The sword is the most revered of all of man’s weapons Although the club is older the knife more universal & the firearm much more efficient it is to the sword that most decoration myth mysticism & reverence has been given The katana has been called “ The Soul of the Samurai” the Vikings lavished love care & attached wonderful names to their weapons The sword has been the symbol of Justice of Vengeance & of Mercy No one artifact has so captured the imagination as has the sword As our society has grown more & more advanced & more reliant on technology there has been an increased interest in the weapons of the past The romance of the sword is very much alive—but movies books & fiction of all types have romanticized the past & particularly the sword beyond all recognition of the real thing Drawing on information from grave excavations illustrations of battle scenes & many classical & medieval literary sources this book discusses how contemporaries showed swords were used Building on Oakeshott & other authoritative writers on the subject this volume representing ten years of writing & a lifetime of experience will add to the body of knowledge of the history of swords by illustrating not only the beauty of the form of the sword but also their beauty of function About the Author Hank Reinhardt was a widely known authority on medieval arms & armor & an icon of Southern science fiction fandom for over fifty years He had written numerous articles on swords & knives & was in the process of writing this book on the history & use of the sword at the time of his death in 2007 He produced two videos with Paladin Press on the sword & was a columnist for Blade magazine on swords in the movies He was a cofounder of the mail order business Museum Replicas Ltd & a consultant to many sword makers Unlike many experts Reinhardt insisted on actually making & testing the weapons he wrote about & through his various activities he has been instrumental in increasing the popularity of arms & armor in mainstream America He has received numerous awards for his work with bladed weapons most recently the Industry Achievement Award given at the 2006 Blade Show in Atlanta Hank will appear in Reclaiming the Blade a documentary due for release in 2008 ...

Unlock your magic The Tarot is an empowering & wise tool that has been used for generations Guided by creator of the Starchild Tarot Daniel Noel The Book of Tarot introduces the Tarot to a new audience of readers who are rediscovering the cards as a means of self-discovery meditation & reflection Beautifully designed & easy-to-navigate learn the full meaning behind the cards how to handle your deck unlock its magic & use it to set personal goals & intentions with clarity & confidence This book can be used with all decks but features images of the stunning Starchild Tarot throughout 'I have been a huge fan of Danielle Noel's Starchild Tarot ever since I discovered her work & to have her tarot wisdom distilled into this beautiful book is a dream come true Danielle's modern approach & dreamy artwork make it relevant for a new generation of Now Age seekers'
- Ruby Warrington Founder of The Numinous & author of Material Girl Mystical World' This book lays the groundwork for a lifelong exploration of the Tarot' Gabriela Herstik ' Ask a Witch' columnist at NYLON
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' Meanwhile let us have a sip of tea The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos the fountains are bubbling with delight the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle' In this charming book from 1906 Okakura explores Zen Taoism Tea Masters & the significance of the Japanese tea ceremony One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range & diversity with works from around the world & across the centuries
- including fables decadence heartbreak tall tales satire ghosts battles & elephants
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The Book of the Bird celebrates the bird in art with an elegant international collection of paintings illustrations & photographs featuring all kinds of birds from the smallest tits & wrens to colourful exotics Interspersed though the illustrations are short texts giving background to the pictures & information on bird species This is the perfect gift for all bird lovers ...

Cats have been revered by artists since ancient times for their beauty grace independence & air of mystery Domesticated but with a touch of the wild about them they share our homes & endlessly fascinate us The Book of the Cat is a cool & quirky collection of feline art & illustration by artists from around the world Interspersed through the illustrations are short texts about the artists & their subjects Beautifully designed & packaged the book will appeal to cat lovers of all ages ...

An extraordinary epic set a million years in the future in the time of a dying sun when our present culture is no longer even a memory Severian a torturer's apprentice is exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners Ordered to the distant city of Thrax armed with his ancient executioner's sword Terminus Est Severian must make his way across the perilous ruined landscape of this far-future Urth But is his finding of the mystical gem the Claw of the Conciliator merely an accident or does Fate have a grander plans for Severian the torturer ? This edition contains the first two volumes of this four volume novel The Shadow of the Torturer & The Claw of the Conciliator ...

The most comprehensive pantheon in roleplaying games is back in a new edition for 5E This massive tomes provides more than 20 pick-up-&-play churches whose organization & beliefs are described in lavish detail These churches can be used in any campaign setting to bring a whole new level of detail to the religious characters Plus for those who don&t have a complete cosmology in their game The Book of the Righteous provides a comprehensive mythology that unifies all of the gods in the book The original edition of Book of the Righteous was one of the most critically acclaimed books of the d 20 era Now Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition designers Robert J Schwalb & Rodney Thompson have brought the new edition up to date with the 5E rules ...

In a year when much of the news was believable but fake comes a book packed with stories that are unbelievable but true The Book of the Year is a hilarious guide to 2017's most extraordinary events unearthed by the creators of the award-winning hit comedy podcast No Such Thing As A Fish Each week over a million people tune in to find out what bizarre & astonishing facts Dan James Anna & Andy have found out over the previous seven days Now the gang have turned their attention to the news of the past twelve months You'll discover the curious details behind the main headlines
- how Donald Trump slept on the 66th floor of a 58-storey building what effect Brexit had on Coco Pops & why China's president can't stand Winnie the Pooh
- as well as hundreds of stories you may have missed entirely like the news that
- Qatar built a refugee camp for camels
- The world's first avocado restaurant ran out of avocados on its first day
- The victim of Britain's first ever shark attack ended up with a cut thumb From strange inventions to baffling elections via a surprising amount of sausage news The Book of the Year is an eye-opening tour of the incredible year you didn't know you'd lived through




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From Kim Jong Un's personal potty to Jeremy Corbyn's valuable vegetables The Book of the Year 2018 is an eye-opening tour of yet another incredible year you didn't know you'd lived through 352 pages No Such Thing As A Fish ...

An idiosyncratic richly illustrated guide to Britain's rivers seas & shores for everyone who loves the water & the natural world
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