WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT. This beautifully presented book traces the fascinating history of daggers, dirks and bayonets through to the 21st century. From the appearance of the earliest stabbing tools of the so-called Dagger Period of 15,000 BC, it describes the development of these short-edged weapon...

WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT. This beautifully presented book traces the fascinating history of daggers, dirks and bayonets through to the 21st century. From the appearance of the earliest stabbing tools of the so-called Dagger Period of 15,000 BC, it describes the development of these short-edged weapons and their impact upon ancient civilizations. The book looks at the part played by fighting blades in military combat, from the famous Highland dirk to 20th-century Commando knives, and traces the history of the transformation of the hand-held stabbing tool into the bayonets of World Wars I and II. This broad-ranging book examines the variety of short-edged weapons from around the world, from the Indian Katar to the Japanese Tanto. This book will be an indispensable resource while the beautiful photographs of these extraordinary pieces of craftsmanship will fascinate anyone with an interest in the weapons that have shaped the world.