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Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor
by
,
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 weap
...more
Hardcover, 360 pages
Published
October 2nd 2006
by DK
(first published January 1st 2006)
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(showing 1-30)
Great chronological-graphic history of weapon evolution...
Excellent visually, but a bit disappointing on the text side. Some of the history was interesting, but it was presented in a rather insipid manner at times. Also, the entire book was very disjointed. While it progressed overall in a past to present timeline, some of the tidbits were just thrown in without any relation to what preceded it. The ending was very abrupt as well, there was no closing or paragraph with any sense of finality.
Beautifully detailed photographs and explanations of a huge variety of weapons, ancient and modern. My only problem is that the book is entirely too Western focused. For example, there is one page on Aztec weapons, one page on all North American Indian weapons (mostly post-European contact) and nothing at all on Mayan, Incan, or any other pre-Colombian American civilization. Additionally, while there are some pages on Medieval and Modern Chinese and Japanese swords and guns, but there is nothing
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Another excellent book by DK, Weapon pretty much amounts to a giant museum. There are tons of weapons in this book, organized by time period and category, with more comprehensive sections on the more prolific weapons of history.
There are also specialized sections dealing with the weapons of different types of soldiers, be they hoplites or SEALs. The book is easy to read, not too in-depth, however, and there a few inaccuracies regarding things like the caliber of different firearms. But in, all ...more
There are also specialized sections dealing with the weapons of different types of soldiers, be they hoplites or SEALs. The book is easy to read, not too in-depth, however, and there a few inaccuracies regarding things like the caliber of different firearms. But in, all ...more
Fun book to go through.
At 350 pages, this is a very thorough book. It begins with flint knives and stone axes, and ends with grenade launchers and man-portable anti-tank weapons. In between is just about everything else you can imagine. The text can be rather dry a lot of the time, but the large, full-color photos make up for that. I especially liked the older stuff that is all decorated and engraved. Weapons that were more works of art than tools of war. It was also interesting to see the lesser known stuff, like Oce
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Jul 09, 2015
Nicki Markus
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-non-fiction
Weapon is a wonderful resource, combining informative text with beautiful photos. The book charts the full history of weapons and armour and, as a writer, I find it a wonderful first point of call when I am checking for historical accuracy of weapons used in my stories.
A wonderful library addition to anyone interested in history, and in combat history in particular.
A wonderful library addition to anyone interested in history, and in combat history in particular.
A handy guide for writing historical tales that involve battles. I've used it for assessing what sort of weapons would be available for a specific time period, and evaluating my weapon choices for an imaginary tribe.
This book really is cool, if weapons and warfare from any era interest you this book is for you. It shows how modern day assault rifles evolved from the atlatl of ancient times and how the weapons of ancient times effect how wars are fought, and how they effect us.
The pictures accompanied it are great, but could do with a little bit more detail.
Currently it read like picture book with detailed description.
Like it a lot though. It really helped with my jobs.
Currently it read like picture book with detailed description.
Like it a lot though. It really helped with my jobs.
4.75/5
I'd like to have seen some more armors, especially newer ones since the book doesn't feature anything post 1900 other than a few helmets, but other than hat it is a fantastic and well illustrated guide for anyone interested in (pre)historic warfare.
I'd like to have seen some more armors, especially newer ones since the book doesn't feature anything post 1900 other than a few helmets, but other than hat it is a fantastic and well illustrated guide for anyone interested in (pre)historic warfare.
great photographic reference of weapons for artists
I skipped the gun sections due to disinterest. Organizing by both time period and geography was a nice touch that showcased regional differences well.
Great reference to learn of the varied styles of arms and armor that have been used throughout history.
SM
Dec 01, 2014
Osiris Brackhaus
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction
Very comprehensive on firearms, rather thin on melee weapons and armor. Besides that, a beautifuly photographed reference for everyone interested in weaponry through the ages.
Large fantastically illustrated hardcover which includes full page, full color photography. Overall a quality beginner's introduction to the better known world history of arms.
A beautiful visual guide for anyone who has an interest in military history. Loads of information and attractive glossy pictures. Well put together. Very interesting to flip through.
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Richard Holmes was Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. He was educated at Cambridge, Northern Illinois, and Reading Universities, and carried out his doctoral research on the French army of the Second ...more
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Richard Holmes was Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. He was educated at Cambridge, Northern Illinois, and Reading Universities, and carried out his doctoral research on the French army of the Second ...more
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