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The Book of Swords
The sword is the most revered of all of man’s weapons. Although the club is older, the knife more universal, and the firearm much more efficient, it is to the sword that most decoration, myth, mysticism and reverence has been given. The katana has been called “The Soul of the Samurai,” the Vikings lavished love, care and attached wonderful names to their weapons. The sword has been the symbol of Justice, of Vengeance, and of Mercy. No one artifact has so captured the imagination as has the sword.
As our society has grown more and more advanced, and more reliant on technology, there has been an increased interest in the weapons of the past. The romance of the sword is very much alive—but movies, books and fiction of all types have romanticized the past, and particularly the sword, beyond all recognition of the real thing.
Drawing on information from grave excavations, illustrations of battle scenes, and many classical and medieval literary sources, this book discusses how contemporaries showed swords were used. Building on Oakeshott and other authoritative writers on the subject, this volume, representing ten years of writing and a lifetime of experience, will add to the body of knowledge of the history of swords by illustrating not only the beauty of the form of the sword, but also their beauty of function.
As our society has grown more and more advanced, and more reliant on technology, there has been an increased interest in the weapons of the past. The romance of the sword is very much alive—but movies, books and fiction of all types have romanticized the past, and particularly the sword, beyond all recognition of the real thing.
Drawing on information from grave excavations, illustrations of battle scenes, and many classical and medieval literary sources, this book discusses how contemporaries showed swords were used. Building on Oakeshott and other authoritative writers on the subject, this volume, representing ten years of writing and a lifetime of experience, will add to the body of knowledge of the history of swords by illustrating not only the beauty of the form of the sword, but also their beauty of function.
235 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
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93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 25, 2011
I picked this book up at the library because I've been really curious about swords for the past few months. It seemed like a very good introduction to a variety of topics for people who are serious about learning about the history, making and use of swords. The author seems to be someone who spent his entire life as a pretty serious sword enthusiast with a vast collection of swords and books on the subject (in the hundreds on both counts). Unfortunately, the book says Hank Reinhardt recently passed away and this is basically all we get as far as texts by him.
As I said, the variety of topics covered is pretty broad. He has sections that touch on the important metallurgical properties of swords, the historical development of swords, swords from different cultures around the world and insights into how swords actually behave and can be used. The prose is very friendly the whole way through. The only real complaint I have is pretty minor: He repeats himself quite a lot, but I think it might be due to the way the book is organized and the fact that it was basically "unfinished" and edited together by friends and family after his death.
I think the book would be a great starter for anyone who thinks they would actually like to start studying the history/use/science of swords. Every chapter has a pretty good bibliographic list of other sources to pursue on various topics. I for one will probably be checking out some Norse Sagas and books by Ewart Oakeshott as a result of reading this book.
As I said, the variety of topics covered is pretty broad. He has sections that touch on the important metallurgical properties of swords, the historical development of swords, swords from different cultures around the world and insights into how swords actually behave and can be used. The prose is very friendly the whole way through. The only real complaint I have is pretty minor: He repeats himself quite a lot, but I think it might be due to the way the book is organized and the fact that it was basically "unfinished" and edited together by friends and family after his death.
I think the book would be a great starter for anyone who thinks they would actually like to start studying the history/use/science of swords. Every chapter has a pretty good bibliographic list of other sources to pursue on various topics. I for one will probably be checking out some Norse Sagas and books by Ewart Oakeshott as a result of reading this book.
June 24, 2017
I found this to be both informative and entertaining. The late Hank Reinhardt is a trove of knowledge about blades.
In this non-fiction work, he covers the history, evolution and practical use of swords. Really fascinating information, covering the gamut from ancient civilizations to metallurgy to physics. Really interesting stuff. And his own opinion, tangents and snarky remarks keep it moving with just the right pace.
I will definitely incorporate this info when I'm writing my next spec fiction piece. Enjoyable read.
In this non-fiction work, he covers the history, evolution and practical use of swords. Really fascinating information, covering the gamut from ancient civilizations to metallurgy to physics. Really interesting stuff. And his own opinion, tangents and snarky remarks keep it moving with just the right pace.
I will definitely incorporate this info when I'm writing my next spec fiction piece. Enjoyable read.
August 17, 2025
Excellent book by one of America's top sword enthusiasts. Mr. Reinhart writes of the sword's history by telling stories. some are from Viking sagas and others from his own experiences of sword handling, test cutting, and his own opinions on the above and more. Reading his book is like listening to campfire tales.
