Heraldic Alphabet [Paperback]

J. P. Brooke-Little (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1997

'A most useful dictionary of heraldry and heraldic terms. Those with a casual interest in the subject will find the comprehensive descriptions helpful and will be able to acquire the language of heraldry through them. But the serious student too will find this a useful reference book' - The Times Literary Supplement Illustrated with over 300 drawings, An Heraldic Alphabet includes general chapters on such topics as the birth of heraldry. Clear, definitive and precise, An Heraldic Alphabet is the essential glossary for all students of heraldry and for those thousands of people intrigued by this engrossing subject.

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Robson Books; 3rd edition (April 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861050771
• ISBN-13: 978-1861050779
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,818,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are interested in heraldry, you MUST own this book!, July 25, 2000

By 

P. Kelley Strang - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heraldic Alphabet (Paperback)

This has to be one of the rarest of things; a book on heraldry that is useful for beginners and serious students. And rarer still, the author shows occasional flashes of humor!

With hundreds of entries, this dictionary of heraldic terms is a godsend to students. J.P. Brooke-Little covers MANY terms, both familiar and obscure, and includes alternate spellings and obsolete terms that would be encountered in older blazons.

While no book of this sort could be comprehensive, "An Heralic Alphabet" is quite thourough, and a must have for any student of heraldry.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Starter, August 30, 2000

By 

Poni Scofield (Beaverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heraldic Alphabet (Paperback)

This is a grand primer for those who have just begun to be interested in heraldry. It has clear black & white line drawings and concise non-stuffy text descriptions of heraldic elements, with some basic rules for assembling them and describing the results. "An Heraldic Alphabet" is aimed primarily at English modern heraldry. It does not cover every possible charge; it does not cover continental variations in style or rules. It is a great place to start, before jumping into more comprehensive (and more expensive) sources, such as Stephen Friar's "History of Heraldry", Arthur Charles Fox-Davies' "A Complete Guide to Heraldry", or "Heraldry Sources, Symbols and Meaning" by Neubecker, Brook-Little, and Tobler. Those interested in medieval heraldry, and medieval recreationists, will need guidance from other sources, such as the other books here mentioned and from their re-creation group's particular rules.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little book about a giant subject, January 11, 2009

By 

Bronwyn P. Noble (Madison, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Heraldic Alphabet (Paperback)

What is heraldry? It's certainly something that most of the people in this country know absolutely nothing about. A long time ago, I was one of them. Today, however, I enjoy it. Okay, I love it.

Heraldry is all about great displays of color, design (even design as we do it today), fantastical animals, and history. It's a great way to teach children about drawing and design, to start them learning about the great people whose "arms" (as an individual's personal design is called) are often seen, like Richard the Lionheart, Henry VIII and his ladies, Queen Elizabeth and her family. It's a way of teaching about relationships that can be seen a family's heraldry through the years (and goggle at some of the most remarkable mishmashes you'l probably ever see).

This small book contains the basics that will open all of that to you. It is written by a former head of the British College of Arms (called the "Garter King of Arms"), and one of the great scholars on the subject. Yet, it is written in plain English (with a Queen's touch to it), with a sense of British humor to give a chuckle or two. There is a compendium of things and animals that are used in the creation of arms.

For those of us in the SCA, this is a precious little volume that will fit nicely in a traveling kit as a reminder of the basics to help when consulting with our clients.

But, no matter what you do with it, be sure to enjoy.