The celebrated Dutch artist Jacob de Gheyn put his considerable talents to work in this 1607 masterpiece, one of the earliest and most famous manuals of arms ever published. Its 117 handsome copper engravings, with their captions, magnificently portray the step-by-step sequence for training foot soldiers in the handling of the standard weaponry of the day--muskets, calivers, and pikes.

A priceless resource for the organization and training of troops, de Gheyn's book created an overnight sensation throughout Europe and was quickly translated into several languages. Legions of imitations and pirated editions have since appeared, but The Exercise of Armes remains the classic. Above and beyond its intrinsic historic interest, the volume presents a meticulously accurate portrait of uniforms and weapons of the 17th - century Netherlands, in addition to the aesthetic appeal of its remarkable engravings.

J. B. Kist, long a military historian in the Department of National History at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, has supplied an informative new introduction and captions for this edition. Historians, students of Military science, and art lovers will prize this extraordinary volume.

Original Dover (1999) republication of all 117 plates contained in the 1607 edition, together with a new introduction by J. B. Kist and additional illustrations.

1999, originally published in 1607. Preface. Appendix. List of Authorities. Index. 248 black-and-white illustrations. 128pp. 9 x 12.

ID-Code:index8
Price:$ 12.95

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