Reviews (3)

Heraldry... a good place to start
Republished in 2003, this book is one of the most up-to-date reviews of heraldry.It is easier to read than Fox-Davies "Complete Guide to Heraldry" and the graphics used to describe colors, field divisions and ordinaries are excellent teaching tools.
The best book for begginers
I think this is the best book I could have asked for to get started in heraldry. It is detailed, colourful and very informative, and it covers almost all topics of interest in heraldry. An excellent way to get your foot into heraldry, a must buy.

Wide ranging survey
This is a very wide-ranging survey of the heraldry of the world, with some very delightful illustrations.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Heraldry    3. History    4. History: World    5. Reference   

Reviews (8)

the templars and the grail
the book is too especulative not mush scientific information can be obtained.

Interesting Read
An Interesting read and a good compliment to
The dramatic story of the Knights Templar
The Knights Templar was a monastic order of Christian warriors that grew out of the medieval campaigns to free Jerusalem and Palestine from the domination of the Muslims in several waves of invasion known collectively as the Crusades. These warrior monks were believed to conduct mystical rites, guard the famed Holy Grail, and possess the lost treasures of Jerusalem. The order's wealth and political activities evolved to provide banking services to kings, act as trusted diplomats, engage in far flung business enterprise, and even work as navigators. The order was ultimately doomed to succumb to political intrigue and the malevolent greed of kings. In The Templars And The Grail: Knights Of The Quest, Oxford-based medieval historian Karen Ralls presents the dramatic story of the Knights Templar, presenting the many beliefs and theories about their presumed powers and arcane knowledge. Drawing upon both popular and academic sources, this impressive, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly accessible history is especially recommended to students of Metaphysical Studies and Medieval History.
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Subjects:  1. Arthur,    2. Christianity - History - General    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. Grail    5. History    6. History and criticism    7. History: World    8. King    9. Legends    10. Medieval    11. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    12. Religion - Church History    13. Templars    14. Arthur    15. Christian communities & monasticism    16. Europe    17. European history: c 500 to c 1500    18. Freemasonry & secret societies    19. History / General    20. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (3)

Better for older children
In this book there is more historical information, and descriptions. Great for older children that can draw well.

Elementary
This book provides a very elementary introduction to Heraldry.The basic layout of a Coat of Arms is discussed, including a very brief history, along with the rules of placement and description for the major elements. The author also includes some discussion of the prevailing Heraldry of countries around the world, including medieval countries.The appendixes include elements for the user to trace or imitate when creating their own Coat of Arms. Lastly there is some contact information for organizations involved with Heraldry.
Great Intro to Coat of Arms heraldry (Scanable Blanks)
This is a great place to start playing with your family designfor your own Coat of Arms.. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Devices (Heraldry)    3. General    4. Heraldry    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Puzzles    7. Reference    8. Juvenile Nonfiction / Games & Activities / General   

Reviews (3)

Scots Heraldry (any edition)
I have all three editions of this book.Very highly recommended as the standard reference on Scots heraldry.

Editions
There are three editions of the text by Thomas Innes of Learney:1st Ed 1934; 2nd Ed 1956 after he was knighted; 3rd Ed 1978 for which the revisor was the author's son (Sir) Malcolm Innes of Edingight. Each edition has its own special values. Both father and son were the Lord Lyon King of Arms. The illustrations of the first ed may be more extensive than later ones. The 2nd ed is the most detailed. The 3rd has the arms of the Duke of Rothesay (HRH Prince Charles).

You have the author's name wrong
The author's name is not "Thomas Innes", it is "Sir Thomas Innes of Learney". The "of Learney" is an integral part of his name, as you would know if you had read the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Genealogy    2. Reference   

Reviews (5)

for Artists and craftsmen - a true delight
Incredibly indepth coverage of Japanese family crests; a wealth of information on the subject.Detailed designs give rise to much inspiration to artists and crafters who enjoy Japanese history and culture.

