This is the ultimate record of swords through the ages. From knives and daggers to bayonets and axes, it is a cutting-edge guide to over 300 of the most important edged weapons from the last 5,000 years. Discover revealing features on twenty 'iconic' swords from the short gladius of the Roman Legionary to the North American Bowie knife. You'll learn all about legendary warriors and witness the cut-and-thrust of deadly sword duels. Find out about how weapons were made and where, plus admire ceremonial weapons, made for display, not war. Meet famous warriors through history and the weapons they used, from the finely crafted swords of the Japanese samurai to the brutal bayonet of the World War I infantryman. It's the essential visual history of swords.