[Isaac H.]

For all of us who possitively crave information and documentation of all things relating to historical weaponry and its associated subjects, I would venture to guess that a very large percentage of what knowledge we possess about said weaponry comes from one place.

The internet.

The world wide web is truly a fantastic research tool. If you're interested in all the details of the transition from maille to plate armour, you can simply type in your search engine and come up with hours worth of online reading on that one particular subject. I can't say enough good about how forums like myArmoury have made this type of specialized information available at our fingertips.

Yet there is a flip side of the coin.

While undeniably a crucial resource, the internet is very often a muddled place at best. Anyone can take their less than educated opinion about any matter and boldly pronounce it as fact. And often times it goes unchallenged. Or a confrontation ensues in which everything becomes more confusing than it was to begin with. I'm sure many of you have had an experience in which you want the hard facts on something , yet when you attempt an online search, you end up entirely befuddled. ( what IS the best sword, anyways? ) Let me make something clear. I am not in any way downplaying this forum (or any other forum,for that matter) as a source of information. Nathan Robinson and crew have done a fantastic job making this one of the most concise and knowledgeable resources on the web. Rather, I am about to suggest a supplement to your online research.

Books. Yes, books.


Ever thought about them? I know some of the members of the myArmoury community have fantastic book collections, but to the general populance here... do you have even one book about a historical arms topic that interests you ? Let me tell you, books are a FANTASTIC resource. Most often, the author of a book has spent months or even years of devoted research on the subject he is writing about. If you are trying to reasearch something specific , a book will save you hours and hours of trying to hunt things down on the internet. Yes,books on arms and armour are scarce,and more often than not, such obscure books are expensive. But that book will be with you for life. Right there on your shelf. A physical ,tangible ,well sorted store of information. It might even have pictures... and you don't even have to wait for them to upload. Isn't that amazing? So next time the power goes out, make sure your learning and research doesn't have to stop. Consider starting a collection of literature devoted to this passion we all share.


P.s. Anyone have favorite book titles to share? I personally love Frederick Wilkinson's "Swords and Daggers " I just ordered a copy of J.D Aylwards " The Small-sword in England " Can't wait for it to come !

[Nathan Robinson]

Have you gone to myArmoury.com's Books Section? I notice you don't have a reading list. You can browse the lists of others, such as my reading list to see my ratings, reviews, and whatnot. Once you make your own reading list or wish list, the system will suggest other titles to you based on the reading habits of like-minded people.

We also have an extensive Bibliography compiled and a myArmoury.com reading list as well.

See this topic for a description of some of the features: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=7260

There are also several installments of The Paper Armoury in our Features Section with book suggestions and descriptions.

[Scott Hrouda]

I'm one of those people who would rather have a book in hand than 50 books downloaded on a tablet. I don't see myself ever purchasing one of those things.

That being said, the only way I've been able to read some incredible research papers and doctorial thesis from authors across the globe is because of the internet. Other solid primary references, that would otherwise be unavailable to me, are at my fingertips 24/7 because of the internet (read Effigies & Brasses).

You're correct in that internet forums can muddy the waters, but the tossing of educated opinions back and forth (in a constructive manner) can lead to great insight. The ability to read between the lines and ignore smoke screens helps tremendously.

As Nathan mentioned, use the myArmoury book section! I have found it to be a great resource and a terrific place to store my wish list for books that have been recommended to me by fellow forumites.

[Matthew G.M. Korenkiewicz]

While the internet has been a nice tool with which to fuel my own interests, I've found
it equally worth my while to acquire a few books on the swords that I am most fond of
and curious about ( specifically Polish War Sabers and Japanese katana ) ...

Three of my custom pieces were inspired by drawings done in a book that was next
to impossible to find until it was re-released a couple years ago. I'm speaking of the
famous Szable Swieta by Wojciech Zablocki. Sure, I found references via my
searches online, but nothing was " complete " if you follow me. While written in Polish,
one can still convert the metric measurements to more familiar inches if one so
chooses.

I thought about requesting the book be added to the lists here, but because it IS
written entirley in Polish, figured ' naw, they wouldn't accept it ... ' But here I got
to mention it !

Maybe Mr. R can take a moment here and provide a link, or tell us how to submit a
book to be added to myArmoury's already formidable list of readings ...

Hell, I'm one of those " few " who don't have a cellphone yet ! B-) Never mind a kindl
and downloading whatever. There's just something about being TOO connected
that doesn't sit so well with this old curmudgeon ... B-)