Reviews

Soul of the Sword: An Illustrated History of Weaponry and Warfare from Prehistory to the Present by John Batchelor, Robert L. O'Connell

milos_dumbraci's review

5.0

Both the title ”Soul of the sword” and the subtitle ”Illustrated history of weaponry and warfare” are misleading; there is very little about swords, a history of weaponry it is not so much (many famous ones are missing and the technological view is underused), illustrated - almost not at all. But a history of warfare it is, and an excellent one, explaining the mechanisms by which war appeared and evolved, and especially the societal ”why?”s for every era.
Even better, the book finds the golden spot between too much and too little science, offering the perfect amount of history, sociology and psychology to be both captivating and educational.
Highly recommended (for readers well aquainted with history).