Tracing the fascinating history of swords, spears and lances through to the 21st century, this book includes information on Japanese, Chinese, African and Indian swords as well as covering in detail the development of the weapon in Western Europe.
"This title presents a detailed account of the development of swords, sabres, spears and lances illustrated with over 230 photographs and images. It provides a fascinating history of edged weapons, written by a leading antique sword expert and lavishly illustrated with over 230 images. It includes information on Japanese, Chinese, African and Indian swords as well as covering in detail the development of the weapon in Western Europe. It contains descriptions of the fighting techniques of some of the most skilful warriors of their time, including the hoplite spearmen of ancient Greece, Roman gladiators, and the Japanese Samurai. It is a superb reference work for military historians, curators, and all enthusiasts of edged weaponry of every period."--Publisher's description.
Forty-four carefully researched, ready-to-color drawings depict swords and their bearers from prehistory through the 17th century. Detailed captions enhance this rich pictorial history for colorists, students of weaponry, and armchair adventurers.
Mankind's history has been determined by war. And throughout history, the way that wars are won and lost, and whether they are fought at all, has been determined more by weapons than any other single force. Before there was man, there were weapons. In his investigation of arms and culture, noted military historian Robert O'Connell goes all the way back to the first weapons: the claws, horns, and hooves of our evolutionary antecedents. Even then, a species' weaponry determined its future. So it has been for the human animal. From the ancient Assyrians' conquest of bronze, to the Toledo steel of the Spanish conquistadors, to the MIRV missiles of nuclear deterrence, the great weapons have set their own agendas. They continue to shape our culture and our lives today. THE SOUL OF THE SWORD gives world history from a club, gun, or aircraft carrier's perspective. Along the way, sidebars and drawings from premier military illustrator John Batchelor illuminate the weapons themselves. In this fascinating book O'Connell unearths the extraordinary weapons of our past, and explains our most basic weapons as never before. Our killing tools are much more than fearsome curiosities; they are the engines of history.