NONFICTION - Jan. 5, 1992

AN HISTORICAL GUIDE TO ARMS AND ARMOR by Stephen Bull (Facts on File: $35). Are you the kind of person who expects to be handed a rifle when asking for a martini? When a pot-au-feu is sent to you, do you duck instead of asking for a dry red wine? If so, then Stephen Bull’s comprehensive, easily readable overview of the development of weapons from ancient Greece through the eve of the world wars is for you. Although the author restricts his study to “man-portable weapons” (artillery and vehicles could easily fill a volume of equal size), it’s a gorgeous overview of the intricate craftsmanship and science involved in making implements of destruction. The book is richly illustrated with new photos of original artifacts and artwork, which make it a valuable reference for artists. Highlights include a photo of the bullet-perforated jacket of Gustavus Adolphus (Sweden’s 17th-Century warrior king), and an analysis of the armor on the tomb of Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376). The text, although sometimes rushed, is crisp and thorough. The author suffers a bit from the traditional British historians’ Anglocentric outlook: The entire non-European world, from the Samurai to the Sioux, is dismissed in one chapter. But this handsome book remains an excellent introduction to the study of weaponry.