Updates on Safar Publishing projects - July 2026
- Vlad Besedovskyy
- Jul 7
- 5 min read
Quick updates on what we’re working on and what’s coming next.
To stay informed about the projects you’re most interested in, be sure to click “Notify when available”.
Guardians of Neutrality - Swiss Rifles Through the Ages
Safar's Kickstarter hit of 2026 has reached its final proofreading stage and goes to print this month. This is, by a wide margin, the most complex and most fascinating book we've ever produced. Across nearly 600 pages, it traces the complete evolution of the Swiss rifle in extraordinary detail, from its earliest designs to its later refinements.
The retail edition will be available in late autumn and can be pre-ordered now at a discounted price.
From Balkans to Babylon - Zastava AKs of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Iraq
One of our most anticipated titles is almost here. Following on from Zastava, this book heads to print this month — and it brings together everything currently known about both the Zastava and Tabuk AK-pattern rifles in a single, definitive volume. With expert commentary from some of the best-known voices in the firearms blogosphere, it's poised to be the most comprehensive work on the subject yet published.
Our thanks go to everyone who pre-ordered. Your early support helped us gauge the print run precisely — and made the whole project possible. Want one for your shelf? Take a look here:
The War is Over
This large-format photography book takes an unflinching look at what soldiers carry long after the battlefield falls silent. Blending staged fine-art photography with documentary-style imagery, it captures the invisible wounds of war — told not through words, but through the raw, haunting power of the image.
At its heart is a curated series of high-resolution works, each tied to one of five interconnected fictional storylines exploring post-traumatic stress, isolation, silence, and the struggle to rebuild civilian life. The result sits at a rare intersection of art photography, military storytelling, and psychological portraiture — drawing its power from the contrast between outward composure and inner reality.
Whether you collect art photography, are drawn to stories of resilience and the human cost of conflict, or simply believe images can say what words cannot, this book was made for you. Take a look here:
Projects in work - VDV, Red Lenses, Bosnia
Making a book is a long process — one that demands a different kind of work and attention at every stage. And while we were busy with this year's headline titles discussed above, several other books were quietly taking shape behind the scenes.
VDV USSR - Soviet Airborne forces during Cold War
A companion to our very first book, this new title picks up everything the first one left untouched. It is a comprehensive study of one of the most elite and iconic branches of the Soviet Armed Forces. Spanning the pivotal Cold War decades, it explores the organisation, equipment, and daily life of the Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska — the paratroopers who stood at the forefront of Soviet military power and doctrine.
English-language sources on the VDV remain scarce, and often incomplete or inaccurate. This book closes that gap with a meticulously researched, richly illustrated account made for historians, collectors, reenactors, and enthusiasts alike.
The Red Lenses - Soviet Day and Night Military Optics
This next book has been in production far longer than it should have — but since I'm the author, I had to give my attention to other projects along the way. Happily, we're now approaching the finish line: with the vast majority of photographs taken and chapters written, it's simply a matter of bringing it all together.
The Red Lenses – Soviet Day and Night Military Optics is an add-on to our Soviet Weapons series, examining the many optical devices the USSR produced after the Second World War, with a focus on rifle scopes and night vision sights.
Optical instruments advanced dramatically in the second half of the twentieth century, as improvements in both precision and production finally allowed the Armed Forces to be equipped with the scopes they needed. And while the Soviet Army concentrated on fitting optics to long-range and heavy weapons, small arms weren't left behind — the industry developed so successfully that, by the late 1980s, even disposable flamethrowers came with a scope fitted. The layout style, cover and the book size will be updated shortly.
Bosnian war 1992-1995 - historical overview and technical study of military gear
This book is our next Kickstarter — an estimated 800 pages of the most accurate work on the subject ever published. Going deep into the niche details of both the war itself and the gear used, it will be an absolute gem for anyone drawn to the subject.
Through hundreds of high-quality photographs, Bosnian War 1992–1995 documents the uniforms, insignia, and personal equipment used across all sides of the conflict. From the improvised, hybrid attire of the early war to the increasingly structured formations of the later years, each chapter pairs detailed visual documentation with clear historical commentary.
Drawing on extensive field research, veterans' archives, and firsthand photographic material, the book presents a balanced and factual overview of the conflict's military evolution — both a reference work for historians, collectors, and re-enactors, and a visual chronicle of one of Europe's most turbulent modern wars.
Produced to Safar Publishing's exacting standards in collaboration with the Balkan Storm reenactment group, it continues the series' mission to preserve the material culture of modern conflict through precision, research, and respect for history.
Future projects - Red Alert, Chechnya, Captured, SWEF and SWAW ed.2
There are also a number of projects our readers have been anticipating that we couldn't finish earlier, even though a great deal of work has gone into them. Two uniform titles — Red Alert and First Chechen War — have been sitting on the website for a couple of years now. With principal photography done, we're working hard to find good authors (or rather co-authors) to complete the manuscripts. Both topics deserve proper historical attention, and we don't want to publish mere photobooks, however beautiful. We're hoping both will be finished in early 2027 and print-ready by next summer.
Three more coffee-table small arms books are also in the works, some more exciting than others. First, we're planning to reprint our bestselling Soviet Weapons of the Afghan War. Alongside correcting a few errors and improving the overall quality, we hope to add new content — heavier infantry weapons like the SPG-9, ATGMs, and perhaps some vehicle-mounted machine guns, making it worthwhile for new readers and first-edition owners alike. We do have a very limited number of collectors edition of this book:
Then there's the title we've been working on for over a year now, and by far the most challenging one physically. Captured – Modern Russian Weapons Taken in Battle explores a range of small arms designed or produced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It will feature a long line-up of AK rifles — including the 100 series and various AK-12 variants — as well as heavier weapons such as the Kord and Pecheneg machine guns. Most of the samples have already been photographed, and the book will be officially announced this summer.
Finally, we're quietly working on a big book covering the Soviet Weapons of the Eastern Front. I know a great deal has already been published on the subject, but I believe the level of detail we're aiming for can bring something genuinely new to the table.
What book are you waiting for?
First Chechen War
Red Lenses
Captured
Soviet Weapons of the Eastern Front
I don't know if the price of the Soviet weapons in Afghanistan war series will increase after the addition of new content?
A challenging run through Geometry Dash becomes more rewarding when I appreciate the progress made between the starting point and the finish.