United States. European & American Arms by Claude Blair

Hardcover, with dust jacket, sky blue cloth cover, entitled "European & American Arms" by Claude Blair, copyrighted by the author in 1962, published by Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc., manufactured in the United States. It begins with a Preface, followed by a Table of Contents and an Acknowledgement. As stated on the dust jacket: "European & American Arms" is the most complete visual encyclopaedia of its subject to have been published in a single volume. For the collector, dealer or museum-curator in need of a representative corpus of illustrations of the weapons used in the western world from about 1100 to 1850, the book will be indispensable. There are over 600 photographs of pieces from nearly all the major collections of Europe, America and Russia. There is also a comprehensive series of detailed drawings, specially made for the book, of regulation swords and firearms, accessories, marks, etc." The book is divided into six sections: I - Swords and Daggers (The Sword [the Medieval Sword, c. 1100-c. 1500; The Post-Medieval Sword]; Daggers and Sheath-knives; Sheaths and Hangers; The Manufacture of Swords and Daggers); II - Staff-Weapons (The Making of Staff-Weapons); III - Projectile Weapons: The Sling and the Bow (The Sling; The Bow; The Crossbow); IV - Projectile Weapons: Firearms and other Guns (The Introduction of Firearms and Early Hand-cannon; Systems of Ignition; General Development of Long Guns; The Pistol; Breech-loading Firearms; Multi-shot and Repeating Firearms; Spring-guns and Air-guns; Accessories; The Making of Firearms); V - Combined Weapons (Weapons combined with Other Objects not in themselves Weapons; Combinations of Two or More Weapons); VI - The Decoration of Arms (Inlaid Decoration of Metal; Damascening; Incrustation with Gold and Silver; Engraving and Etching; Goldschmelz; Steel-chiseling; Gilding, Silvering, Blueing and Browning; Inlaying of Wood). It concludes with a Select Bibliography and a seven page Index. The book contains 144 pages of text and line illustrations, printed in black ink, on an off-white paper stock, with 96 pages of photographs printed in black ink on a gloss white paper stock inserted between pages 82 and 83, plus a colour plate placed at the beginning of the book, measuring 227 mm (w) x 303 mm (h) x 24 mm (d). It exhibits soiling on both the front and back covers, with fingermarks on the inside front cover endpaper, the dust jacket with some edge wear and tears, however, the pages of the book itself remain pristine. Very fine. Reference Guide Shipping Policy: An additional shipping charge may be applicable following the time of purchase due to size, weight, and quantity. Please note that books cannot be shipped via Canada Post Flat Tracked method.