Customer Reviews

Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period

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This is a truly exceptional book that discuss not only the armor of Iran but also details metal work in general. Its list of references will no doubt guide others in the field, allowing a better understanding of steel production, use and export from Iran. Any scholar that is interested in weaponry, it manufacture and its use in the order of battle of Iranian armies should consider this as a prime reference. Its chapter on steel manufacture is truly interesting.


I also hope that this erudite and much needed study will contribute to the revival of the ancient art of metal work in Iran.

'Arms and Armor from Iran' is an Academic study of immense proportions. Manouchehr Khorasani is not only able to transport us to the most important Persian collections in the world, but able to educate us on those Works of Art in fine grain detail. Due to the authors shear hard work, the book is able to cover vast time periods in Persian history, and cover a wide range of relevant topics. Manouchehr has been able to fill a gap in my library; his book will continue to be my first port of call when researching Persian Arms and Armour.

What a work of art!! I consider this book to as precious and valuable as the masterpieces Mr. Khorasani did so much research on to write this book.

This is HANDS-DOWN THE BEST BOOK EVER (EVER) written on Iranian (or Middle Eastern) arms and armor. I would go as far as to say that this is one of the best books written on the subject of arms and armor.

Look, this book weights over 10 lbs. It consumed over 8 years of the Authors' life to gather and organize all the information in this book, and this book has a lot of information. Very important information. A lot of whats in this book is RARE information. Its amazing, so much of the information in this has never even been written in English before. So, much detail... I know without a hesitation that much of info was translated from Farsi and Arabic.

There is nothing like this book. Details are given, not only about the weapons and armor, but also about how it was worn and used. I really love how the Author put this together. There is so much detail about the conduct a warrior should have, how they lived there life, and the etiquette in which a man should carry himself and his sword. Mr. Khorasani, even includes Omar Khayyam's chapter on swords, from his book noruz-nameh, as well as many other important people. It has taught a lot about my heritage. So, much so, that I am even teaching my family about our heritage. I learned that swords and swordsmanship go deep in my veins. My ancestors were even called men of the sword by the Persians. I have been studying Japanese swordsmanship for about 5 years, and my father would always ask me why. I never had a good reply, until I got this book. Now he never asks anymore. Javanmardi, is the way which I try to live my life. This book has really changed me as a Persian and as a Martial artist. I carry the same pride around now as the Sassanian warriors or Ayyer did. Pride in my weapons. Pride in my skills. Pride in my long wavy hair.

If you are reading these reviews to decided if you should buy this book or if you are into arms and armor. BUY IT!! You can't go wrong. I bought this book the 1st week it was published last year, and its still in perfect condition. So, while it is a big book; it can still take some damage. I carried my copy around for the first 3 months i got it. The price on this book will only scare you for a minute. Once you actually see and feel this book, you won't regret it. I'm sure of that.

Thank you Mr Khorasani for the dedication and sacrifices you have made to to write this book. Its a real gem. You should be proud of yourself, for a job well done. I think what you have done and what this book, really, represents is something very special. Thanks again!

Noruzeh moborak!!

Jahun Moayedzadeh

This book by Manouchehr Khorasani is an amazing collection and detailed account of not just weaponry but customs and traditions around warfare in Iran. The book has detailed accounts and inventory on what arms were used, how they were used, why they were used and the traditions and meaning behind each period in Iran's history. Iran is a fascinating land with so much rich culture and this book captures that essence in writing and in great picture format, having over 300 pages of black and white as well as color images. It makes for a great conversation piece, coffee table book or reference book for any person, regardless of their background or location. The binding and print quality of the book is very high and truly impressive.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get an understanding of Iran's history and for those who already have an appreciation of this great country and people! Mr. Khorasani needs to be commended on this monumental task and should be proud of his work - he is an honorary vessel for so many great leaders, warriors and statesmen throughout Persia's long and glorious history and he has done a remarkable job.

Full Disclosure: The author approached me to be a technical editor for this work based on my own expertise with arms and armour in East-Central Europe, which has direct historical ties to arms manufacture in Persia -- for example, the FRINGIA sabres -- and I accepted.

In the course of my work I have been in museum after museum, handled artifact after artifact, and read book, manual, and barely-preserved photocopy of 19th-century research done on arms and armor. None of that work, in total, matches what Manouchehr Moshtagh has achieved here. It is often described as "monumental." This is not simply due to the Cyclopean size of the work, but because it stands far above any of its rivals as an example of new weapons scholarship.

The book is exhaustive, it places Iranian arms and armor into their appropriate cultural context, and it does not assume specialized knowledge on the part of the reader. In short, although it is focused on a region outside my expertise, it is the book that I wish I had written, and I am quite confident that all future works of its type will use this book as their comparative standard.

I've read this book and its fantastic ! The text begins with a great review of Persian history. The history really helps to put the arms and armor into proper cultural focus. Its really refreshing to see a good reference book made from someone who truly understand and loves Iranian culture. The arms and armor are completely referenced and there are many measurements and pictures for the individual arms. An excellent feature of this book is the section on deciphering the cartouches of swords. Also included is an indepth description of sword parts and components. The descriptions also include translations for the words into Farsi. The crucible steel is simply amazing! The watered blades are very well pictured with close ups of the defining characteristics of the sword. If someone is familiar with Persian weapons, it is easy to see that these arms were made by Persian craftsmen. I believe this book will be somewhat revolutionary and may make others arms and armor authors work much harder to raise their standards.

i felt it was my duty to write this since another review was so ignorant..

thank you and enjoy this great book!
Ana

This book stands at a world class level of scholarship. Simply put, it is veritably at the caliber of the late Professor Roman Ghirschman's book on the Parthians and Sassanians.

