Contents:
The chapters on these specific swords and swordsmen are alternated with more general chapters on the changing technical developments and fashions in swords and their use. The reader's guide on this historical tour is Mike Loades. Mike has been handling swords most of his life, as a fight arranger, stuntman and historical weapons expert for TV and stage.
He considers the sword as a functional weapon, work of art, fashion statement and cultural icon. As much as his profound knowledge of the subject, it is his life-long passion for swords that comes through on every page.
His fascinating text is supported by a lavish wealth of images, many previously unpublished and taken specifically for this book. Product details Format Paperback pages Dimensions x x People who bought this also bought. The Longbow Mike Loades.
The Crossbow Mike Loades. The Composite Bow Mike Loades. The Flower of Battle Colin Hatcher. Alliances Star Wars Timothy Zahn. Swords of the Viking Age Ian Peirce.
Weapon R G Grant. Longbowman vs Crossbowman David Campbell.
Robert Oppenheimer Ray Monk. The Art of Combat Joachim Meyer. Soviet T Tank Mark Healy. Panzer III on the Battlefield.
Volume 2 Tom Cockle. Operation Market Garden Paratroopers: German Sniper Rifles Albrecht Wacker.
Army of None Paul Scharre. The Gun C J Chivers. Classic Miniature Vehicles Edward Force. Wired for War P. One that reaches out to be read and understood by the general history buff as well as the sword expert. Matthew Bennett — Military Illustrated, January The main focus for each of the main chapters is a sword that exists in a present day collection and which once belonged to a known historical character.
Each sword is therefore seen in the social and military context of its time and becomes a prism through which to see a little of the life of the man who once held it. From Tutankhamun to General Custer, and including a chapter on the legendary samurai Uesugi Kenshin, Swords and Swordsmen recounts the lives of warriors from many ages and cultures; men whose lives depended on their skill with the sword. Here we meet the men who owned these swords and wielded them in battle and private affray. Swords and Swordsmen has been lavishly illustrated with over photographs of some of the finest swords surviving in the world today and which may arguably be some of the finest swords ever made — after all they were made, in the main, for extremely prestigious people.
This book celebrates these weapons as iconic works of art and powerful cultural symbols, whilst at the same time examining the practicality of their use and the materials and methods of their manufacture.
Adam Des Forges has contributed exquisite line drawings, derived from old fight manuals, which bring to life the energy and the beauty of the European martial arts in a fresh and dynamic way. This is also a very personal book and the author, who has spent a lifetime as an historical fight expert, gives an account of many of the experiments he has undertaken and the adventures he has experienced, sword in hand.
Entertaining enough for general audiences while educational for the hardcore student, and effectively illustrated, this is a not-to-miss title covering a huge gamut of the subject. Many readers will know the author from television programmes on martial combat, where his enthusiasm, energy and skill at arms never fail to dazzle. Now this man who has wielded so many swords takes up his pen to record this iconic weapon across five millennia and a dozen cultures.
His approach is episodic, choosing a remarkable individual, a particular event or a cultural feature, such as dueling, in order to explore the diversity apparent in the long metal hand-arm. There are also some fascinating facts, such as the sword of the Chinese emperor buried with the thousands of protectors of his Terracotta Army: This book is truly a high quality product, beautifully produced and with lavish illustration throughout, many in full colour.
As well as pictures of weapons, often in close-up, there is a wide range of pictures showing swords being used for ceremonial purposes, in battle and for sport. A great read and highly recommended. For anyone interested in military history, this is a fascinating book. The author looks at the swords that belonged to famous historical figures. Using this as a framework, the book looks at the evolution of swords, how they were made, how they are regarded as art objects, but, often the most overlooked function of course, at how they were actually used and the lethal practicality of their design.
The author, who is an historical weapons expert, has arranged fight sequences for stage and screen, and this practical experience brings a unique perspective to the study of weapons.
I am including a review here as the first chapter is on the swords of Tutankhamun see a shortened version of this chapter in this issue of AE and also on the sword of Alexander the Great. The use of sticks for fighting is depicted on many tomb and temple scenes. In the case of the Tutankhamun examples, it would seem that they have lost their leather hand-guards leather was not preserved well in the tomb.