Elements of Japanese Design:Handbook of Family Crests, Heraldry & Symbolism
Thank You, for such a great book it has helped my research and photography tremendously. The information given is quite helpful. Thank You Again, E.Ortiz

It's more than what you think it is!
I didn't realize the true value of this book until a year after I had initially read it. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Asia - Japan    3. Asian    4. General    5. Graphic Arts - General    6. Heraldry    7. History    8. Science    9. Art / Design / Decorative    10. Family history    11. Genealogy    12. Japan    13. Oriental art   

Reviews (11)

Comprehensive and logically organized
Supposedly, there are about 2,000 Japanese family crests, with origins that reach back more than a millenium.And while I can't say whether this book contains all two thousand, it's nevertheless pretty comprehensive. They're presented in columns of black images--each image about 2" in diameter--and grouped by theme (e.g., crests depicting one cherry blossom, then crests based on 2 blossoms, then crests based on 3 blossoms, etc.).
Fantastic for Graphic Design Inspiration
Page, after page, after page of great designs. Well worth the price...
I've lusted after this book ever since I saw it in the library years ago. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the name (I should've stolen it then!). So what a delight to finally rediscover it. The images in this book have haunted me, and defied my attempts to recreate even a few of them from memory. There are more permutations on each motif than one can possibly think of. An endless wealth of source material for logos, symbols, backgrounds, graphics. This book is a must-have for any designer interested in or influenced by Japanese design! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Asian    4. Clip Art    5. Design - General    6. Devices (Heraldry)    7. Graphic Arts - General    8. Heraldry    9. Japan    10. ASIA    11. Art / Clip Art    12. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    13. Oriental art   

Reviews (3)

Medieval Fighting for Fun!
In Tournaments, Richard Barber and Juliet Barker set out to trace the development of tournaments from the early melees to the later elaborate spectacles.Barber and Barker believe that tournaments were an important part of medieval society as well as a form of training for knights.They also believe that while tournaments certainly had a strong influence on romantic literature, the tournaments were themselves influenced by romantic literature.
Excellent
Easily the best general book on Tournaments available. Some people might have wanted to more detail in certain areas buut when you concider what the authors are trying to achieve I feel they found an excellent balance.

Everything you wanted to know about tournaments...
While books about tournaments usually just describe what tournaments generally were like .., this book takes a look at the actual historical events themselves. It describes many historical tournaments, famous participants, the backgrounds and the changing nature of the events from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance etc. In fact, the book tries to cover almost everything related to tournaments (from public disorder in tournaments to the time of day). Even so, the book holds together well and is easy to read. It is illustrated with fine historical paintings and drawings from books of the time with only a couple of photos (no modern or dismal 19-Century historical sketches). Read more

Subjects:  1. Customs & Traditions    2. Europe    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Horseback riding    8. Knights and knighthood    9. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    10. Tournaments, Medieval, in lite    11. Tournaments, Medieval, in literature   

Reviews (3)

Fantastic Insight of the Medieval Lifestyle of a Knight,
The information coupled with the detailed, amazing illustrations make this book a must when wanting to learn the lifestyle of a feudal knight.The book shows aerial and cut-away illustrations of a castle.It also shows detailed illustrations and information on how the knights armor was put together and put on with assistance. The World of the Medieval Knight also explained the process in which a noble man's son would become a knight. This information alone makes this book a useful book while learning about the Middle Ages, but it also covers customs and feasts and town life.This book exceeded my expectations.

Wonderful illustrations; keen views on the medieval knight
This is a great book not only for young people who want to learn about castles and the medieval lifestyle but also adults who are first learning about the period. A well written book on castles, knights, arms and armor.
This was a wonderfully written book on the knights world. This book goes into many interesting details of the medieval knights world and is both entertaining and informative. There is even interspersed humor. My 8 yearold son has taken it out of the library twice and has asked for it forChristmas. It has also inspired him to try and make his own knights helmet. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - History - General    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Civilization, Medieval    4. Europe    5. History    6. History - Medieval    7. Knights and knighthood    8. Pictorial works   

Reviews (2)

The Flag of our nation
The story, Red, White and Blue: The Story of the American Flag, is a well written and interesting book. It reveiles facts one would never find out. A smart buy for anyone wishing to learn more about our counries past.

