Weapons explains and illustrates the whole range of devices with which man has armed himself. It brings together, in one volume, a representative selection of all types of weapon from all ages and cultures. The objects are arranged according to the simple criterion of function. Like is grouped with like, their basic functioning is explained, and a selection of examples - which may span many centuries and several continents - is illustrated. There is a general progression through the successive chapters from the simple to the complex, Chapter 1 beginning with clubs and Chapter 8 ending with maritime weapons. As the objects are not arranged historically, chronological tables are added for major topics such as small arms, to sketch in the dates of important developments. The visual indexes on pp. 296-311 also regroup all the "Western" weapons by historical periods, and the remainder by region.

The emphasis is kept on weapons in the strict sense of those used for combat between human beings. Similar objects made for the hunting of animals or for recreations such as target-shooting are generally excluded, even though their historical development may be inter-related.

Weapons has been carefully devised as a work of reference that not only contains a great fund of information, but also, through its indexes, provides several means of access to it. As well as placing specialist areas of interest in the context of the whole field of arms, it will serve as an unrivalled introduction to the subject for the general reader.

Since first publication in 1980 Weapons has established itself as the unrivalled one-volume international encyclopedia of its subject. Not surprisingly, it is now hard and costly to obtain secondhand. This updated edition has a new 16-page chapter covering key developments in the decade since. They are also cross-referenced with the original coverage to which very few revisions have been necessary because the treatment is predominantly historical. Both index and bibliography have been fully updated to take account of new weapons systems and publications about them.

Soft-bound book measures roughly ~8-3/8" by ~10-7/8" (portrait); ~7/8" thick; 336 pages with numerous illustrations, no tears or folds; binding fully intact; light shelf-scuffing and wear; previous owner's gummed personal library label on the front attached-end-paper, also writen in blue ink on the front free-end-paper. Book is in otherwise good to very-good condition.
NOTE: No dust-jacket (soft-bound paperback).