Brough's Books - Antique Weapons
weapons

Weapons Through the Ages

Books on the History of Weapons and Armor
Home > Military > Antique Weapons
 
Armament and History: The Influence of Armament on History from the Dawn of Classical Warfare to the End of the Second World War
by J. F. C. Fuller
Although skill, leadership, strategy, and number of forces have been important factors in battles, armaments have played the most decisive role in determining ultimate military victory. Entranced by the power and precision of armaments, man has continuously invented faster, more accurate, and more devastating weapons, from the javelin, stone axe, sword, and the arrow to the cannon, musket, rifle, tank, super-fortress, and missile. In this study of the influence of armaments on history, J.F.C. Fuller shows how the inventive genius of man can potentially obliterate his sense of moral values and destroy civilization. Divided into armament epochs—Ages of Valour, Chivalry, Gunpowder, Steam, Oil, and Atomic Energy—Armament and History examines the most influential military innovations of each period as well as the key leaders (including Alexander, Caesar, Gustavus Adolphus, and Napoleon) who skillfully employed these weapons. Although the author acknowledges that war cannot be eliminated entirely, he urges man to impose restrictions on warfare before society descends into a second Dark Age. Completed immediately after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—chilling examples of mass destruction caused by armaments—this impassioned work remains relevant more than a half-century later. 
(Paperback)
 
Arms and Armor : The Cleveland Museum of Art
by Stephen N. Fliegel
Hardcover - 192 pages (March )
Cleveland Museum of Art; ISBN: 0810963760
 
Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Medieval Military Library)
Charles Boutell.
Translated from the French by M. P. Lacombe
Numerous illustrations, many from sources now lost, back up a detailed discussion of world-wide developments in armor from the earliest times, and weapons from the Stone Age to early firearms and cannon.
Paperback: 352 pages
Da Capo Press; ISBN: 0938289624; (March )

Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era, 1050-1350 : Western Europe and the Crusader States
by David Nicolle
Hardcover: 640 pages Revised edition
Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal; ISBN: 1853673471;
Out of Print - Try Used Books

Arms and Armor: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive)
by Carol Belanger Grafton (Editor)
Listed under Medieval Clip Art

American Swords and Sword Makers, Vol. II
by Richard H. Bezdek
Hardcover - 384 pages Vol 002 (January 1, )
Paladin Pr; ISBN: 158160016X
 

The Archaeology of Weapons : Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry
by R. Ewart Oakeshott
A highly readable history of arms and armour across Europe from the Bronze Age to the Age of Chivalry, based upon the evidence of arms found in excavations, tombs and rivers, as well as upon contemporary art. The Publisher
Paperback - 384 pages
Dover Pubns; ISBN: 0486292886
 
The Armourer and His Craft : From the XIth to the XVth Century
by Charles Foulkes
Comprehensive, detailed record of 500 years of European armor--manufacture, materials, tools, cost, weight, etc. Over 100 illustrations. Bibliography. The Publisher
Paperback - 256 pages (January 1989)
Dover Pubns; ISBN: 0486258513
Out of Print

The Art of Making Armour
by Rob Valentine, Robert Valentine
Paperback
American Literary Press; ISBN: 156167527X

The Art and Science of Fencing
by Nick Evangelista
Listed under Fencing

The Book of the Sword
by Richard Francis Burton
"The history of the sword is the history of humanity." With these words, British author, Victorian scholar and world traveler, Sir Richard Burton begins his eloquent and exceptionally erudite history of the "Queen of Weapons." Spanning centuries, and a wide range of cultures, Burton illuminates the sword as both ornamental and potent symbol. Drawing from a wealth of literary, archaeological, anthropological, and other sources, the author traces the sword's origins, from its birth as a charred and sharpened stick, through its diverse stages of development, to its full growth in the early Roman Empire. This text provides an incredible wealth of detailed data about the sword and its variations: sabres, broadsword, cutlass, scimitar, rapier, foil as well as dirks, dagger, knives, flails. Any military and social historian, scholar, or armchair adventurer will find this volume a fascinating account of this symbol of power. The Publisher
Paperback - 336 pages (April 1989)
Dover Pubns; ISBN: 0486254348
 

Bowmen of England: The Story of the English Longbow (Pen  Sword Military Classics)
Bowmen of England: The Story of the English Longbow (Pen & Sword Military Classics)
by Donald Featherstone
Book Description: From the 12th to 15th centuries the longbow was the weapon that changed European history more than any other. In the skilled hands of English and Welsh archers it revolutionized all the medieval concepts and traditions of war. No other weapon dominated the battlefield as it did, and it was the winning factor in every major battle from Morlaix in 1342 to Patay in 1429. Donald Featherstone's study of the English longbow from its early development until the Wars of the Roses is an inspiring and authentic reconstruction in human terms in an age of courage, vitality and endurance. He provides an enthralling footnote to the history of the longbow by recording the engagement in which it was last used in France in 1940. 
Paperback from Pen & Sword
 
