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Nambu Pistols

Japanese military handguns 1900–45
Series: Weapon
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Nambu Pistols presents the compelling history of the handguns created by Nambu Kijiro, which served as the main personal-defence weapons for Imperial Japanese forces. This richly illustrated book explores the pistols' origins, development, and use in combat, featuring full-colour artwork, photographs, cutaway diagrams, and vivid battle scenes. It traces key models from the early influence of the German C 96, through the widely recognised 14th Year Type adopted in 1925, to the compact and unusual Type 94 designed for airmen and tank crews. The book also follows the pistols' legacy beyond World War II, including their presence across South East Asia.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for enthusiasts of military history, firearm collectors, and readers interested in Japanese weaponry and World War II artefacts.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

This is the absorbing story of the handguns credited to Nambu Kijiro, the principal personal-defence weapons of the Imperial forces.

This is the absorbing story of the handguns credited to Nambu Kijiro, the principal personal-defence weapons of the Imperial forces.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This is the absorbing story of the handguns credited to Nambu Kijiro, the principal personal-defence weapons of the Imperial forces.

Featuring full-colour artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this book charts the origins, development, combat use, and legacy of the Nambu pistols. Cutaway artwork reveals the inner workings of these important handguns, while specially commissioned battle scenes depict them in use in action.

Influenced by the German C 96 and other semi-automatic pistols, the first Nambu model was never accepted for universal issue, being confined largely to purchase by Japanese officers. Adopted in 1925, the 14th Year Type was to become the best-known of these handguns, serving in every campaign undertaken by the Japanese in the 1930s and then throughout World War II. It served alongside the bizarrely conceived Type 94, intended as the weapon of airmen, tank crew, and anyone to whom its compact dimensions were useful.

When World War II ended, thousands of Nambu pistols arrived in America with US veterans of World War II, while others were carried by insurgents and other armed groups across South East Asia for decades after 1945. Fully illustrated, this is the engrossing story of these distinctive pistols, from their origins to their legacy.

Series: Weapon

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Reviewers commend the book for its thorough research and engaging presentation. Stuart Blank of Military Archive Research highlights the author’s valuable contribution to the study of Japanese personal weapons, while Military Model Scene praises the combination of archival and contemporary photos plus detailed cutaway diagrams that effectively illustrate the pistols' design evolution.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472855428

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 April 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Osprey Publishing

Illustration: Colour artwork plates; black & white and colour photographs and illustrations.

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Alan Gilliland
  • Illustrated by Adam Hook

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 184.0mm

Height: 246.0mm

Weight: 268g

Pages: 80

About the Author

John Walter is among the world’s most prolific writers on small arms, and the author of 70 books. His Osprey titles include Hotchkiss Machine Guns, Weapons of the Civil War Cavalryman, and Walther Pistols, all in the Weapon series.

Adam Hook specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks and the modern Chinese Army.

Alan Gilliland writes, illustrates and publishes fiction (www.ravensquill.com), as well as illustrating for a variety of publishers (alangillilandillustration.blogspot.com).

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