The Archaeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry

Rating:
Summary: The Dark Ages Made Clearer
Review: Ewart Oakeshott is one of those rarest of wonders, a historian who captures the imagination and holds one's attention. Critics have said that as an authority on swords he is not a god. Of course not! Like any decent scholar, he names his sources so that his facts can be taken in context and noted along with other reference works. It is just this accessibility and the down-to-earth quality of his prose that has endeared him to history buffs, weapons enthusiasts and the average reader alike for decades. It has been nearly twenty years since I first picked up "Dark Age Warrior" and his engaging style speaks to us as clearly as ever.

Rating:
Summary: Very nice, but confussing
Review: I found that this book serves the purpose I bought it for to its best. However, the author seems to wander off at times, following his line of thought towards other directions from those he's pursuing, fact which can become tiring. Also, if you're looking for illustrations this book is definitely not for you. The content is very interesting and detailed, and he covers many subjects, although he says his main interest is the Medieval Era. I recommend it, but it would be best if read in conjunction with another book with more illustrations and less historical fact.

Rating:
Summary: A highly valuable reference for the aspiring medival scholar
Review: I have 5 other books by this author; that ought to tell you that I'm a devoted reader of any book or article by the late E. Oakeshott. While not necessarily an 'easy read,' Mr. Oakeshott presents the information in a down-to-earth style. He doesn't ramble, but rather gets to the point. The tone of this book makes it accessible to people with any degree of knowledge of the subject of medieval swords, student or scholar. Many of Oakeshott's ideals are backed by actual period quotes which can be found here.

Rating:
Summary: The Dark Ages Made Clearer
Review: I was actually prepared to take a negative view of this book, but Oakeshott's relaxed but enthusiastic and well-informed book won me over. This subject is obviously the love of his intellectual life, and he has compiled a wonderful study of the development of swords, often being able to match those in art to surviving bits, and the rest of weaponry by the by. He discusses techniques of use with good sense and practical experiments. Also, he is one of the few authors to mention that the Vikings were adept at riding and fighting, by his choice of quotes, and explaining the term Riddaraskap.

Rating:
Summary: Easy Reading Doesn't Mean Light on Research
Review: I was actually prepared to take a negative view of this book, but Oakeshott's relaxed but enthusiastic and well-informed book won me over. This subject is obviously the love of his intellectual life, and he has compiled a wonderful study of the development of swords, often being able to match those in art to surviving bits, and the rest of weaponry by the by. He discusses techniques of use with good sense and practical experiments. Also, he is one of the few authors to mention that the Vikings were adept at riding and fighting, by his choice of quotes, and explaining the term Riddaraskap.