| The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century Contributor(s): Williams (Author) |
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ISBN: 9004227830 ISBN-13: 9789004227835 Publisher: Brill OUR PRICE: $217.55 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2012 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Europe - General - Technology & Engineering | Military Science - History | Military - Wars & Conflicts (other) |
| Dewey: 623.441 |
| LCCN: 2012007522 |
| Series: History of Warfare |
| Physical Information: 0.8" H x 6.2" W x 9.6" (1.30 lbs) 300 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The sword was the most important of weapons, the symbol of the warrior, not to mention the badge of a officer and a gentleman. Much has been written about the artistic and historical significance of the sword, but outside specialised publications, relatively little about its metallurgy, and that often confined to a particular group. This book aims to tell the story of the making of iron and steel swords from the first Celtic examples through the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. The results of the microscopic examination of over a hundred swords by the author and other archaeometallurgists are given and explained in terms of the materials available in Europe. |