Illustrated History of Weapons. From Antiquity to the Beginning of the 19th Century

One of the first monumental works dedicated to the history of handheld weapons from ancient times to the 19th century and written in Russian. Over the 130 years since its first publication, the book has not lost its relevance and significance, becoming a repeatedly reissued classic. Based on numerous collections in Russian museums and foreign repositories, P. P. von Winkler traces the evolution of weapons from the tools of the Paleolithic and Neolithic, the weapons of the Egyptians, Celts, Greeks, Romans, and Germans to European armament of the Middle Ages and Modern times. The main material is dedicated to individual offensive and defensive armament, primarily cold weapons and armor (with descriptions of the distinctive features of various types and the functional characteristics of their components), including information on projectile weapons, including firearms. In addition to the description of samples, an important place is given to production technologies, as well as finishing and decoration methods. Separate chapters are devoted to the evolution of weapons in the East and in Russia (from the 10th to the 17th century). The book pays attention to the techniques of gunsmithing: it discusses weapon stamps, brands, and famous gunsmith workshops. An important historical significance is given to the chapter that provides an overview of the main weapon collections known to the author and formulates the rules and principles for the storage, distribution, and restoration of weapons in collections. The publication is supplied with a large number of black-and-white drawings and color illustrations.