European Weapons and Armour: From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution [Hardcover]

Ewart Oakeshott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 16, 2000

Both a work of scholarship, and a treasury of information, for anyone seeking a factual and vivid account of the story of arms from the Renaissance period to the Industrial Revolution. The author chooses as his starting-point the invasion of Italy by France in 1494, which sowed the dragon's teeth of all the successive European wars; the French invasion was to accelerate the trend towards new armaments and new methods of warfare. The author describes the development of the handgun and the pike, the use and style of staff-weapons, mace and axe and war-hammer, dagger and dirk and bayonet. He shows how armour attained its full Renaissance splendour and then suffered its sorry and inevitable decline, culminating in the Industrial Revolution, with its far-reaching effects on military armaments. Above all, he follows the long history of the sword, queen of weapons, to the late eighteenth century, when it finally ceased to form a part of a gentleman's every-day wear. Lavishly illustrated.EWART OAKESHOTT was one of the world's leading authorities on the arms and armour of medieval Europe. His other works on the subject include Records of the Medieval Sword and The Sword in the Age of Chivalry.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (November 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851157890
• ISBN-13: 978-0851157894
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,613,347 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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an absolute must-have for the budding hoplologist, October 5, 2002

By 

Eric K (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: European weapons and armour: From the Renaissance to the industrial revolution

I got this book thinking it would be a good reference for arms and armor of the High Middle Ages and Renaissance time periods, and it most certainly delivered on that expectation. But it is so much more! The writing is fabulous, I ended up reading this book chapter by chapter (jumping around a bit). Ewart Oakeshott's passion for history and medieval armaments is very apparent in his writing, and he has created a truly beautiful book here. Bear in mind though, this book is directed at a very specific time period with a specific perspective (focusing on the development of arms and armor of the noblesse and professional military men), which means it's not for everyone...

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential reference, October 22, 2011

By 

David J. Atkinson "David" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: European Weapons and Armour: From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution (Hardcover)

Another great reference work by Oakeshott. Many useful illustrations of swords and armor with variations. The book is organized by the major eras and transitions in edged weapons so it is useful for tracking how styles influenced one another. Very enjoyable reading!

5.0 out of 5 stars Ewart Oakeshott, the best man I never knew, July 2, 2011

By 

Njall - See all my reviews

This review is from: European Weapons and Armour: From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution (Hardcover)

The late Ewart Oakeshott was an expert on the European sword. He could write the most scholarly of works. But instead writes a book that everyone can read. The Oakeshott Museum holds his collection and is one of the best presented displays of historic swords in the world today.

European Weapons and Armour is an excellent overview on the topic. A good read for both the student starting out on the study of this field and for amateur historians alike. This book serves as a broad overview and a good introduction to Oakeshott's my detailed works on the European Sword.

Every school library, high school and college level, should have this book.