"Swords" by Ben Boos

The full title of this book is "Swords -- an Artist's Devotion."  Mr. Boos makes a point (actually, twice ... at the beginning *and* the end of the book) that he is not an expert on the topic, just an artist and a devotee.  You should take him at his word.  The images are stunning and rich, reproduced in deep colors on silky, thick paper.  The work is so good that one could mistake some images for photographs.  For any fan of swords (as I am), the close-up details are interesting and greatly appreciated.  For all of the "pretty" nature of this book, however, the text is deeply lacking.  Despite his protestations that he is "not an expert" Mr. Boos clearly did his research (there is a good bibliography in the back) yet writes in a haphazard, weak style.  The annotations range from information-specific (Scottish swords have a "braid" inside them that creates a ripple effect down the center of the sword) to hopelessly vague (there are 10 kinds of Viking hilts ... drawn but not described or named) to randomly subjective (in a discussion on female warriors he states "These brave and noble women are written into the sagas and histories, and they prove beyond doubt that the sword in the hand of a war maiden is as fearsome as the sword in the hand of any man.")  He also includes information I would consider incorrect ... that medieval peasants had access to a plethora of large knives ... not likely for serfs -- or that wild boars would willingly impale themselves because of "bloodlust."  More likely, this large wild animal running fast towards a target couldn't turn around in time (they aren't particularly known for their mobility.  Think "bull" with shorter legs.)  In any case, it's a nice "coffee table" book -- gorgeous to skim through.  I wouldn't recommend it for research, however -- as the author emphasizes, time and time again.