2 comments about Japanese Sword: Soul Of The Samurai (Victoria & Albert Museum : Far Eastern Series).

1. It's about time someone wrote a book like this! This book covers everything from the weapons, to the samurai themselves and their daily lives. A must for any library! Hours and hours of facinating reading, and a wonderful reference manual for nihonto enthusiasts!

   I love it!




2. Although the book is short (122 pages) it covers the major periods of the Japanese sword well. There is a short section on the making of the Japanese sword as well as basic terminology. If you are looking for more information on the making of a katana buy Kapp and Yoshihara's "The Craft of the Japanese Sword". The book goes through each period, Heian (794-1185), the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Muromachi & Momoyama periods (1333-1600), the Edo period (1600-1868) and the Meiji Restoration and beyond. The book does not deal with Gendaito (modern swords). It does have 68 illustrations including several nice color woodblock prints and a lot of black and white photos of old blades from the imperial collection and the Toyko National Museum. The book is not really a reference book, buy John Yumoto's "The Samurai Sword" and Fuller & Gregory's "Military Swords of Japan 1868-1945", or Sato & Earle's "The Japanese Sword- A Comprehensive Guide" first if you are looking for a reference guide. The book has very little on tsubas or fittings. It does have a glossary and an index. If you are looking for a little more history and have the reference books, want to see some great blades and fine wood block prints than this is the book for you! It is a good read. Enjoy!

No comments about The Radom Vis Pistol.

2 comments about Official Price Guide to Action Figures (Serial).

1. This book had all black and white pictures, and almost all of them showed the item in its package. I needed a book to help me IDENTIFY individual figures, which this book DEFINATELY DID NOT DO. I immediately returned the book.



2. This was a very informative book. I liked the fact it went back a while to older figures I am missing, as well as all the hints and thips along the way. Kudos to Amazon for featuring this book!!

No comments about Painted Ladies: Modern Military Aircraft Nose Art and Unusual Markings (Schiffer Military History).

No comments about Bing Brothers A-G Nuremberg Bavaria, 1906: Special Catalogue of Instructive Mechanical, Optical and Electrical Toys (The Bing Toy Catalogues).

No comments about British Military Band Uniforms-Cavalry.

No comments about First Women of the Skies (Famous Firsts/87003822).

No comments about Soldat: The Ww Two German Army Combat Uniform Collector's Handbook.

No comments about Antique Medical Instruments: Revised Price Guide.

2 comments about Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia, Vol. 4: Military Memorabilia Used by Federals and Confederates, 1861-1865..

1. I am a big fan of Dr. Lord. He certainly broke new ground when he first published his classic Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia (Vol. 1) which was considered the Bible in the field for years. While many of his other earlier works were just as good, his subsequent works of Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia Vols. 2-5 that he did in later years just kept declining, lacking the original research and text that made his first a classic, not to mention the quality of the memorabilia, as well as the authenticity of some of them. Check out some of his earlier works, you can't go wrong there, and don't pass on Vol. 1 in this series.



2. This book and the 4 following volumes are a great addition to anyones library who is a collector, a historian, a reenactor (like myself) or just has a general intrest in the civil war. It has hundreds of items with photos and descriptions of items ranging from swords to sewing kits to pistols to uniforms. As a reenactor, it was very useful in finding modern items that can pass as civil war period.