Codex Wallerstein : A Medieval Fighting Book from the Fifteenth Century on the Longsword, Falchion, Dagger, and Wrestling
by Grzegorz Zabinski (Author), Bartlomiej Walczak (Author)
(Hardcover)

The Encyclopedia of the Sword
by Nick Evangelista, William M. Gaugler (Designer)
Hardcover - 720 pages
Greenwood Publishing Group; ISBN: 0313278962

The Gatling Gun : 19th Century Machine Gun to 21st Century Vulcan
by Joseph Berk
Listed under Military Weapons

German Swords And Sword Makers: Edged Weapon Makers from the 14th to the 20th Centuries
by Richard H. Bezdek
German swordsmiths have always been famous for their production of high-quality swords, making the swords themselves highly sought by collectors. Equally important to the knowledgeable collector are the histories of the men who designed, manufactured and sold these prized weapons. German Swords and Sword Makers presents the most information ever published on German sword and edged weapon makers from the Middle Ages to the present. It includes photos and illustrations of swords from Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Saxony and Austria; more than 300 illustrations of German sword maker blade marks spanning five centuries; rare sketches and photos of German sword makers and their factories; a listing of German sword makers who exported swords to Union and Confederate dealers during the American Civil War; identification of sword and edged-weapon suppliers to Nazi Germany; and much more.
Hardcover - 248 pages (January 1, )
Paladin Pr; ISBN: 1581600577

An Historical Guide to Arms & Armor
by Stephen Bull (Contributor), Tony North (Editor)
Hardcover - 224 pages (September 1991)
Facts on File, Inc.; ISBN: 0816026203

A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder
by James Riddick Partington
Paperback - 393 pages Reprint edition (November )
Johns Hopkins Univ Pr; ISBN: 0801859549
 

Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century : Discipline, Tactics, and Technology
Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century : Discipline, Tactics, and Technology
by Kelly DeVries
Book Description: His detailed analysis of battles provides an important reassessment of the way in which infantry and dismounted cavalry achieved such striking successes. HISTORY This remarkable study confirms (DeVries's) emergence as one of the major scholars of his generation. JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY This study departs from the conventional view of the dominance of cavalry in medieval warfare: its objective is to establish the often decisive importance of infantry. Kelly DeVries employs evidence from first-hand accounts - a major feature of this study - to examine the role of the infantry, and the nature of infantry tactics, in nineteen battles fought in England and Europe between 1302 and 1347, in most of which it was the infantry which secured victory. The battles analysed in detail are: Courtrai Arques Mons-en-Pevele Loudon Hill Kephissos Bannockburn Boroughbridge Cassel Dupplin Moor Halidon Hill Laupen Morlaix Staveren Vottem Crecy Neville's Cross, and the infantry ambushes: Morgarten Auberoche La Roche-Derrien. 
Paperback from Boydell & Brewer
 
A Knight and His Weapons
A Knight and His Weapons
by R. Ewart Oakeshott, Ewart Oakeshott (Illustrator)
Paperback - 124 pages 2nd edition
Dufour Editions; ISBN: 0802312993

The Knight and the Blast Furnace: A History of the Metallurgy of Armour in the Middle Ages & the Early Modern Period (History of Warfare, 12)
by Alan Williams
(Hardcover)
 

The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe
The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe
by Sydney Anglo
From the Publisher Mounted encounters by armored knights locked in desperate hand-to- hand combat, stabbing and wrestling in tavern brawls, deceits and brutalities in street affrays, balletic homicide on the dueling field-these were the martial arts of Renaissance Europe. In this extensively illustrated book Sydney Anglo, a leading historian of the Renaissance and its symbolism, provides the first complete study of the martial arts from the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth century. He explains the...
Hardcover: 384 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.23 x 10.45 x 7.88
Publisher: Yale Univ Pr;
ISBN: 0300083521
 
The Medieval Archer
The Medieval Archer
by Jim Bradbury
Book Description: `It is a delight to read a book which recognises the importance of warfare in medieval times...also...discusses the changing role of the archer in medieval society.' SIR STEVEN RUNCIMANThis book traces the history of the archer in the medieval period, from the Norman Conquest to the Wars of the Roses. From a close study of early evidence, Mr Bradbury shows that the archer's role before the time of Edward I was an important but rarely documented one, and that his new prominence in the fourteenth century was the result of changes in development of military tactics rather than the introduction of the famous `longbow'. A second thread of the book examines the archer's role in society, with particular reference to thatmost famous of all archers, Robin Hood. The final chapters look at the archer in the early fifteenth century and then chronicle the rise of the handgun as the major infantry weapon at the bow's expense. JIM BRADBURYwrites and lectures on battles and warfare in England and France in the middle ages. 
Paperback from Boydell & Brewer
 
