The definitive history and reference book on the Purdey firm.  Chapters include: Blacksmith in the Minories; 'A Small Shop in Princes Street'; 314 1/2 Oxford Street; Muzzle-loading guns, rifles and pistols; Bolt and Beesley; Early breech-loading guns and rifles; 'A palace amongst gun manufacturies'; Boom, bust and belligerence; The Purdey way; Later breech-loading guns and rifles. 

Appendices give a wide-variety of information such as, the Purdey family tree, diary of events in Purdey history, Purdey serial numbers and dating, Woodward serial numbers and dating, muzzle-loading gun, rifle and pistol production, early breech-loading gun and rifle producion 1857-79, breech-loading gun and rifle production 1880-2000, analysis of gun demand 1816-2000, Purdey gunmakers, trade labels, James Purdey & Sons patents, Tom Purdey's notebook 1921, Purdey masters of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers.