Armor [Hardcover]

Charlotte Yue (Author), David Yue (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

In lucid text and precise, beautiful illustrations, Charlotte and David Yue tell the fascinating story of armor.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-A thorough picture of what it took to dress a knight and his horse. The focus is primarily on European knights and includes detailed descriptions of making and donning mail, outer armor, helmets, etc. R. Ewart Oakeshott's Dark Age Warrior (Dufour, 1984; o.p.) covers similar material, but the Yues' book is unique in that it concentrates almost exclusively on the evolution of armor and the process of making it. They also answer many questions, such as how a knight was able to relieve himself. Accurate, with apt illustrations, well-rendered diagrams, and a good bibliography, the book nonetheless lacks a desperately needed pronunciation guide and a good glossary. Still, it will appeal to warfare enthusiasts and be of use to report writers.
Margaret B. Rafferty, Appalachian Regional Library, West Jefferson, NC
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. The Yues, authors of Christopher Columbus: How He Did It (1992), The Igloo (1988), and The Pueblo (1986), provide a succinct introduction to armor and the world in which it was used. They discuss European knighthood, the historical development of armor as new weapons called for new defenses, the armorer's craft, the complicated task of dressing a knight, armor for horses, jousts, and the end of knighthood. This volume differs from others on armor in several ways. First, it mentions subjects children may wonder about, but that books usually ignore: "Sometimes a penis defense called a codpiece was worn" and "Anyone who has ever worn a snowsuit in winter might wonder if a knight was able to relieve himself after all his armor was in place." Second, it looks beyond the boundaries of Europe for a glimpse of armor in other cultures, from those of the South Sea Islanders to Japanese samurai to Native Americans. Finally, the text makes the distinction between what historians know from evidence and what they surmise. Black-and-white drawings illustrate the text. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 92 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (October 24, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395681014
• ISBN-13: 978-0395681015
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,596,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but confusing., April 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Armor (Hardcover)

This is a well-written book, with a simplistic, down-to-earth style. It is informative; despite being a bit confusing and erratic, is an excellent book. The numerous illustrations add to the succinct nature of the text. The fascinating world of armor is captured in an epigrammatic book by the renouned Yues.