Great/Easy Read!
Easy, punchy, informative reading about our nations #1 symbol! Beginning readers will love it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - History - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Flags    5. History - United States/Colonial & Revolutionary    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Readers - Beginner    9. Readers - Intermediate    10. United States    11. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / United States / General   

Reviews (1)

This is not a stand-alone program.
438 Black and white clip-art images (600 DPI) in six formats. Works for both Windows & Macintosh. Must be imported into your own software program. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Clip Art    4. Desktop Publishing - General    5. Heraldry    6. Art / Clip Art    7. ClipArt & screensavers    8. Graphic design   

Reviews (15)

Tough knights in shining armour
This is a very good introduction to the history of the military religious orders: Templars, Hospitallers of Saint John (today Knights of Malta), Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, Teutons and others. The first ones, Templars and Hospitallers, were founded in the XII Century, after the First Crusade, in order to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land and to provide humanitarian and medical services. Soon, these monks became more warriors than anything else, true machines of war which came to be the first organized and properly trained and disciplined professional elite troops in the West since the Roman Empire. The West and Islam lived then (and still do) in a permanent state of threat and holy war. Although these warriors made vows of poverty, obedience and chastity, they soon accumulated enormous riches, fighted one another and their discipline, especially in sexual matters, relaxed.
Good reference material, bad read.
Be prepared to sift through some slow and awkward writing and to figure what are the important parts on your own.Don't expect help on this from Seward, who seems unable to separate the wheat from the chaff of the history of the various orders.
Highly Readabe
This scholarly and well-documented from original sources book is written in impeccable English by a dignified scholar. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Institutions & Organizations    4. Medieval    5. Military - Other    6. Military religious orders    7. Religion    8. Christian communities & monasticism    9. History / Europe / General    10. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    11. Warfare & Defence    12. World history    13. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (1)

Knights-A Great and Beautiful Book
This book is the best!I have never given five stars to a book before, but wish I could rate this one at ten stars.Knights is a gorgeous book chock full of interesting data about knights from all over the world and their weaponry, coat of arms, armor, and the age of chivalry over a thousand year span, as well as bits about what life was like for common folk, in an easy to read and reference format.The back of the book details real (past) knights and fictitious knights from well know stories by name. A glossary is also included. This is one book, even if you're not into the subject, you will love. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - History - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Civilization, Medieval    5. History - Medieval    6. Juvenile Nonfiction    7. Juvenile literature    8. Knights and knighthood    9. Medieval civilization    10. Social Science - Customs, Traditions, Anthropology    11. Social Studies - Customs, Traditions, Anthropology    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / General   

Reviews (3)

A peculiar view on heraldic designs
John Bergling's 1,400 heraldic designs, published in 1913, walks a thin line between trying to depict heraldic designs in a pleasing simple way, and the truly awful'victoriana' as done by the likes of Fairbairn.His historic interpretation leaves something to be desired (like showing shields with crests only, which is simply 'not done'), and a lot of the American arms are drawn with slightly more Hollywood than Heraldry in mind. But sometimes you can feel some of the original power of heraldry flowing underneath his drawings.

I recomend this book to everyone!
Very nice book, cheap and educational! I'm happy to have it.

