Bayonets - An Illustrated History [Paperback]

Martin Brayley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2004

The bayonet has long been of interest to military collectors,

and its history ? going back to the 17th century ? is just as

fascinating. This spectacular photographic exploration of the

weapon begins with the inception of the bayonet in Bayonne,

France, and follows its evolution through the technical

advances of the next few centuries. Over 500 large scale,

full-color photos provide overall and detail views of 300

different bayonets from around the globe.

The book covers all types of bayonets, including Plug, Sword,

Socket, Knife, Yataghan, and many more. In addition to the

photographs, each bayonet is detailed with pricing

information, physical description, manufacturing data, service

history, and an examination of the effectiveness of the model.

The book also contains a reference section with information

on additional bayonet publications, collections and websites for

collectors and enthusiasts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873498704
• ISBN-13: 978-0873498708
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,215,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hundreds of Bayonets from all Over the World, January 17, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bayonets - An Illustrated History (Paperback)

The bayonet has not been an effective military weapon since the days of Napoleon. But every military incorporates a bayonet into their latest fully automatic assault weapon and trains their soldiers in their use. In part this is incorporated into military training, I can remember the drill sergeants teaching us to scream, "The spirit of the bayonet is to kill."

In reality, I think that if you are spending your days camping out in the woods you find a knife to be invaluable. And if you have a knife, it just as well may have the capability of being attached to the end of your rifle (and a bayonet clip is one of the characteristics that define an Assault Rifle in the US). In turn, bayonets have become collectible items in themselves.

In this book, Martin Brayley provides an extensive and in-depth examination of bayonets from 37 countries all around the world, over 300 bayonets in all! He starts with an early plug bayonet, hard to say what rifle it fit as it would work with any rifle of the proper caliber. Then he goes on to the ring or socket bayonets of the 1700's, and from their through the bolt actions of all militaries and on to today's latest designs.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An in-depth examination of the role of the bayonet in military conflicts worldwide from 1650 to present, August 7, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bayonets - An Illustrated History (Paperback)

Written by a military photographer of 24 years' experience, Bayonets: An Illustrated History offers an in-depth examination of the role of the bayonet in military conflicts worldwide from 1650 to present. More than 500 photographs enhance Bayonets: An Illustrated History. 300 different types of bayonets are closely scrutinized; almost every photograph features a capsule of notes specific to its topic. The text, while intended more for serious military historian than the lay reader, is highly accessible as it traces the design evolutions and purposes of bayonets as history passed. A welcome contribution to military and weapon history shelves.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pretty pictures, little else, December 17, 2008

By 

Roman Pennington - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bayonets - An Illustrated History (Paperback)

This is basically a "coffee table book" of pictures of bayonets. If you are looking for any depth of information on bayonets, look elsewhere.