Medieval Combat : A Fifteenth-Century Illustrated Manual of Swordfighting and Close-Quarter Combat
by Hans Talhoffer, Mark Rector, John Clements
Hardcover - 304 pages
Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal; ISBN: 1853674184

Medieval Knights Paper Soldiers
by A. G. Smith
Listed under Paper Soldiers

Medieval Siege Weapons: Western Europe AD 585-1385
by David Nicolle, Sam Thompson
Listed under Siege Weapons

Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods and Techniques
by John Clements
(Paperback -- October 1, )

Renaissance Swordsmanship : The Illustrated Use of Rapiers and Cut-And-Thrust Swords
by John Clements
Paperback - 143 pages (March )
Paladin Pr; ISBN: 0873649192
 

Records of the Medieval Sword
by Ewart Oakeshott
Paperback: 320 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.75 x 11.00 x 8.50
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer; Reprint edition (May )
ISBN: 0851155669

The Secret History of the Sword
by J Christopher Amberger
This is the most complete treatise ever on the art of European edged weapons combat. In this volume, the author discusses the development of sword fighting techniques throughout Europe's history, includes first hand accounts of famous duels, compares and contrasts Medieval sword-fighting with modern sport fencing, and provides a comprehensive overview of the "way" of the sword in Europe. The Publisher.
Paperback: 298 pages
Unique Publications/CFW Enterprises; ISBN: 1892515040; 1 Ed edition (February 1, )
 

Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction: The 14th Century
by Brian Price
Hardcover - 528 pages (September 1, )
Paladin Pr; ISBN: 1581600984

 
Tournaments : Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages
by Richard Barber, Juliet Barker, Robert Liddiard

U.S. Infantry Weapons of World War II
Bruce N. Canfield
Listed under Military Small Arms

Warfare in the Classical World : An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons, Warriors and Warfare in the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome
by John Gibson Warry
From the rise of Greece to the fall of Rome, this superbly illustrated volume is a wonderful account of the warriors and battles that dominated Europe and the Near East for more than 1,000 years. The story begins at Troy, drawing upon Homeric legend and modern archaeological evidence. It continues through Greece's Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, Alexander the Great, Rome's Punic Wars, Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and the barbarian invasions. Although John Warry's text is worth reading, the color drawings of uniforms, equipment, weapons, warships, siege engines, and more are the real highlight and make the chronicle extremely accessible. Warfare in the Classical World will excite both readers who have a mature interest in the period and, although it's not a kids' book, children becoming acquainted with ancient history for the first time. Amazon.com

Weapons & Equipment of the Napoleonic Wars
by Philip J. Haythornthwaite
Listed under Napoleonic Wars

Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe : Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology. New Ser, No 22)
Bert S. Hall
Francis Bacon, writing in 1620, remarked that the magnetic compass, the printing press, and gunpowder changed the appearance and state of the whole world. Bert S. Hall focuses closely on the last innovation to examine the effects of changes in military technology on European history in the late Middle Ages and early modern era. Strategists, he writes, first used guns as a means of inducing panic in an enemy. When rival armies gained access to this technology, the psychological use of firearms gave way to their employment as weapons of mass destruction. With increased military power came a transformation in the power of states, allowing greater centralization and force. Military history buffs will find much of interest in these pages. Amazon.com
Hardcover


Out of Print and Hard to Find Books
 

Ancient Weapons & Warfare (Exploring History)
by Will Fowler
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover - 64 pages 1 Ed. edition (October 1, )
Lorenz Books; ISBN: 0754802124
Out of Print - Try Used Books

Armourers (Medieval Craftsmen Series)
by Matthias Pfaffenbichler
Paperback (May 1992)
Univ of Toronto Pr (Trd); ISBN: 0802077323
Out of Print - Try Used Books

Firepower : Weapons Effectiveness on the Battlefield, 1630-1850
B. P., Major-General Hughes
Hardcover
Out of Print - Try Used Books

Medieval Military Costume (Europa Militaria Special, 8)
by Gerry Embleton
Paperback: 96 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.23 x 10.16 x 7.46
Crowood Pr; ISBN: 1861263716;
Out of Print - Try Used Books

Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight
by David Edge
Hardcover
Crescent Books; ISBN: 0517103192
Out of Print - Try Used Books
 
 

Search This Site
Copyright © 1997-2024 dropbears.com