Posted: 4/18/2006 2:52:09 PM EDT
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I am looking for a good book that discusses and hopefully contains pictures of swords and other weapons used by any and all cultures during medieval times. No local bookstores really carry anything on the weapons of that time and you don't really know what you are getting when you buy online. Any suggestions? |
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A couple of inexpensive books that cover the Met's permanent collection of medieval arms and armor: Arms & Armor From the Permanent Collection Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions 1991–2002 |
I don't know of a single book that will cover most/all weapons from all parts of the world. Most books on this topic tend to focus on one particular region (eg: Europe, Japan, China, etc). Blitzkreig's reccomendation of books written by Ewart Oakshott is good. He passed away a few years ago but he was considered by many people to be one of THE modern authorites on European medieval weaponry, especially swords, while he was alive. Some of his books are written for teen/highschool aged readers and may be a bit simplified for your taste but he has other more detailed books aimed at adults. For Japan I have the book "Arms and Armor of the Samurai" by Ian Bottomley. It's quite good with excellent photos of antique Japanese weapons and armours. There will be other good books for Japan but this is the one I'm most familiar with. I'm not sure what books are good for other parts of the world. If you have much of an interest in Japanese swords, one book I would very highly reccomend is "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" by Leon Kapp and Yoshindo Yoshihara. This is a book about how Japanese swords are made using traditional smithing techniques, lavishly illustrated with photos of a sword being forged, polished and having it's fittings made by professional Japanese craftsmen (Yoshindo Yoshihara is the smith featured in the book and is one of Japan's top professional swordsmiths). |
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dont know about books specifically on weapons, but these guys would be right up your alley: www.ospreypublishing.com/ |
Sword Forum International would be an excellent starting point to learn about weapons and to get recommendations on books. Also, My Armoury is probably the best site for Western European arms. They also have a recommended books list on that site. |