A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: In All Countries and in All Times

by George Cameron Stone

Book Overview

Widely considered the classic book in the field, George Cameron Stone's A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times is an indispensable resource and reference tool for anyone interested in arms and armor. Originally published in 1934, it remains an essential guide to the field. To describe the worldwide range and variety of weaponry, Stone drew upon the more than 4,000 items in his private collection of Eastern arms and armor, as well as the European arms collection of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a variety of other sources. Since the author subsequently bequeathed his entire collection to the Metropolitan Museum, this volume serves as an abbreviated visual reference to that institution's Arms and Armor collection.
By profession a metallurgist, the author focused on techniques of manufacture and workmanship to derive his method of codifying the typology of weapons, relying on an alphabetized dictionary format to avoid the confusions he found in a field without standardized nomenclature. This "glossary" format makes it easy for anyone to locate material on the astonishing variety of weapons covered. These include arquebuses, blunderbusses, flintlocks, wheel locks, matchlocks, and other antique guns; German armor; French rapiers; Roman short swords; Turkish crossbows; all the Japanese bladed weapons (katana, wakizashi, naginata, etc.); the East Asian kris in its countless permutations; and many more.
Illustrated with 875 detailed figures, incorporating thousands of individual photographs and drawings, the book was written from the unique viewpoint of an expert who devoted a lifetime to the field. Hard to locate today (original editions are worth hundreds of dollars), Stone's Glossary represents a peerless resource for scholars, experts, collectors, students, hobbyists, and institutions -- any student of the long history and development of weapons and armor around the world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486407268
• ISBN13: 9780486407265
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 704 Pages
• Weight: 4.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.1" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Ecclectic but broad collection of arms and armour descriptio

This eccentric collection of arms and armour descriptions began as Stone's personal glossary and progressed into the seminal work of his time. Despite its random and too often erroneous misconceptions (the man couldn't figure out how double mail was made or what it was even though he had seen it on several occasions) it offers an ecclectic smattering of the arms and armour Stone encountered during his lifetime. Read with caution, this Glossary proves to be a valuable resource to the arms and armour scholar.

The most complete arms and armor book I have ever read

This book contains a staggering selection of photos and general information on arms and armor from around the world. Japanese, Chinese, African, South American, European and Middle Eastern for a start. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

If you can only have one book on arms, this is it.

Stone's glossary is the first one I consult whenever I start to research on arms and armor. For many questions it is the last place I need to go. If you can only have one book on the subject, get this one.

Many entries for all sorts of weapons/armor. Often brief.

Offers numerous short entries on weapons and armor. Gives good coverage of both European and Oriental (Western/Eastern) styles. Overall a great book for the armor/weapon enthusiast.

A very thourough and complete refrence to weapons and armor.

Not only does this book explains the purpose of a weapon or armor, it also on many occasion tells you the practical applications and history. Good resource for anyone with interest in medieval and renaissance weapons and armor. TS