John A.Minnery who is it?

[teshilo]

I read few books by Minnery and decide find info about author...And i cannt find in all net NOTHING:confused: :confused: Who is this :former CIA operative ,professional bodyguard/security expert,forensic expert,master-armorer or who?
List his books :
Improvised Modified Firearms: Deadly Homemade Weapons
Kill Without Joy; The Complete How to Kill Book
Fingertip Firepower: Pen Guns, Knives and Bombs
CIA Catalog of Clandestine Weapons, Tools, and Gadgets
Lockpick guns
How trapping and destructing armored cars
Firearm Silencers
American Tools of Intrigue
I know only that now these man are dead:( :(

[random136]

teshilo, have you considered that Minnery's name might just be a more subtle nom de plume. I mean, "Strike" from the hive truned out to be Hobart Huson and "Uncle Fester" turned out to be Steve Preisler.

Long ago, before knowing this I always suspected it might have been the forum's own nbk due to similarities in writing style and general life story :p. However, further readings on the forum have taught me that nbk has a much deeper insight on the subjects covered then Fester.

At any rate, have you considered uploading/p2p-ing that collection of Minnery books? I have many of them, but not all, and to encourage you I will begin uploading what I have as soon as I find some time.

Also, I am curious. is your copy of 'Kill Without Joy" also missing pages like all the other versions floating around here? I would really like to see a complete copy being distributed, unfortunatley I haven't been able to find anyone who still sells this book.

[nbk2000]

As far as I know, John Minnerys' real name WAS John Minnery.

I've never heard of it being an alias.

And while doing some searching on the subject, I found this:


There are some people that are blatantly ripping Paladin Press off online, scanning and copying books.


:D

[megalomania]

Why should paladin Press care if their books are being scanned and spread? They are the ones who pulled the titles off their shelves and allowed censorship to occur. Besides, half of their “books” are barely worth the paper they are printed on.

I suppose if John Minnery is some sort of professional ex federal agent type he should be fairly good at keeping his real name separated from his nom de plume.

[Hirudinea]

teshilo, have you considered that Minnery's name might just be a more subtle nom de plume. I mean, "Strike" from the hive truned out to be Hobart Huson and "Uncle Fester" turned out to be Steve Preisler.

And although I don't know the authors real name "Hitman" was written, under the name Rex Feral, by a Florida housewife.

Besides, half of their “books” are barely worth the paper they are printed on.

Yes, beause they buy from, among others, Florida housewives, if it looks good, they'll publish it, bullshit or not, so cavaet emptor.

[Charlie Workman]

That was his real name. I was lucky enough to count him as one of my friends for about three years, before his untimely death in 1993. That said, I was never quite sure what the extent of his background was. CIA contract was one of the things I heard, as well as Canadian intell. He was on the first commerical Canadian flight into Cuba as a "tourist", after they lifted their travel ban. He owned an AWESOME collection of toys. When he died he was a well respected locksmith in a small Canadian town, with a family. He was a hell of a man and is missed by all who knew him.

As for Paladin, they pussied out after they caved on the Hitman case. Their insurance company told them it would be cheaper to settle the case than take it to a higher court, even if they did have an excellent chance of winning. A pure business decision and a bad precedent. They have had no really decent books in the last 10 years, except for a hand full of truly excellent silencer books.

[teshilo]

How trapping and destructing armored cars
Firearm Silencers
American Tools of Intrigue
These books published by Desert Publications.Thanks for a little info Charlie.
Yes, Paladin Press published only h2h and matial arts Not reprint good old books .

[megalomania]

I was checking some of the publication dates for paladin books yesterday and I observed that there really has not been any explosive books to hit the scene in a decade. Most of them are from the 80s and early 90s.

This actually follows a general precedent because the US government has published a study mentioning the sharp decline in research and development of new explosives in the past 10 years. Such things do work in cycles, but they are getting nervous because there are very few renowned explosives chemists that they are getting closer to retirement, but there is no young blood to fill their shoes.

It is unfortunate that no one has written an explosives book geared to the general public that actually contains a comprehensive and in depth (and accurate) look at how to make and use explosives. BAH! I think you would get more practical info from a book written for farmers in 1906 than a Paladin book written in 2006.

[Charlie Workman]

Most of what explosives books Paladin put out were crap anyway. Not all by any means, but most. Anything by Seymour Lercker, for instance. He was their explosives TECHNICAL EDITOR for a while. Ain't that a hoot! Some of their best stuff came out in the late 70's- early 80's. My all time favorite was the "OSS sabotage and Demolitions manual". I still consider it to be the best single book on explosives work I've ever read. I tried to talk them into reprinting it in the early 90's under the proper title, but they were uninterested. It was not a OSS manual. It was straight CIA paramilitary. Some items in there, the 3.5" bazooka rocket, for instance, were not fielded until the early 50's. I place the manual at about late 50's. Also, the illustrations and basic layout are in the somewhat unique style the Company used. It is very easy to spot.

[teshilo]

My all time favorite was the "OSS sabotage and Demolitions manual". -Gidget
About "OSS demolition and sabotage manual" I want obtain these book more then two year:) :) You can scan this?

[Jacks Complete]

If the US are concerned about there being no-one to continue the fine traditions of blowing shit up, we only have to look at the reason! We all know that chemistry is evil, and that you are only making crack/brewing illegal alcohol/making nitro/making nerve gases, right?

Even before the WarT, chemistry was vilified. Now, owning glassware is illegal, making a firecracker is illegal. So where are the new types going to come from?

And, since you won't get a great job with a record, they are doubly fucked when it comes to recruitment, since those genuinely interested will probably be found to be pyros, and hence likely to have had run-ins with the law.