The Exercise of Armes: All 117 Engravings from the Classic 17th-Century Military Manual

by Jacob De Gheyn

This 1607 masterpiece, one of the earliest and most famous manuals of arms, features 117 handsome copper engravings illustrating step-by-step instructions for training foot soldiers in the handling of muskets, calivers, and pikes. In addition to its historic value and aesthetic appeal, the volume presents a meticulous portrait of uniforms and weapons of the 17th-century Netherlands. New introduction and captions by J. B. Kist.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1607

Reviews

[Benjaminxjackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book if you are interested in 17th century weapons and military history. The book is mostly pictures with a few pages of text and an introduction. While I found it an interesting book to browse through, I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more description about the kinds of battles these weapons were used in and what some of the positions with the pike were used against.

For those interested in military history and weapons, this book would be a good companion to other texts. For the general reader, you might want to read and talk about this book with a history buff to get a full understanding. Now, who do I know with that kind of knowledge?

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're interested in early 17th Century pike drills this is the book.

[Moises Cordova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations with the drills for caliver (arquebus), Musket and Pike, Interesting book but I think the editor should have included more information or comments about the illustrations.