Swords and Hilt Weapons Hardcover – February 26, 2013

Reading the description of this book, you may think it's a semi-educational gallery of swords for your coffee table. It isn't.What it is is a bunch of photographs of modern reproductions. Not even a selection of the best ones, just the manufacturers with the biggest web presence: Albion, Arms & Armor, Hanwei, Cold Steel, Darksword, Generation 2, and Valiant Armoury. Albion and A&A are the semi-custom, expensive reproductions we all drool over online, and I won't rag on Cold Steel. The rest are the type to churn out cheap-looking Excalibur and Templar models.For your $15, you will receive some of the same images of a small, unvaried sample of modern swords that you can find online printed on nice paper. Some of the images aren't even high enough resolution for print.

A large (15.5 in x 8.25 in) volume of pictures of edged weapons, from daggers to claymores, one to a page, with scabbard or sheath, if normally associated with one. Very clear, sharp pictures on a white background, this is an excellent resource for collectors, or those writing about such weapons.No extended description, just a label of what each is: Marshall Sword, Bushido Katana, Knecht MK II Germanic Sword.

This is a terrible book - only pictures from current knife making companies like cold steel - these are not historic swords. The images look like they copied bad small resolution pics from the web and blew them up too large. Complete waste of money.

Swords and Hilt WeaponsMichael Sharpe's striking book is worthy of a place on coffee tables, or in the libraries of aficionados. The presentation of the book is brilliant, and the contents impressive.What I liked about Sharpe's book were the history of bladed weapons and the outstanding photographs. It is interesting that in this age of atomic and drone warfare that bladed weapons still have a place in soldiers' kits.In my national service in the 1960s, as recruits, we were still taught the bayonet drills that were probably hundreds of years old: "In, out, en guard". And, the drill instructor made the point of teaching how to recover a bayonet that was stuck in the bony sections of the victim's body.The language is clear and heuristic. This is a beautiful book and it has a presence that will be valued.

lovely illustrations

THIS IS JUST A CATALOGUE OF FIVE OR SIX REPRODUCTION SWORD MAKERS ANY INFORMATION IS MINIMAL MY RATING IS 2 STARS

Great book for learning about all differant types of swords

The format of the book is innovative and very well adapted to the presentation of the swords figures. There is a short but instructive introduction to the evolution of weapons. The only regrettable thing is that it only deal with modern sword and this is not obvious from looking at the book cover or title. I would have gave it a 5 star if it would have included historic swords. Nonetheless this is a well made and beautiful book which would be useful for a collector of modern blades.

only book