High Quality Line Art
A varied selection of black and white line art featuring heraldic devices, charges, crests, helmets, shield designs, and full achievements from all over the world. Perfect for scanning and adaptation in graphics programs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Clip Art    4. Crests    5. Dictionaries    6. General    7. Heraldry    8. Heraldry in art    9. History    10. Art / Clip Art    11. Decorative arts & crafts    12. Handicrafts   

Reviews (2)

An authoritative look at Union Flags
Mr. Cannon has produced an excellent compilation of the flags used by the North during the US Civil War.I highly recommend it as a history and geography teacher.As an author myself I appreciate the style of presentation he uses in this book.I also recommend his companion book, "Flags of the Confederacy".

The perfect book for a lover of Civil War history
I own both this book and the matching one on the Confederacy.Both of these books are incredibly informative and very interesting.The pictures in this book give you a prespective on life that the people lived in the1860's.If you have an interest in the Civil War I highly reccommend thisbook and the matching one on the Confederacy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1861-1865, Civil War    2. Civil War, 1861-1865    3. Flags    4. General    5. Heraldry    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. History: American    9. Military - General    10. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    11. United States    12. United States - Civil War    13. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    14. Civil war    15. Flags & insignia    16. USA    17. Uniforms & insignia   

Reviews (10)

Debunking the Myth of the 'Murdered Magicians'
Peter Partner's 'The Murdered Magicians: The Knights Templar and Their Myth' is a book no serious student of the Medieval crusading order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon should be without. For anyone whose knowledge of the Templars comes from the nonsense written by Baigent and Leigh in 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' Partner's book is a must-read-but only if they are interested in historical fact and not the fantasies of the type offered under the guise of scholarship by popular authors like Baigent and Leigh. A brilliant historical look at the Templar Knights
This book is not for anyone hoping to keep delusions about the Templar Knights.It does in places draw conclusions that are non-sequitur, but the history presented is factual according to reliable sources.As the author points out, it is possible that some of the crimes and 'heresies' attributed to the Templars could have been performed by some Templars, but it is unlikely that all of them performed the described rituals.The purported worship of 'Baphomet', for example, was probably created under the duress of torture.'Baphomet' is the French word for Mohamad at the time, and the various descriptions given seem to be people searching for a way to stop being tortured.Did the Templars hold onto holy objects like the Ark of the Covenant, the Shroud of Turin, or the Holy Grail?These are questions that are not addressed in this book, except with an enduring scepticism.However, the author does leave room for possibilities.As a historically accurate depiction, it should preclude any such searches as a basis for knowledge.It is an interesting and factual look, with a fascinating plot.

Factual yet full of opinion
First and foremost, Partner has done an excellent job of combining facts about the ancient order and the "mythology" that surrounds them.The only backdrop to all of his hard work and effort is the fact that he randonly throughout the book refers to facts without supporting them.Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. History    3. Institutions & Organizations    4. Magick Studies    5. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    6. Mysticism    7. New Age    8. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    9. Occultism    10. Templars    11. Europe    12. European history: c 1500 to c 1750    13. Social Science / Freemasonry   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Nonfiction    2. Children: Kindergarten    3. Flags    4. Genealogy    5. History - United States/General    6. Holidays & Celebrations - Other, Nonreligious    7. Juvenile Easy Readers    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Readers - Beginner    11. United States    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / United States / General   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Baby-Preschool    2. Christianity - Catholicism    3. History    4. Institutions & Organizations    5. Military religious orders    6. Orders of knighthood and chiva    7. Orders of knighthood and chivalry    8. Orders of knighthood and chivalry, Papal    9. Religion    10. Religious Congregations And Orders    11. Roman Catholic Church    12. Religion & Theology | History of Christianity    13. Religion / History    14. Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church    15. Social history   

Reviews (5)

Fails to Bring the Order to Life
Burman's book is a fast read and presents a very summary overview of the Order of the Temple.Although Burman does a good job of detailing the Temple's origin and financial workings, insufficient attention and detail is given to the Order's territorial holdings in the Holy Land, their military involvement, rivalry with the Hospital and political dealings with the various Christian rulers.The biggest, unforgivable shortcoming is the absence of any maps in the book.It is unclear to me how you can span approximately 200 years, eight crusades and countless exchanges of castles and territories without including maps of the Holy Land.

