Books

London Piccadilly: Chatto and Windus, 1884. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Near fine copy of the first edition of THE source of information on swords by the noted British traveler Sir Richard Burton with 293 illustrations. In the original pictorial boards, corners bumped slightly. Spine, silver tooling & titles, edges bumped. Internally, half title, [9], (xii-xxxix), [1], [1], 2-299 pp, 293 illustrations, black end papers, printed in London by Spottiswoode. With its black slip case. (270*190 mm). This book traces the origin of the sword from prehistory to its full growth during the early Roman Empire. The author discusses the earliest weapons of stone, bone, horn and wood as well as variations. The swords covered include the sabre, broadsword, cutlass, scimitar, foil, and rapier as well as a host of other arms, including dirks, daggers, throwing knives, flails, and more. The text is enhanced by nearly 300 line drawings. Â FIRST EDITION of Burton's…

This detailed work is an attempt by Burton to trace the history of the sword and other edged weapons from prehistoric times through the classical and medieval periods to the dawn of the modern era.