Monday, January 26, 2009
Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor
Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor
For 4,000 years weapons, and the warriors who used them, have acted as the cutting edge of history, using ax, spear, bow, sword, gun, and cannon to determine the rise of kingdoms and the fall of empires. From the stone axes of the earliest warfare to the heavy artillery of today's modern armies, this awe-inspiring book portrays for the first time the entire spectrum of weaponry. A spectacular, unprecedented visual reference to the design, function and history of arms and armor from around the world. Combines specially commissioned photography and sophisticated design with authoritative text and exhaustive coverage. Beautifully photographed and richly detailed catalogues display - often at actual size - all the major types of weapon, from spears to machine-guns. Profiles the warriors who have deployed the weapons to devastating effect, from the Roman legionary to the US Navy Seal. Includes features that showcase individual weapons in stunning detail.Product Details
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Written by a team of British military historians, this oversize volume seizes attention with the publisher's brand-name design: images surrounded by information-packed captions silhouetted against a white or a black background. Its pictures are sure to snare the substantial audience interested in the history of swords, guns, and body armor. Limiting the subject to portable armaments, the work extends from the first likely weapon (a rock) to the rifles issued to contemporary infantrymen. In most cases, the emphasis is on the tools of the ordinary soldier, his equipage through time explained with arrowed illustrations. The evolution of handheld weaponry is soon apparent, with that of firearms especially prominent. Some guns depicted here will be recognizable (think AK-47) even to those who recoil from guns. Explaining how such lethal equipment works is Weapon's forte; another asset is the comparison of weapon categories across a suite of historical societies. Popular? That's a foregone conclusion. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Customer Reviews
An Incredible Pictorial History
All I can say about this book is "Wow!" I purchased this as a gift for a friend, and truly enjoyed browsing through page after page of incredibly detailed pictures, each with a description of the weapon, its age, etc. I felt like I was touring a museum rather than reading a book. There's a great balance between ancient and modern weapons, and there are some very unique and fascinating weapons included. It's also conveniently arranged in chronological order. The book itself is beautiful, and heavy enough to live up to its name!
The history buffs love of weapons
This book is a gift for my boyfriend that is going to be read for days. He is a history buff and will spend hours looking at this book!!! What a great Christmas gift!!!
Skip the reviews and just buy it.
I bought this book to serve me as reference and idea book for the fantasy illustrations I do and I have to say it does an excellent job.
There are enough photos in it to satisfy thirst for visual of any man and the minimal but informative and to the point amount of text that follows every image. The combination makes for a fast and entertaining read easy to browse through.
I found it to be an extremely rewarding experience.
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