From the Publisher: For 4,000 years weapons, and the warriors who used them, have acted as the cutting edge of history, using ax, spear, bow, sword, gun, and cannon to determine the rise of kingdoms and the fall of empires. From the stone axes of the earliest warfare to the heavy artillery of today's modern armies, this awe-inspiring book portrays for the first time the entire spectrum of weaponry.

Includes index.

Foreword -- Introduction -- Ancient World (3000 BCE-1000 CE) -- First weapons -- Mesopotamian weapons and armor -- Ancient Egyptian weapons and armor -- Ancient Greek weapons and armor -- Great warriors: Greek hoplite -- Ancient Rome weapons and armor -- Great warriors: Roman legionary -- Bronze-and Iron-age weapons and armor -- Anglo-Saxon and Frankish weapons and armor -- Viking weapons and armor -- Middle Ages (1000-1500) -- European swords -- Japanese and Chinese swords -- European daggers -- European staff weapons -- Asian staff weapons -- Great warriors: Mongol warrior -- Longbows and crossbows -- Weapons showcase: Crossbow -- Aztec weapons and shields -- European helms and basinets -- European jousting helms, barbutes, and sallets -- Great warriors: Medieval knight -- European mail armor -- European plate armor -- Early Modern World (1500-1775) -- Two-handed swords -- European infantry and cavalry swords -- Great warriors: Landsknecht -- European rapiers -- European smallswords -- European hunting swords -- Weapons showcase: Hunting trousse -- Japanese Samurai swords -- Weapon showcase: Wakazashi sword -- Great warriors: Samurai -- Indian and Sri Lankan swords -- European daggers -- Asian daggers -- European one-handed staff weapons -- European two-handed staff weapons -- Indian and Sri Lankan staff weapons -- European crossbows -- Asian bows -- Matchlock and flintlock long guns -- Weapon showcase: Matchlock musket -- European hunting guns 1600-1700 -- European hunting guns from 1700 -- Asian matchlocks -- Combination weapons -- European pistols 1500-1700 -- European pistols 1700-1775 -- European tournament armor -- European tournament helmets -- Asian armor and helmets -- Samurai armor -- Revolutionary World (1775-1900) -- European swords -- American Civil war swords -- Ottoman empire swords -- Chinese and Tibetan swords -- Indian swords -- Indian and Nepalese daggers -- European and American bayonets -- Indian staff weapons -- African edged weapons -- Great warriors: Zulu warrior -- Oceanian clubs and daggers -- North American knives and clubs -- North American hunting bows -- Australian boomerangs and shields -- Flintlock pistols from 1775 -- Flintlock pistols to 1850 -- Percussion cap pistols -- American percussion cap revolvers -- Great warriors: US Civil war infantryman -- British percussion cap revolvers -- Brass cartridge pistols -- Weapons showcase: Colt navy pistols -- Self-loading pistols -- Flintlock muskets and rifles -- Weapon showcase: Baker rifle -- Percussion cap muskets and rifles -- Weapons showcase: Le Page sport gun -- Percussion cap breech loaders -- Great warriors: British redcoat -- Sport guns -- Ottoman empire firearms -- Single-shot breech-loading rifles -- Weapon showcase: Enfield rifle-musket -- Manually loaded repeater rifles 1855-1880 -- Manually loaded repeater rifles 1881-1891 -- Manually loaded repeater rifles 1892-1898 -- Indian firearms -- Asian firearms -- Multi-shot firearms -- Ammunition pre-1900 -- Indian armor and shields -- African shields -- Oceanian shields -- Modern World (1900-2006) -- African edged weapons -- Bayonets and knives 1914-1945 -- Great warriors: French WWI infantryman -- Self-loading pistols 1900-1920 -- Self-loading 1920-1950 -- Self-loading pistols from 1950 -- Revolver 1900-1950 -- Revolver from 1950 -- Manually loaded repeater rifles -- Great warriors: Red army infantryman -- Self-loading rifles 1914-1950 -- Weapons showcase: AK47 -- Self-loading rifles 1950-2006 -- Weapon showcase: SA80 -- Sport guns -- Shotguns -- Sniper rifles 1914-1985 -- Sniper rifles 1985-2006 -- Recoil-operated machine guns -- Gas-operated machine guns -- Weapon showcase: MG43 -- Light machine guns 1914-1945 -- Light machine guns since 1945 -- Submachine guns 1920-1945 -- Weapon showcase: MP5 -- Submachine guns since 1945 -- Ammunition since 1900 -- Man-portable anti-tank weapons -- Rifle-mounted grenade launchers -- Stand-alone grenade launchers -- Great warriors: US navy SEAL -- Improvised guns 1950-1980 -- Helmets from 1900 -- Index -- Acknowledgments.