There are many excellent books about the AK. What makes Legends and Reality of the AK-47 different from all the other AK books? It is co-written by a very close associate of designer Mikhail Kalashnikov at the Izhmash Arms Factory and one of America's most respected military small-arms experts. Because of Valery Shilin's close ties to both the designer and the factory, the authors were able to gain access to information, photos and weapons never before seen in public, including the AKB and AKB-1 assault rifles, the mysterious A-62 and the very latest prototypes of the AK's replacement, the AN-94. They fill in the gaps in the knowledge about the history and development of not only the Kalashnikov family of weapons but of other Russian small arms as well. Most important, as a friend and colleague, Shilin adds a personal perspective on the man behind the design of some of the most legendary weapons of the 20th century.