BOOK REVIEW By Carl M. Kruger
The Austro-Hungarian military was the first real innovator of Jaeger operations and equipment in Europe. The firearms which were issued reflected in most cases the best, most effective and most up to date that the government could provide. The first book dedicated exclusively to the weapons
of the Austrian Jaeger forces has been written by noted expert Stefan Schuy. This work is exhaustive and extremely well illustrated. The “landscape” format allows the reader to appreciate the details and frankly the beauty of the items pictured. The author’s association with the Military Museum (k.u.k. Wehrrtechnischen Studiensammlung) in Braunau am Inn provided him with access to what is one of the finest collections of Austrian military arms in the world. Separate chapters deal with the early models of various Jaeger weapons including the doublecarbine (Doppelstutzen), air rifles, and the various tube-lock designs. The section dealing with the conversion to percussion systems and specifically the Lorenz series is very informative, covering many variants as well as a special model for the Navy. This chapter will be of special interest to the America collector as a number of these were imported during the Civil War. Other sections deal with ramrods, basic items of issue, ammunition, bayonets and the advent of
the various breechloading conversions. The book is written in German, but the illustrations and photography are of such a quality and quantity that the non-German speaker will still profit greatly from what is within. With 472 pages chock full of information, this is the best source on the subject anywhere and from any source. The book may be ordered from the author at josef.schuy@gmail.com and can be purchased using PAYPAL. The price is Euro 115.00 plus Euro 37.00 for shipping. (Note prices are in Euros!) When ordering please provide full name and address information. This book is expensive for most American collectors, but it is worth every penny if you are at all interested in this theme.
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