The generally rave reviews are accurate, this is a first class book, and Wieland is a good writer, not just a good gun writer. There are facts and technical descriptions aplenty (more on those later), but his descriptions of the Basque people, the countryside, and the food put you in the middle of Basque culture. Of course this isn't meant as in depth study of all things Basque, but it does reflect what you will find if you visit this region of Spain.As to the technical details, and the descriptions of the guns and the gun makers, it does assume some familiarity with double guns. If you are familiar with details like third bites, sideclips, self openers, and you are at a level where you understand the difference between a lightweight game gun for example, and a pigeon gun, it's an easier read. If you aren't there yet, buy the book anyway and do some quick research on what you don't understand. You'll come away with a wealth of knowledge of guns in general, and Spanish guns in particular.I just wanted to add that the 2nd Edition is a notable upgrade over the 1st Edition. The newer edition contains more information with more photos than the 1st Edition. Even the quality of the paper used is better. I bought the 1st Edition early on, and was hesitant to spring for the 2nd Edition, but it's well worth the price. Of course, if you haven't bought the book at all, what are you waiting for? A classic among gun books.