Today we take a look at Iain McCallum’s Blood Brothers: Hiram and Hudson Maxim: Pioneers of Modern Warfare – a book deserving a place in everyone’s firearms library. Most people don’t realize that Hiram Maxim was a creative and technical genius, and the machine gun was one one of his many notable accomplishments. He was also a character in every sense of the word, and both his brother Hudson and son Hiram Percy made their own significant contributions to firearms technology.
Pick up a copy today through Amazon, and discover the whole story behind one of history’s great firearms inventors!
This book is a great addition to the library adding some interesting perspective on the lives of both Hiram and Hudson Maxim. It happens that I’m in the middle of this book as you post about it. Hiram’s “My Life” and Mottelay’s work “The Life and Work of Sir Hiram S. Maxim” are also fun to read.
In ‘My Life’, Hiram’s narrative style is interesting in its own right. I imagine he would have been vastly entertaining to listen to over a few drinks with the ‘Little Gun’ occupying a corner of the room.
Regards,
Joe
Surely you mean “just one,” right?
Otherwise, a very interesting book you seem to have there.
I just ran across your website today. Fantastic info! An old book I didn’t see in your list is “The Machine Gun” by Chin. Your discussion of the Maxim book reminded me of it. I found a free electronic PDF file for my Kindle. It is a fantastic reference the covers far more than the title implies discussing weapons development from the spear all the way to the modern aircraft-mounted rotary cannon.
Keep up the good work – I will be visiting often!!!
Was wondering if there was a connection. It seems as though the Maxims
tended to settle together in groups. I am from Wareham, MA, and there
were several Maxim families in that town.
It took me quite the while to figure out Ian didn’t actually wrote this book…