The Arms of Greece and her Balkan Neighbors in the Ottoman Period | 2009

Description

Book Title: The Arms of Greece and her Balkan Neighbors in the Ottoman Period
Author: Robert Elgood
Language(s): English
Published: New York – 2009
Format & Size: Hardcover w/ Dust Jacket – 9.75″ x 12.5″
Pages: 350
Book Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good – minimal signs of handling
Description: This magnificent book traces the history of firearms and edged weapons in Greece and the Balkans during the Ottoman era. when the region was home to the greatest centers of arms manufacturing in the Islamic world. Traditional weapons were held in great esteem, and guns and swords were richly ornamented with silverwork, ivory, mother-of-pearl or coral. Each town developed its own style in weaponry, decoration and costume, often with splendid results. Weapons were an essential part of a man’s traditional attire, carried at all times from around the age of twelve. The quantity of silver they bore indicated the owner’s status, and he would have kept it polished and shining to the suggest he was a great warrior. Over 19 chapters, Robert Elgood’s masterful text weaves together the story of the weapons with the deeds of their owners and the history of the region. The book culminates in the stirring story of Greek national liberation in the 1820s. Representing a decade of research by a world expert in oriental arms and armor, this book was published to coincide with a major exhibition of Greek and Balkan arms at the National Historical Museum, Athens.