Rating: 
Summary: Words, words, words
Review: Burton goes to great length to include every tedious detail imaginable, as he talks about early weapons, ancient peoples, metal ages, and early swords. The first 50 pages give the history of weapons prior to the use of metal. The next 70 pages are dedicated to the various metal ages world-wide. Then 20 pages are given to a discussion of the basic types or styles of swords from the East to West. The last 140 pages deal with the sword as it appears among ancient peoples around the world up to the time of Rome. This book is heavy on background information which includes sighting endless sources and scholars and peripheral issues. Burton frequently uses Latin, Greek, and even Hebrew and argues against some scholar or other over the meanings of words. It's like one huge annotated bibliography. For someone not interested in remote details it is painfully tedious. So much of the information is so obscure the average college grad without a very specialized interest would be hard pressed to find very much of it useful or interesting. I shall conclude with a sample to demonstrate my point. The first several lines of Chp 7: The Sword: What is it? This sums up the whole book. Having now reached the early Iron Age, which ends pre-hisotry annals, it is advisable to answer the question--'What is a Sword?' The word--a word which, strange to say, has no equivalent in French--is the Scandinavian Svard (Icel. Sverd); the Danish Svaerd; the Angleo-Saxon Sweord and Suerd; the Old German Svert, no Schwert, and the Old English and Scotch Swerd. The westward drift of Egyptian Sf, Sefi, Sayf, Sfet, and Emsetf, gave Europe its generic term for the weapon. The poetical is 'brand' or 'bronde,' from its brightness or burning; another name is 'laufi,' 'laf,' or 'glaive,' derived through French from the Latin gladius. Of especial modern forms there are the Espadon, the Flamberg, Flammberg, or Flamberge, the Stoccado, and the Braquemart; the Rapier and the Claymore, the Skeyne and Tuck...[you get the idea]
Rating:
Summary: Only for the historian not the swordsman
Review: I have no doubt that the author did indeed put a great deal of research into this work as evidenced by the liberal footnotes and historical sources quoted. The sad fact is that it comes across a dry, scholarly treatise devoid of passion. What I was hoping for were the author's own opinions and comments on the role and use of the sword, and perhaps how they were made. Instead a major portion of the book consists of lengthy quotes from musty hidebound tomes. A disappointment especially considering the glowing reviews by other readers.
Rating: 
Summary: ABSOLUTE CLASSIC - THE BEST
Review: If you like swords..this book is for you. If you like Victorian writing...this one is for you. Please, before you read the book, realize who wrote it and when he wrote it. The book is very, very detailed. It is written in a style which most are not use to, therefore making it a difficult read for some. Burton, a Master Swordsman, did a tremendous amount of reasearch on this book and it was not written for those looking for a light hearted literary romp. If you are not particularly interested in sharp weapons, word roots or wonderful Victorian writing, then this one may not be for you. On the other hand, if you are a serious student of such, then this one is a must for your book collection. I do wish that more of Burton's writings had been saved. I highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Too Much Detail
Review: The book contained too much detail on manufacturing. I would have preferred the book to cover less ground. The review entitled "Words, words, words", encompasses my view exactly. Unfortunately I did not read all the reviews first. I will not make that mistake again.
Rating:
Summary: Too Much Detail
Review: The book contained too much detail on manufacturing. I would have preferred the book to cover less ground. The review entitled "Words, words, words", encompasses my view exactly. Unfortunately I did not read all the reviews first. I will not make that mistake again.
Rating:
Summary: Too Much Detail
Review: The book contained too much detail on manufacturing. I would have preferred the book to cover less ground. The review entitled "Words, words, words", encompasses my view exactly. Unfortunately I did not read all the reviews first. I will not make that mistake again.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical masterpiece - a wonderful ancient sword reference
Review: This book is a highly detailed book on swords and other historical worldwide weapons of war. Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, master of 29 languages, accomplished swordsman, soldier, and scholar, the man who penetrated the forbidden cities of Mecca, Medina, and Harar, and who helped introduce "The Arabian Nights" and "The Kama Sutra" to the western world. Burton was the stuff of legends, a man whose adventures and scholarly achievements have seldom been exceeded sets the stage for the introduction of swords through a review of how weapons developed and evolved into the fine weapons of the ancient britons and the romans. Unfortunately this was written as the first of a series of three books and leaves the reader hanging, the author died before completing volumes two and three - indeed a loss. If nothing else, research this author - you'll choke when you realize what else he has written!
Rating:
Summary: Historical masterpiece - a wonderful ancient sword reference
Review: This book is a highly detailed book on swords and other historical worldwide weapons of war. Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, master of 29 languages, accomplished swordsman, soldier, and scholar, the man who penetrated the forbidden cities of Mecca, Medina, and Harar, and who helped introduce "The Arabian Nights" and "The Kama Sutra" to the western world. Burton was the stuff of legends, a man whose adventures and scholarly achievements have seldom been exceeded sets the stage for the introduction of swords through a review of how weapons developed and evolved into the fine weapons of the ancient britons and the romans. Unfortunately this was written as the first of a series of three books and leaves the reader hanging, the author died before completing volumes two and three - indeed a loss. If nothing else, research this author - you'll choke when you realize what else he has written!
Rating:
Summary: Words, words, words
Review: This book is one of the most comprehensive books about swords, their history, their use, and the concepts behind their effectiveness. Burton's wording may be a little hefty, but his illustrations do an excellent job of conveying the point to the reader. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in swords and their history.
Rating:
Summary: The Book of the Sword
Review: This book is one of the most comprehensive books about swords, their history, their use, and the concepts behind their effectiveness. Burton's wording may be a little hefty, but his illustrations do an excellent job of conveying the point to the reader. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in swords and their history.
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