I got an email from a fellow a few days ago asking if there is a good book out there on the Vickers gun, so I figured it would be a good time to do a review of Dolf Goldsmith’s gold standard work, The Grand Old Lady of No Man’s Land. The good news is that it covers pretty much everything you would want to know about the Vickers in all its iterations…
The bad news is that it’s very difficult to find these days. Any price under $200 is very good, and worth buying at. Just for laughs, here’s what it’s going for on Amazon right now:
It took a while, but thanks to a grand old gentleman I finally got a copy.
Yes, about US$200 even about three years ago!
ANY of the Collector’s Grade series is a good book to find and ALL are ‘expensive’ but no better books exist on these subjects although many come close and are highly recommended by myself (For Collectors Only Series comes to mind). I purchased the CG Pubs volume on the FAL back in the mid-90s for around $100 from Dave Salvaggio of DSA, and bought the volumr on the Garand and the first volume on the AR from William Douglas of Florida at a Tampa show…you might want to check out his museum – he has the only existing Thompson (a tool room sample) in .30-06…YES you read that correctly – .30-06!!!
CB in FL
Ian,
who owns the copyright?
Dolf? or Collectors Grade?
would the owner be amenable to you producing and distributing a decent quality .PDF/ebook for a suitable consideration to cover your time and to help fund your site?
Unfortunately Dolf does not control the production of future production of his book.
I’ll have to get in touch with Collector Grade and see if we can work out something…
I think people have tried this avenue before, a reprint that is, and have had no success. I did hear info this at a gunshow, so it could be (and hopefully is) incorrect. Best of luck Ian, for all of us.
same idea here. i own a cdrom on the vetterli and other swiss weapons (mostly army manuals). impossible to find. the vetterli book is probably out of print for a century or so. why not digitize it, if the owner of the right does nothing with it?
Absolutely indispensable, along with “The Devil’s Paintbrush”. They’re two of the best BOOKS I’ve ever owned, and probably the best firearms books.
There used to be a book dealer who used to come to the Berea, Ohio gunshow at the Cuyahoga Country Fair Grounds. He always had a lot of the Collector Grade books. I haven’t seen him in over a year. I love their books, but I’m just not up for spending $100+ on a book, sight unseen, even if it is Collector Grade.
If you like oddball stuff, I think the best buy in the Collector Grade catalog is Proud Promise (https://www.forgottenweapons.com/book-review-proud-promise-by-jean-huon/) . It has a ton of weird prototypes most people have never heard of, and it’s less than $30 on Amazon ($40 from CG directly).
Thanks Ian! Now I just have to find one.
Hi Ian
I have copy no’ 39 of the Special Author’s Edition, Limited to 300 copies.
My copy also has the inscription
” To Ian Skennerton,
many thanks for your help,
Sincerely ( has Dolf’s Goldsmith’s signature ) may 31, 1994 ”
I purchased it off Ian Skennerton, himself mid 2013!
A great addition to my collectors reference library
( NO NOT FOR SALE )
It’s a great book highly recommended for all collectors.
have a used- like new – copy of No Man’s land available for USD 250,- (postage not included).
Cheers,
Matthew
The Netherlands
Hi,
Just wondered if that copy of “The Grand Old Lady” is still for sale.
Cheers,
Bill in Canada
Sorry, it is not.
I’m curious if there’s been any word or movement in getting this book reprinted anytime soon?