Thom RichardsonIslamic Arms and Armour (Arms and Armour Series)

This book is one of a series of booklets that are being published by the Royal Armories about Arms and Amour taking advantage of the access to their huge collection.The book is very ambitious because it attempts to describe all the types of arms used by Islamic people since the about the year 1000 CE in a small volume. This is impossible in my opinion. However, the purpose of the editors is to create a whole series of introductory books / booklets that cover the entire Armory collection. They are not designed to be exhaustive, and invariably there is a reading list one can explore if there is further interest. The book, therefore, is worth having together with the other books / booklets from this collection.In my review of the book I found it has some simplifications that could be classified as errors and that will not help the reader to better understand Islamic arms. I will only comment on the points I believe should be clarified in a second edition.There are two chapters that I consider very important in the book: The Ottoman Turks (pages 22 to 57) and Iran and Iraq ( pages 78 to 93). I shall comment on the swords described in these two chapters. The Typical Ottoman sword is called KILIJ (or PALA ) and an example of this sword is found on the right of page 51. The shape of the blade and the form of the hilt should suffice to characterize it. In the same page (on the left) however there is a sword described as a KILIJ (from the Balkans). This sword is actually a Iranian SHAMSHIR. On pages 53-54 there are three swords illustrated. The one at the bottom is an Iranian SHAMSHIR with an Ottoman hilt and not a KILIJ. ( Actually the author recognize that the blade is Iranian). On page 86 there is a sword described as an Iranian SHAMSHIR. However the grip is Ottoman and the blade seems to be European. The two SHAMSHIR described on page 87 are in fact SHAMCHIR . But the grip of the one in the top is not Iranian but Arab style.Finally , on page103 there are two blades wrongly described. The one in the right is not a PESHKABZ but in fact a KARUD and the second one is a CHURRA (not CHURA) and it would be better described as a KYBER KNIFE.Even though there are a few more errors in the book, it is worth having it in your library.

A good value, well illustrated primer which gives the reader some basic working knowledge with which to proceed to more specialised works, in particular the exhaustive (and exhausting) studies by the leading modern authority, Robert Elgood.Whilst the Royal Armouries is to be applauded for its efforts in producing this series of basic introductory guides, some energy might be better directed towards producing a long awaited catalogue raisonne of its collections.

An excellent reference book.