Germany, Kriegsmarine. The Kriegsmarine Awards, Volumes I & II (Two Volume Set), by Gerhard R. Skora

Hardcover, entitled "The Kriegsmarine Awards, Volumes I & II" by Sascha Weber and Gerhard R. Skora, both with dust jackets, First Edition in 2011, layout, tables, charts, illustrations and photographs copyrighted by Dietrich Maerz in 2011, cover art by Dietrich Maerz, the text copyrighted by Birgit and Dietrich Maerz, edited and revised by John Robinson, Norman Franke, George Stimson and Dietrich Maerz, published by B&D Publishing, LLC of Richmond, Michigan, printed in China, ISBN 978-0-9823146-4-7. As stated on the dust jacket for both volumes: "As one arm of the mighty German Wehrmacht, the Kriegsmarine played a vital role in Adolf Hitler's wars of conquest in the 1930s and 1940s. Operating virtually in every area of the seven seas, this naval force extended Nazi military influence beyond Europe and North Africa. This two volume set of reference books is the most complete work regarding the awards of the Kriegsmarine yet to be presented in the English language. Herein, you will find the histories and descriptions of not only all of the war badges of the Kriegsmarine, but also of the Diamonds versions of the badges, the Navy Honor Roll Clasp, the Narvik Shield in Gold, cloth badge versions, and much more. Each item and variation is presented with clearly detailed photographs and concise descriptions which allow the collector to easily recognize what to look for when considering the acquisition of a genuine example of a particular award. Rare photographs and documents complement the rest of the information contained within these remarkable books. 'The Kriegsmarine Awards' will be the standard work on this subject for many years to come." Together, the books contain over 3,000 photographs in full colour. 

Volume I begins with a Table of Contents, followed by a Preface by Kapitänleutnant Klaus Petersen, a Word from the Publisher, a Foreword by both Authors (Sascha Weber and Gerhard R. Skora), an Acknowledgements and an Introduction. It contains five chapters: I. The U-Boat War Badge; II. The Destroyer War Badge; III. The Minesweeper War Badge; IV. The Blockade Runner Badge; V. The Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge. 

Volume I contains 528 pages of text in English, printed in four-colour inks, on a matte-finished paper stock, with images printed on the front and back covers in color, with a red ribbon bookmark, measuring 177 mm (w) x 240 mm (h) x 37 mm (d). 
Volume II picks up from where Volume I leaves off and contains thirteen chapters: VI. The Fleet War Badge; VII. The S-Boat War Badge; VIII. The Marine Artillery War Badge; IX. The U-Boat Front Clasp; X. The Marine Front Clasp; XI. Bacqueville - The French-made War Badges; XII. The Cloth Versions; XIII. The Narvik Shield in Gold; XIV. The Miniatures; XV. The Diamond Badges; XVI. The Kriegsmarine Award Pennants; XVII. The Proficiency and Combat Badges of the Small Attack Craft; XVIII. The Honor Roll Clasp of the Kriegsmarine. It concludes with a two-page Bibliography, a Tabulation of Internet Resources and a List of LDO and Präsidialkanzlei numbers. Volume II contains 476 pages of text in English, printed in four-colour inks, on a matte-finished paper stock, with images printed on the front and back covers in color, with a red ribbon bookmark, measuring 177 mm (w) x 240 mm (h) x 34 mm (d). 

This is the ultimate reference guide on Kriegsmarine awards. Light wear is evident on the dust jackets, however, the covers and the pages within remain pristine. Near extremely fine.