The book provides readers with how swords developed thru the ages; how they were made; how they handled against armor and other weapons; types of swords used in different countries and throughout time; and ends with important principles for sword fighting.
The book provides readers with how swords developed thru the ages; how they were made; how they handled against armor and other weapons; types of swords used in different countries and throughout time; and ends with important principles for sword fighting.
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August 4, 2011This was a very fascinating book. Corrected many myths and stereotypes about swords and sword-making. The author spends the first part of the book explaining the metallurgical process. He then moves to the different ways of cutting and thrusting. Beginning in the third chapter he explains how the sword was different in different cultures with a different purpose, and how the nature of a straight sword with a rounded point is going to be used differently than a katana.
Some things I didn't realize: contrary to popular culture, Arabs did not (at first) use the "curved scimitar" in conquering most of the Middle East. They, like their counterparts in Europe, used straight swords. Only when the Turks and Mongols invaded the Middle East, bringing their own version of the curved sword, did the Arab Muslims use curve swords.
While many of the author's conclusions are only his opinions, they seem well-reasoned and appear to explain the historical data nicely. Assuming the opponent didn't wear "plate armor" (quite rare in Europe until the Renaissance), the best all-around sword would be the Japanese katana. Surprisingly, the second best "battle sword" could be the Scottish claymore. The author has a lot of contempt for fencing rapiers and epees--and for fencing in general.
He ends his book with tips and suggestions for calmness and clearing the mind. This appears distilled from Sun Tzu and Miyamoto Musashi. All in all, a good book.
Some things I didn't realize: contrary to popular culture, Arabs did not (at first) use the "curved scimitar" in conquering most of the Middle East. They, like their counterparts in Europe, used straight swords. Only when the Turks and Mongols invaded the Middle East, bringing their own version of the curved sword, did the Arab Muslims use curve swords.
While many of the author's conclusions are only his opinions, they seem well-reasoned and appear to explain the historical data nicely. Assuming the opponent didn't wear "plate armor" (quite rare in Europe until the Renaissance), the best all-around sword would be the Japanese katana. Surprisingly, the second best "battle sword" could be the Scottish claymore. The author has a lot of contempt for fencing rapiers and epees--and for fencing in general.
He ends his book with tips and suggestions for calmness and clearing the mind. This appears distilled from Sun Tzu and Miyamoto Musashi. All in all, a good book.
May 12, 2010
I really wanted to like this book more. But I had trouble believing the authors assertions, most likely because of the lack of footnotes and documentation. If an author experimented, I expect some sort of documentation. Just saying you experimented doesn't convince me.
The book is interesting to casual sword enthusiasts because it documents different types of historical blades in a very accessible and readable fashion. And students of history will love his discussion of Egil's saga.
That said, the chapter on the rapier and small sword is so bizarre that it bears special mention. The author basically discounts the rapier and small sword because in his mind they were "useless" in combat as he imagined it. Of course, both weapons were primarily used in civilian combat and as signs of rank. But the small sword was used in modern military combat, and there are even military manuals which teach its use, as documented here: http://books.google.com/books?id=3moD...
Lastly, the chapters on fighting with a sword are laughably incomplete. There are no examples of modern sword combat...even a brief exploration of the internet will yield examples of techniques utilized by criminals, machete bearing african militias, and citizens successfully confronting armed robbers with replica katanas.
The book is interesting to casual sword enthusiasts because it documents different types of historical blades in a very accessible and readable fashion. And students of history will love his discussion of Egil's saga.
That said, the chapter on the rapier and small sword is so bizarre that it bears special mention. The author basically discounts the rapier and small sword because in his mind they were "useless" in combat as he imagined it. Of course, both weapons were primarily used in civilian combat and as signs of rank. But the small sword was used in modern military combat, and there are even military manuals which teach its use, as documented here: http://books.google.com/books?id=3moD...
Lastly, the chapters on fighting with a sword are laughably incomplete. There are no examples of modern sword combat...even a brief exploration of the internet will yield examples of techniques utilized by criminals, machete bearing african militias, and citizens successfully confronting armed robbers with replica katanas.
June 7, 2010
A fun and interesting overview of the history, characteristics and possible uses of many types of swords. Naturally my favorite chapter was the one on Zweihanders (though I don't think he calls them that) but the book touches at least briefly on many others.
