The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Swords and Sabres

 

by Harvey J S Withers

An authoritative history and visual directory of edged weapons from around the world, shown in more than 800 stunning full colour pictures.

Includes 400 ancient and modern weapons, from the swords of the Japanese Samurai to the blades used in World Wars I and II.

It is a comprehensive directory of weapons arranged by time period and geographical area, along with key specifications of date, origin and length.

Here are details of the book from the publisher.

Historical background

Since the first flint spearheads emerged around 600,000 years ago, edged weapons have played an incredible role in the shaping of human history.  As well as being deadly weapons of war, swords, sabres, spears and lances have been used the world over to hunt for food and to battle for honour.  Elaborately decorated and imbued with countless myths, it is little wonder that these weapons have become some of history’s most powerful status symbols.

Palaeolithic to the 21st Century

This beautifully presented book traces the fascinating history of swords, sabres, spears and lances through to the 21st Century.  From their Palaeolithic origins and the appearance of the first swords in the Bronze Age Europe and Mesopotamia, it describes how the development of edged weapons and military tactics brutally shaped the great civililizations of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as looking at the significance of the sword in the artistic and mystical traditions of the Celts.  It moves on to the medieval period, the apogee of the sword as a battle weapon, and delves into the world of the medieval knights and Crusaders, as well as the Middle Eastern armies they fought.

From there this broad-ranging work examines the variety of edged weapons from the around the world, from the Samurai sword to the Sudanese kaskara.  It looks at the technical expertise leading up to the 20th Century and the demise of the sword as a military weapon.

Here are some sample pages below.

Illustrated weapons directory

At the heart of this volume is a fully illustrated weapons directory, featuring more than 400 examples of edged weapons.  From the swords and spears of ancient Egypt to the pike and thrusting polearms of medieval Europe, and from the cavalry sabres of the 17th Century to the swords of the Russian empire, each entry is accompanied by a fabulous photograph of the weapon plus key information on date, origin and length.

Indispensable resource for the keen enthusiast and serious collector

This book will be an indispensable resource for the keen enthusiast and serious collector alike, while the 800 beautiful photographs and illustrations will inform anyone with an interest in the conflicts, weapons and warriors that have created our historical landscape.

NOTE:  I have not published this book myself and do not have copies currently available but it can be obtained from most major booksellers including  Amazon.com.

Published by Lorenz Books