Blair Claude. European & American Arms: C. 1100-1850

Bonanza Books, 1962. — 248 p.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.
As an indication of the book's scope mention may be made of some of its subdivisions: Swords and Daggers (including Sheaths, Hangers and Sheath-knives); Staff Weapons; the Sling and the Bow; Projectile Weapons; Firearms and other Guns (Systems of Ignition, the Pistol, Repeating Firearms, Spring and Air-Guns, Accessories) ; Decoration. Each section is accompanied by a long text describing historical and technical development, while the highly factual captions to the plates themselves will be found invaluable to the museum-curator, collector or dealer anxious to date, compare or authenticate a piece in his collection. Additional information for which too little space is available in the captions is given in the Notes on the Illustrations.