E. T. Chalmers Werner (1864–1954)

from cover China's fiery heritage has been marred by unimaginable bloodshed and slaughter during forty centuries of civil wars. The weapnos used during her tortured past are dramatically illustrated in Mr. Werner's study of China's tools of war. Contents Origin of Chinese Weapons-Invention of Weapons; Material Used Sticks, Cudgels, Clubs and Maces Battle Axes Spears, Lances and Rapiers Daggers Swords Two-edged Sword Bows and Arrows-Bow-strings; Bowcases; Thumb Pieces; Crossbows; Arrows; Arrowbuckets Battering-rams and Ballistae Penetration Devices Fortifications Defenses Guns, Blunderbusses and Firearms-Gunpowder Defensive Armour Shields Toop Carriers Illustration… (más)

It's difficult to decide how to rate this book, especially after reading Paul French's 'Midnight in Peking' and discovering the author was a superhuman figure who not only spent virtually his entire working life in China, but was capable of navigating the Shanghai underworld, pulling off midnight B&E jobs on brothels, and surviving a Japanese internment camp - all while in his seventies. The book is still a decent survey, but time has passed it by and there are much better and more recent studies out there, notably Eberhard's 'Chinese Folktales'.… (más)

It's difficult to decide how to rate this book, especially after reading Paul French's 'Midnight in Peking' and discovering the author was a superhuman figure who not only spent virtually his entire working life in China, but was capable of navigating the Shanghai underworld, pulling off midnight B&E jobs on brothels, and surviving a Japanese internment camp - all while in his seventies. The book is still a decent survey, but time has passed it by and there are much better and more recent studies out there, notably Eberhard's 'Chinese Folktales'.… (más)