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The Book of the Sword — Richard Francis, Sir Burton

The Book of the Sword

Richard Francis, Sir Burton

  • History
  • Book language: English
  • 506 pages

The Book of the Sword is a historical study of the sword, its origins, forms, manufacture, and cultural role. Published in 1884 by explorer and scholar Sir Richard Francis Burton, it surveys weapons across many civilizations. It is worth listening to for its erudition and rich detail, while reflecting the assumptions of its era.

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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).

Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.

Opening of the book

THE
BOOK OF THE SWORD
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET
THE
BOOK OF THE SWORD
BY
RICHARD F. BURTON
MAÎTRE D’ARMES (BREVETÉ)
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS

London
CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY
1884
[All rights reserved]

‘He that hath no Sword (-knife = μάχαιρα), let
him sell his garment and buy one.’ St. Luke xxii. 36.
‘Solo la spada vuol magnificarsi.’
(Nothing is high and awful save the Sword.)
Lod. della Vernaccia, ĵ.Š. 1200.
‘But, above all, it is most conducive to the greatness
of empire for a nation to profess the skill of arms as
its principal glory and most honourable employ.’
BĵŕLjƿ’Ǫ Advancement of Learning, viii. 3.
‘The voice of every people is the Sword
That guards them, or the Sword that beats them down.’
TŧƿƿΏǪLjƿ’Ǫ Harold.
TO
THE MEMORY
OF
MY OLD AND DEAR COLLEGE FRIEND
ALFRED BATE RICHARDS
WHO
IN YEARS GONE BY
ACCEPTED THE DEDICATION OF THESE
PAGES

FOREWORD.

‘I ΅ĵƿǵŧŠ a book on the Sword, not a treatise on Carte and Tierce,’ said the Publisher, when, some years ago, my earliest manuscript was sent to him.

It struck me then and there that the Publisher was right.

Consequently the volume was re-written after a more general and less professional fashion.

I have only one wish that reader and reviewer can grant: namely, a fair field and no favour for certain ‘advanced views’ of Egyptology. It is my conviction that this study, still in its infancy, will greatly modify almost all our preconceived views of archæological history.

RICHARD F. BURTON.

TǡƗŧǪǵŧ: November 20, 1883.

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Contents

  1. THE BOOK OF THE SWORD
  2. FOREWORD.
  3. INTRODUCTION.
  4. LIST OF AUTHORITIES.
  5. CONTENTS.
  6. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
  7. CHAPTER I. PREAMBLE: ON THE ORIGIN OF WEAPONS.
  8. CHAPTER II. MAN’S FIRST WEAPONS—THE STONE AND THE STICK. THE EARLIEST AGES OF WEAPONS. THE AGES OF WOOD, OF BONE, AND OF
  9. CHAPTER III. THE WEAPONS OF THE AGE OF WOOD: THE BOOMERANG AND THE SWORD OF WOOD; OF STONE, AND OF WOOD AND STONE COMBIN
  10. CHAPTER IV. THE PROTO-CHALCITIC OR COPPER AGE OF WEAPONS.
  11. CHAPTER V. THE SECOND CHALCITIC AGE OF ALLOYS[242]—BRONZE, BRASS, ETC.: THE AXE AND THE SWORD.
  12. CHAPTER VI. THE PROTO-SIDERIC OR EARLY IRON AGE OF WEAPONS.
  13. CHAPTER VII. THE SWORD: WHAT IS IT?
  14. CHAPTER VIII. THE SWORD IN ANCIENT EGYPT AND IN MODERN AFRICA.
  15. CHAPTER IX. THE SWORD IN KHITA-LAND, PALESTINE AND CANAAN; PHŒNICIA AND CARTHAGE; JEWRY, CYPRUS, TROY, AND ETRURIA.
  16. CHAPTER X. THE SWORD IN BABYLONIA, ASSYRIA AND PERSIA, AND ANCIENT INDIA.
  17. CHAPTER XI. THE SWORD IN ANCIENT GREECE: HOMER; HESIOD AND HERODOTUS: MYCENÆ.
  18. CHAPTER XII. THE SWORD IN ANCIENT ROME; THE LEGION AND THE GLADIATOR.
  19. CHAPTER XIII. THE SWORD AMONGST THE BARBARIANS (EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE).
  20. CONCLUSION.
  21. INDEX.
  22. FOOTNOTES:
  23. THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

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