Since the first flint spearheads emerged at the dawn of humanity around 600,000 years ago, edged weapons have played an incredible role in the shaping of human history. As well as being deadly weapons of war, swords, sabers, spears, and lances have been used the world over to hunt for survival and to battle for honor. Elaborately decorated and imbued with countless myths, it is little wonder that these weapons - often works of art as much as tools of war - have been some of history's most powerful status symbols. This beautifully presented book traces the fascinating history of swords, sabers, spears, and lances from their origination through to the 20th century. From Palaeolithic origins and the appearance of the first swords in Bronze Age Mesopotamia, it describes how the development of edged weapons and military tactics brutally shaped the great civilizations of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and looks at the significance of the sword in the artistic and mystical traditions of the Celts. It moves on to the medieval period - the apogee of the sword as a battle weapon - and delves into the world of the medieval knights and Crusaders, as well as the Middle Eastern armies they fought. From there this broad-ranging book examines the variety of edged weapons from around the world, from the Samurai sword to the Sudanese Kaskara. It looks at the technical and military accomplishments leading up to the 20th century and the demise of the sword as a military weapon. At the heart of the book is a comprehensive and fully illustrated weapons directory, featuring more than 500 examples of edged weapons from around the world. From the swords and spears of Ancient Egypt to the pike and thrustingpolearms of medieval Europe and from the cavalry sabers of the 17th century to the swords of the Russian Empire, each entry is accompanied with a fabulous photograph of the weapon plus key information on date, origin and length. This book will be an indispensable resource for the keen enthusiast and professional collector alike, while the 800 beautiful photographs and illustrations of these extraordinary pieces of craftsmanship will fascinate anyone with an interest in the conflicts, weapons, and warriors that have created our historical landscape.

主编：克里斯·麦克纳博（Chris McNab），是专门从事军事历史和军事技术研究的专家， To date he has published more than 40 books, including A History of the World in 100 Weapons (2011), Deadly Force (2009) and Tools of Violence (2008).迄今已出版了40多本专著，其中包括《世界的历史上的100种武器》（2011），《致命武力》（2009年）和《暴力的工具》（2008）He is the contributing editor of Hitler's Armies: A History of the German War Machine 1939–45 (2011) and Armies of the Napoleonic Wars (2009).《拿破仑战争》（2009年）等。 Chris has also written extensively for major encyclopedia series, magazines and newspapers, and he lives in South Wales, UK.克里斯还参与编撰了大量大百科全书，在专业兵器杂志发表多篇文章。

译者：孙杨淼 胡天国，两人均为英语专业硕士，现均任教于大学英语专业，刀剑爱好者，出版多部译著。

审读：彭鹏，出版过刀剑类专业书籍，任某刀剑论坛专业版主的骨灰级刀剑爱好者。审读并给出专业名词的翻译建议。