variations of standard service and battlefield recovered
helmets. At least one chinstrap shown in the book has been positively
identified as a postwar West German model chinstrap used on Border Guard
(BGS) helmets. Also of note is the fact that some of the Waffen-SS
helmet covers depicted in the book are thought to be high end modern
reproductions. At least one contributor to the book has stated
that his name has been associated with photographs that are not his
artifacts. This is distressing in the sense that it is clear the
publisher made some critical errors when putting the book together. |
