Swords and Hilt Weapons [Hardcover]

Peter Connolly (Author), Michael D. Coe (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1989

A guide to nearly 4000 years of sword making from the Bronze Age to World War II. On the basis of technical excellence and cultural significance, emphasis is given to European, Islamic and Japanese weapons. It also covers those of Africa, Mesoamerica, China, Central Asia and Indonesia.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Victor Harris - Curator of Japanese Antiquities, British Museum; Michael D Cole - Professor of Anthropology, Yale University; Peter Connolly - Inst. of Archeology, Uni of London; Anthony Harding -Sr Lecturer in Archeology, Uni of Durham; Donald J. La Rocca - Arms and Armour Dept, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Anthony North - V&A Museum; Thom Richardson - Curator of Armour, the Royal Armouries, Tower of London; Christopher Spring - British Museum; Frederick Wilkinson - President of the Arms and Armour Society --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 239 pages
• Publisher: Grove Pr (October 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555842909
• ISBN-13: 978-1555842901
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,900,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Reference, January 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Swords and Hilt Weapons (Hardcover)

This is the most complete reference I have seen on the subject, rife with good photographs and superb research. Each chapter is written by a different person (experts I assume) and provides exceptional detail. It has sections on Bronze and Iron Age weapons; western weapons from Rome through WWII; Japanese swords; Indian weapons; and Chinese and Southeast Asian weapons; it even covers African weapons quite well. If you are starting a library of edged weapons, or already have one, this book must be in it!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing resource on the evolution of swords, March 22, 2003

By 

Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swords and Hilt Weapons (Hardcover)

As a child I took weapons, swords, daggers, Sgian dubhs, dirks hanging on the wall as the norm for decor. My Grandfather's home was covered with this items that looked wonderful. As I grew I came to appreciate the beautiful and craftsmanship in weapons that dominated warfare for millenniums, until the coming of the more clumsy equaliser guns. Anyone can pick up a gun and fire it, but to use a sword with proficiency was something akinned to a ballet. Thrust, parry, block, defence and offence, from claymore to épées were breathtaking to watch, even more so was the feeling of hold these metal wonders in your hands. So it was not surprising I went on to collect swords. And this book satisfies that love of the weapon. With various contributors, they trace the earliest origins from stone area, bronze age and bronze age to the swords of World Wars I and II. It covers swords from the Middle East, the unsurpassed Japanese Samurai blades, Swords used in China and Central Asia, even into India, Africa and Pre-Conquest America.

It is LOADED with colour pictures of the weapons, historical paintings showing them in use, even details spectrograms on the composition of the swords, how they were made, used from the most basic to the most ornamental dress swords. Every page just is simply amazing.

Highly recommended any any sword collection, anyone interested in knowing more about these weapons that forged our history and especially of interest to historical writer and historical romance writers. An Absolute MUST for them.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars swords and hilt weapons, April 28, 2003

By 

D. Baker "historical arms" (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swords and Hilt Weapons (Hardcover)

This is one of the first books I bought when I started collecting arms and armour. The color photographs are detailed and of good quality, and there is a fairly good range of swords from European to Indian/oriental. I have found myself reaching for this book as a resource many times. I highly recommend it.