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About The Author—William B. Edwards

Born 34 years ago in Auburn, New York, the author is a Yankee by birth, a Southerner by antecedents, and a Border Stater from upbringing. These several points of view serve to bring unusual emphasis to some parts of the record of the Great Rebellion, as told through the Ordnance Story in "Civil War Guns." The problems of Small Arms preparedness which were faced and solved by the belligerent powers is revealed by Edwards who has drawn not only upon the record for material, but upon his own personal background, in the American Arms Industry, and as a collector of renown. Some of his finest pieces are illustrated in this book.
As a young man at the end of World War II, Edwards, who calls himself "the greatest living unsuccessful gun designer" was employed for brief periods of time by some of the major gun firms in New England.
Later he traveled abroad, engaged in the purchase of foreign surplus arms, and ultimately became associated with American firms manufacturing replicas of old guns. Meanwhile, from -, he was Assistant Editor of The Gun Digest, Chicago. During this time he also completed his first book, The Story of Colt's Revolver. Published by Stackpole in , this volume which was characterized by no less an authority than Sir James Mann, Master of the Armouries of H. M. Tower of London as being "as far ahead as the eye can see, the definitive work on Colt," was written between -52.
During the first years of this period, Edwards received a brief exposure to college education at the University of Chicago.
In  the author became associated with another Chicago publisher and was the inspiration behind the launching of Guns Magazine.
In , Edwards began preparation of Civil War Guns. Sudden awareness of the prodigious research task ahead of him caused a default in manuscript delivery which was due originally by December .
By  the book was actually taking shape. In March, , Edwards resigned from his seven-year position as Technical Editor of Guns Magazine, and devoted himself to the business of finishing his second book.
In the meantime, he had become associated with several arms importing and manufacturing firms and was engaged abroad for several years as a consultant for their manufacturing and buying. In July, , Edwards returned from a business trip to Belgium and put the finishing touches on his manuscript.
While active participation in most phases of the firearms industry has occupied Edwards' attention for some years, he is also a sculptor of fair talent. In addition, he collects old cars, having received a rare, almost unique, but virtually unknown Armstrong-Siddeley in lieu of a Rolls Royce. He drives a  Cadillac V12 "Imperial Sedan" or limousine, which, he says, "Goes well with my Thompson submachine gun." He lives with his wife, Virginia, who is a piano concert artist, a Steinway Grand piano, and two blackandwhite cats, Purrier & Ives, in Evanston, Illinois.
Other books by William B. Edwards THE STORY OF COLT'S REVOLVER THIS IS THE WEST (CHAPTER ON FIREARMS)

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