Knight and His Weapons

Rating:
Summary: An informative and compelling book
Review: The Knight and His Weapons is a solid, if brief look at a knight's armaments in the twelve to fifteen hundred (though, earlier weapons are paid less mind). The introductory fiction was nicely done, and tied in well with the rest of the book, which is broken into several sections, each dealing with a particular type of weapon:

The sword and knife section was initially somewhat mundane, but Oakeshott spends a good deal of time on the construction of the sword, which isn't something I've seen elsewhere in as much detail.

The last section deals with early firearms, and while interesting, much less detail was spent there than on other topics (as is appropriate). I would have preferred the space used for something else.

For me, the best part of the book, by far, was the first to sections which deal with polearms, maces, etc. Few books cover these weapons at all, and Oakeshott does an excellent job, detailing each weapon's evolution and tactical use. Even if you know all there is know on swords (unlikely), these tow sections are worth the cost alone.

Overall, an excellant book. It is written in a casual but precise way, and the accompanying scetches are very nice. Definitely worth it.

Rating:
Summary: A Pretty Good Overview
Review: This book defines its goals clearly and does a good job reaching them. Most of the nomenclature is defined in a glossary in the back which makes it a good book for beginners.

I would rate it as especially good for, say, a 10 to 14 year old, just starting the subject, as it is easy to read, brief and to-the-point.

Rating:
Summary: A Pretty Good Overview
Review: This book defines its goals clearly and does a good job reaching them. Most of the nomenclature is defined in a glossary in the back which makes it a good book for beginners.

I would rate it as especially good for, say, a 10 to 14 year old, just starting the subject, as it is easy to read, brief and to-the-point.

Rating:
Summary: A Basic Overview
Review: This book lays out the basics on knightly weaponry, accompanied by very good sketches showing the differences between the various weapons. While the text is simple and obviously written with a young audience in mind, it's actually a lot more detailed than it seems. The processes involved in making scabbards, hilts and inlays are all explained in the "Swords and Knives" section, which is about half of the book. The evolution of various weapons is also covered, although not quite in as much detail as I would have liked. Overall this is a good starting point for research on the subject. Note, however, that armour is not described at all, except to note how armour interacts with the various weapons. I know the writer has other books in this series, on the subject of armour, horses, and knightly battle. Those are probably worth checking out as well.

Rating:
Summary: A Basic Overview
Review: This book lays out the basics on knightly weaponry, accompanied by very good sketches showing the differences between the various weapons. While the text is simple and obviously written with a young audience in mind, it's actually a lot more detailed than it seems. The processes involved in making scabbards, hilts and inlays are all explained in the "Swords and Knives" section, which is about half of the book. The evolution of various weapons is also covered, although not quite in as much detail as I would have liked. Overall this is a good starting point for research on the subject. Note, however, that armour is not described at all, except to note how armour interacts with the various weapons. I know the writer has other books in this series, on the subject of armour, horses, and knightly battle. Those are probably worth checking out as well.