Khorasani's exhuastive text has thoroughly examined (in meticulous detail) the development of metalwork technology and associated developments in arms and armor dating from the initial arrival of Indo-European peoples (Medes, Persians, etc.)onto the Iranian plateau. Khorasani fully examines the role of regions such as Marlik and Luristan in the development of Iran's metal technology in antiquity. Nevertheless, Khorasani has not narrowly confined his work to metalworks, and associated technology and armaments. There is a full appreciation (and examination) that these technologies exerted upon the arts of Iran.

Khorasani's outstanding book features 2500 color rare photographs never before seen in western academia (nor Iran for that matter). This book is already a MAJOR reference source of scholars, and will continue to be so for years to come.

It was in pre-Achaemenid era (especially the Mede era) where much of the basis of the "Persepolis Arts" were first established. Iranian Zoroastrian motifs began to appear in earnest within the metalworks of places such as Lursitan. Examples include mythological bird-beasts appearing on equestrian equipment (e.g. horse bits), daggers, and other metalworks. These motifs were to exert a profound influence on later European and Far eastern arts. These include the lion motif seen in the Achaemenid Akenakes dagger. The lion motif continues to be a potent symbol of collective Iranian identity. It is motif that has exerted a powerful legacy in Europe as outlined by the late Roman Ghirschman.

The development of technology in Iran was to exert a lasting legacy on world history. While Achaemenid Persia did fail to conquer Greece and Alexander conquered the Persian Empire of Darius III, technological developments in Persia continued to proceed. Khorasani fully expostulated upon those developments, especially in the context of archery equipment, swords and blade weapons, and other weapons such as lances, spears and javelins. These weapons however also exhibit the development of the arts of Iran, motifs that trace their developments back to the early Aryan, Mede and Achaemenid eras.

Armor and metalworks not only continued their developments in the post-Islamic period, but also experienced a renaissance in the Safavid era (1501-1736). Khorasanis' book features the first ever photograph of the armor of Shah Ismail (ruled 1501-1524), the founder of the Safavid dynasty.

Khorasani also examines the evolution of the "Spangenhelm" helmets of riveted construction metallic plates in Iran. These reached a high level of sophistication in the Sassanian era, and gave way to more advanced designs in post-Islamic Iran. Once again the photographs are outstanding in expostulating these developments.

While the Zand era is of profound importance to Iranians, however few know of the historical events of the period. It was Karim Khan Zand (1705-1779), the founder of the dynasty who, expelled the Pathan invaders of Iran. Many of Karim Khan Zand's warriors, included women, mainly the wives and daughters of the Luristan warriors, participated in battles. Their archery equipment was of the highest quality as seen in Khorasani's text.

The Zands may have introduced line firing (alternate volleys fired by succeeding rows). This technique had been known in Persia since the days of the Medes and Achaemenids.

The Qajar period (1781-1925) witnessed the construction of the some the highest quality metalworks (notably in swords and shields). Much of this is unknown as the Qajars are associated with the defeats suffered against imperial Russian expansions in the Caucasus and Central Asia in the late 1700s-early 1800s. Irrespective of the Qajar political leadership which was militarily inept and politically corrupt, the swords, armor and associated artistry were highly advanced, as witnessed in Khorasani's text and photographs. These photos in particular have set a milestone in that the standard western reference for Qajar militaria were the photos available from the Hermitage Museum at St. Petersburg. Khorasani has now expanded the range of visual references with respect to Qajar weaponry and metalworks.

Khorasani has sacrificed much to write this comprehensive text. His full-time research was undertaking at his own personal initiative and engaged in travels completely at his own expense for over a decade. This is the characteristic of world class scholars whose passion for their research transcends all personal motives in the quest to disseminate knowledge to humanity.

On a final note, I highly recommend this book to those interested to learn about the history of Iran from the Bronze Age Indo-European arrivals to the end of the Qajar era, especially with respect to metalwork technology and associated arts.

I have purchased this wonderful book just shortly after its publication. I was so overwhelmed not only by the profound research done for years but also by the wonderful pictures that were taken from all the items.

I would love to congratulate the author for his discipline and the gift that he was giving to the whole world. All items are described in detail, put in their right historical context and supported by footnotes and references between the text.

We are honored to have such a book in our private library.

The book is a monumental achievement. It covers a vast range of subjects: history, iconography, a detailed discussion of sword and other weapons, such as the spear, the javelin, the mace, bows and also armour and shields. Of particular interest are chapters on manufacture of swords, including wootz steel, chivalric traditions of warriors code of behaviour and methods of training which include wrestling, swordplay, archery, horsemanship and others. This book will be a major reference for all serious researchers and a required reading for historians, collectors and all readers interested in weaponry. Note half of the volume consists of high quality colour photographs, never before shown in print.

I didn't know the great number of iran arms. With this book my knowledge is wider. It's more than a masterpiece ! The great number of perfect pics shows in a wanderful way every item. The firsth part is a detailed historic and tecnical encyclopedia. Now I know what means a ten years of hard work.Everyone of the 775 pages must be seen or readed.It needs lot of time, but it's a pleasure. I suggest to buy this wanderful book. It'a must for all, even if not collector of arms. I showed it to some friend and averyone was breathtaking and fascinated. It's impossible not to appreciate the care and expertise of the author.Really GREAT .Thanks Manouchehr !