The author's enthusiasm for his subject is palpable, but sometimes the subject matter jumps without enough explanation for an ordinary person like me. For example, he'll say something like "now I'm going to talk about two sword types; THIS sword --" and he launches into descriptions of "THIS sword" without it being crystal clear which of the two he's specifying. This was especially confusing when, to me, both types looked very similar and/or had similar names.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that the author actually died before the book was published, and apparently before a draft was finalized. Still, "The Book of Swords" was funny and informative, and despite the noted drawbacks pretty accessible to someone like me. I do recommend it, and I appreciated all the bibliography and "further reading" recommendations at the end of each chapter.
The author's enthusiasm for his subject is palpable, but sometimes the subject matter jumps without enough explanation for an ordinary person like me. For example, he'll say something like "now I'm going to talk about two sword types; THIS sword --" and he launches into descriptions of "THIS sword" without it being crystal clear which of the two he's specifying. This was especially confusing when, to me, both types looked very similar and/or had similar names.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that the author actually died before the book was published, and apparently before a draft was finalized. Still, "The Book of Swords" was funny and informative, and despite the noted drawbacks pretty accessible to someone like me. I do recommend it, and I appreciated all the bibliography and "further reading" recommendations at the end of each chapter.
January 4, 2010
The author died before finishing, and it reads like it. Which is unfortunate, because there's a lot of fascinating information and a great tone to the book. I include this on the d&d shelf because it gives me some color to use in describing characters and actions. Lots of lively bits of history, great photos and drawings, and strong opinions about swords (and other weapons, armor).
Best tidbit for me was the description of the secondary dagger used in (renaissance?) fencing, the main gauche, mostly because my character in our current game fights very much in that style. (Dagger, BTW: 14-16" blade, nothing to sneeze at.)
Last chapter is weak & meandering philosophizing, unfortunately, and there's at least one entire intended section missing, on Arab swords.
Best tidbit for me was the description of the secondary dagger used in (renaissance?) fencing, the main gauche, mostly because my character in our current game fights very much in that style. (Dagger, BTW: 14-16" blade, nothing to sneeze at.)
Last chapter is weak & meandering philosophizing, unfortunately, and there's at least one entire intended section missing, on Arab swords.
May 18, 2010
Dorky book, even by my standards :) I snagged it off our New Books shelf because I'm rereading Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle for the 2nd or 3rd time and he keeps referencing rapiers vs. small swords vs. sabers. I decided it's about time I learn the difference between them, which I did. Reinhardt's book is a hodgepodge of goofy/boring anecdotes and interesting tidbits. Very scattershot but worth a read for anyone interested in the history of weaponry.
February 16, 2012
It was very well researched and filled with personal observations that fleshed out a potentially dry subject. This book is not for everyone, but if one is interested in the topic it is illuminating. I rated this book four stars because it left me wanting more and may have benefitted from collaboration.
June 18, 2012
In a sea of Wikipedia articles and shady online merchants giving only heresy and false truisms on the sword, this book rose to the top for me. When you just want a book about swords, this is the one. I don't care what your research paper's about, this book has a place in your bibliography. There's always room for swords
August 19, 2015
There's lots of information there, and from an author who knew his subject. Unfortunately, he couldn't write his way out of a wet paper bag. The book is repetitive, disjointed, disorganized, and full of folksy asides that add absolutely nothing to the content. Not his fault, he just wasn't a writer, but the editors should have insisted on a ghost writer. That's what ghost writers are for.
January 2, 2010
A conversational style of book regarding the history of swords. The author is obviously passionate about the topic. I found it best to read in parts, a few chapters at a time. A good read for anyone interested in why swords are designed the way they are.
May 14, 2012
Excellent, well written book on Swords. Dispells the myths and Hollywood aspects of sword types, usage and development. Written so the layman can read and learn from it rather than being for the scholar only.
January 11, 2010
If you are interested in the history of swords or what they actually can do (as opposed to Hollywood), this is a book for you.
February 1, 2010
Surprisingly entertaining. Didn't expect to be kept up all night reading it.
March 2, 2013
Another title could have been "Everything you ever wanted to know about swords." Gives a great overview of the sword through the ages and across cultures. Reinhardt has a very readable style.
January 20, 2015
Simply the best book on swords I've ever read.
December 30, 2013
Excellent and informative reference
December 15, 2013
Easy reading. Wide ranging, if a bit rambling. Good introduction to the world of swords and sword technology.
May 22, 2014
Very interesting history of sword-making.
August 6, 2016
good for getting into the basics of swords
Want to read
August 20, 2009Kenny
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews