American Swords And Sword Makers (American Swords & Sword Makers) (v. 1) (Paperback)

~ Richard H. Bezdek (Author) "Collecting antique swords is like collecting a piece of history..." (more)
Key Phrases: Committee of Safety, Clock Maker, Civil War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Richard Bezdek spent more than 20 years researching American Swords And Sword Makers. Besides examining thousands of antique swords for his own collection (plus those in museums, historical societies, and other personal collections), Bezdek poured through an enormous amount of written information, including current and out-of-print books; federal, state, and local archives; old newspaper and magazine advertisements; back issues of the "Journal of the U. S. Cavalry Association"; military and fraternal society bulletins; museum, society, auction, and dealer catalogs; city directories, census reports, and tax records; and tombstones. The result is the most thorough examination of every facet of American sword making, retailing, importing, and exporting available today. Illustrated with over 200 superlative photographs of U. S. and Confederate swords, American Swords And Sword Makers is a definitive and essential reference work. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Description

This is the first book ever to span the complete history of American swords, sword makers and sword dealers from Colonial times to the present. More than 200 exquisite photos of important cavalry, infantry, artillery and naval swords and the most complete bibliography in print on swords and sword makers make this the definitive volume for collectors and historians.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 664 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873647653
• ISBN-13: 978-0873647656
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,395,281 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Sword collectors need this book., December 21, 1998

By A Customer

The best way to increase the value of a sword that you have in your collection or wish to purchase is to identify it by maker, date and period ownership. American sword makers, and thier products, can be found easily in this book, and their dates of manufacture can often be identified as well. Reference works such as this, with plentiful illustrations, are essential for all collectors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A MUST FOR ANY SWORD COLLECTOR'S LIBRARY!, September 29, 2006

By	Mike Miner (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

The author has broken new ground on one of the most collected fields of collecting. His intensive research is obvious, and the information you find here is seldom encountered elsewhere.

It is a massive work. The author definitely didn't gloss over the subject, something which is much appreciated in books on militaria these days.

While there are a few photographs, I think the format is such that many more could have been offered without significantly adding to the number of pages, enhancing and braking up the text better. Don't get me wrong, the book is about the information within, but more photographs or illustrations scattered throughout would have made the hours you will want to spend with this book just a bit more visual appealing.

Don't pass this one up if you have any interest in sword collecting what-so-ever!