For myself the ever growing book collection has been of extreme importance and we are lucky to have a bookstore in this website to help us with our selections.
I have about 170 books which includes some 24 books from Chivalry Bookshelf. All but 2 of the minor paperbacks by Ewart Oakeshott. I have been very selective in building my library which covers everything from the how to use various weapons to biographies.
For me it's a constant. Source of reference and quite common to read books or parts of books repeatedly. I am sure this is of the same level of importance to just about everyone in this vast website!
I guess what I am saying is that my library is as important as my collection.
Right now my wife is studying the book on.The Art Of Chinese Swordsmanship which focuses on the Jian sword.
From Hanwei thru Kult Of Athena, Gayle has the Ming Sword and I have the Shaolin Wootz sword, we both love these swords immensely!
I'd be lost without my library!

Bob

Bob, you may already be aware of this source of books but maybe not since you have been away from this site for a while.
( Well couldn't post for a good long time and I don't know if you still had access to a P.C. to lurk the site during that time ? ).

So, here is a great site for specialized books on history and WMA/HEMA:
http://www.freelanceacademypress.com/

Ordered quite a few books and DVDs from them and they give very good customer service and quick shipping.

And more generally having good books is really something I have enjoyed for decades since I started buying books on Arms and Military history since I was 10 years old or even younger ( Obviously early on I had to pester my parents to buy them for me, but they where supportive if a bit puzzled by my fascination with Arms and Armour ).

Bob-

I'm with you! Books have been such a great resource for information about my love for swords and such that I'd be lost without them! Many books over the years have been a source of inspiration as well. Good shout out to the bookstore, it's one of the many great features here on myArmoury that flys under the radar sometimes.

In the Service of Mars, Japanese Swordsmanship, the Chinese book on the Jian and the German Longsword dvd, I got them. I have yet to get Christian Tobler's new book, as I have all his other works as well as Stephen Hand, I like Greg Mele, Tommaso Leoni, Guy Windsor, have all Osprey books in hardback except as of yet the book on the Celts. I am a big fan of Dr. David Nichole. The center piece of my library being. In Service of The Duke! Two other important books are. The Great Warbow. And. Armor at the Battle of Wisby.

Humbly,

Bob

For myself, the library I continue to buid upon is an integral part of my collection of swords, daggers and polearms and it encompasses many aspects of the general time period beginning with Rome and continues up to includr the rapier period but not the smallsword. Except as being included in some of my books on swords, I don't have anything on early firearms. At this point anyway, I really don't have much interests in firearms, bombards or cannons, but I do have enough information on them in those books wherein they are contained. As for archery I have one very thorough book "The Great Warbow" which I bought as soon as it hit the shelves. Several books on castles, various monarchs, books on knights. A lot of sword and rapier instruction books (about 24 books from Chivalry bookshelf, with "In Service of the Duke" as the center piece. Cultures of the Vikings, Barbarians, middle east. Will continue later.

Bob