The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry: From Flint Axes to Automatic Weapons

by Chuck Wills

When did hunting weapons begin to be used against humans instead of animals? What is the difference between the Plains Indian War Club and the Fijian War Club? What weapon is common to peoples in every part of the world? The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry is a comprehensive guide to arms and armaments throughout history.

Beginning in the Stone Age, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry travels through the Bronze Age to our present day, showing the tools humans have used to defend themselves all around the globe. There’s the Japanese tanto, or dagger, which have become identified with gangs known as yakuza. There’s the flaming arrow used when Swiss and Austrian forces clashed in the 14th century. And there’s the revolver that Samuel Colt made practical for both military and civilian use in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry will help readers better understand how…and why…the battles of history were fought.

Genres: History, Reference, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History, World History, Research

320 pages, Hardcover

Published February 26, 2013

About the author

Chuck Wills is a writer, editor, and consultant specializing in military history. He has authored books on Pearl Harbor, the Tet Offensive, and the Civil War, and also writes on technology, music, and popular culture. He lives in New York.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative book on the history of weaponry. Some of the weapons I was familiar with, but I learned quite a bit while reading this book. It does a good job of explaining what the differences are between different levels of weapon technology, such as matchlock or flintlock. Lots of excellent photos so you can see what it is you are reading about and mini biographies of some of the more prominent gun designers help round out the book. I wanted to give it five stars, but unfortunately it was poorly edited. There were plenty of typos, including some sentences where it just stopped in the middle, leaving out info that would have been nice to have. This detracted from the book, but it is still very good overall and definitely worth picking up if you are interested in weapons.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as comprehensive as the title might have you believe, the information inside is still quite good. Definitely not an all-in-one reference on weaponry (if such a thing were even possible), but still a solid reference work for light reading/research.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have given it three stars, but it desperately needed to be edited one more time before publication. So many times the author references information from another page in the book, and when you turn, you find out it is the wrong page, and the author's reckoning is off by at least three or four pages! Something that could have easily been avoided if someone had just checked one more time.

[Laura Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is currently my 9yo boy's "favorite book of all time." I suspect he will like it even more when he actually starts reading the factual information and not just (mostly) looking at the pictures.

Note to moms: There are a couple of morally incorrect ideas / quotes from infamous (ruthless) leaders that you may wish to discuss with your child.

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good look at weaponry. Enjoyable read and great reference.

[Owen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book I definitely recommend it to anybody who is interested in weapons or your friendly history buff

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustrations and collection of weapons used from centuries ago to world war 1 & 2 as well as some used today. I believe they may be all out of the Berman Museum of World Art which is also nice to note. Was hoping for just a little more detail into some of the weapons but all in all a very nice read.

[Jonas Beranek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains lots of guns and other weapons (including swords) but for me does not have enough modern weapons. Another thing I would want is stats for every gun, but here only some of the guns have stats.