A bargain just for the bibliography
This gives a once-over look at the history of the order, from what seems to be a very English point of view (nothing wrong with that) that can get to be dry "history book" reading sometimes.BUT, Mr. Burman has a bundle of contemporary sources, French, Latin, and Arabic sources, that really give this handy little book a surprising amount of depth for being "cursory". Nice general survey
"The Templars" doesn't purport to be, and isn't, an exhaustive study of the most intriguing of the Crusader-era military orders. The book is targeted towards the reader who wants a concise overview of the order, without bogging down in discussions of modern-day conspiracy theory or the allegations of witchcraft which eventually doomed the Knights. The book is refreshingly sober in this respect, and, as such, gets a generally good rating from me. Indeed, the Holy Grail is mentioned only in passing, and, if you're looking for fuel for that particular fire, you'll have to look elsewhere.Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. General    3. History    4. Institutions & Organizations    5. Mysticism    6. New Age    7. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    8. Templars    9. History of religion    10. Religion / History    11. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (6)

Without Blazon or Reference
Moderately useful, but all of the images are Victorian era lithograph in style, and have lost a lot of whatever flair they might have had.Color was not expected, but without blazon (heraldic description) or any other reference other than plate number, only the images are of any use.There is no table of contents, and although the images are grouped according to their central character (lion, tree, etc.), that is the extent of it.There is some mention of another archive, but not in a complete context.Hunting for it may be more of a chore than throwing your hands up and finding something else.I'm not even going to try.Also, since the images are in roughly the same style, an estimate of time period or place from one's own judgement of history is nearly impossible.
Not for Heraldic Reference
While this volume provides thousands of clip art purporting to be heraldic Crests, you will not find any reference to identify which name the Crests are registered to.You will not find any reference to what the charge in the Crest means, nor will you find reference to the colors that the charges should be.What you will find are generic images resembling heraldic charges in black and white.Please note that those who are expert in heraldic Coats of Arms and Crests (and there is a distinct difference if you do not know), or those interested in improving their knowledge of them, will be deeply disappointed in this book, if you are looking for reference material.Coats of Arms are frequently and mistakenly referred to as Crests.Coats of Arms are the shields carried by knights, cavaliers, etc. during the Medieval Age, which were determined by the monarch of the country for which the knight served.To use the images of this book to put together a unique Coat of Arms for one's own family is to do so without any thought to the meaning of the charges.Each charge and each color determines a virtue recognized and honored by the monarch in the presentation of the Arms, while Crests (always displayed above the knight's helmet) are colors and charges chosen by the patriarch of the family to represent the virtues he wished to preserve in the family line.Most Western European names have coats of arms already registered with the College of Arms of that nation to represent their families and responsible dealers of these can provide them - this book will not help anyone find their own coat of arms or any explanation of their meaning.

Victorian Heraldry on its Best... and Worst
A set of over 4,000 crest designs, but what a disappointment! The true heraldic craftsmen drew their inspiration fromtrue heraldic sources, i.e. the Middle Ages. After 1600 or so heraldry went into a steep decline, culminating in the truly awful Victorian conceptof depicting the 'real' thing, as opposed to the brutal and wonderful power of the symbolic art ofearlier craftsmen. Thus we're stuck with 'real' lions and dragons and any kind of object, complete with shadowing. Well, the book was published in 1859, so I should have known better.... If you're interested in Victorian heraldry, it's a wonderful book. If you're interested in real heraldry it's a waste of money. Try the compilations of Sir Anthony Wagner instead. Nowt h a tis true heraldic power. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Clip Art    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crests    5. General    6. Graphic Arts - Use of Ornament    7. Great Britain    8. Heraldry    9. Hobbies/Crafts    10. Ireland    11. Art / Clip Art    12. Handicrafts    13. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    14. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (10)

Perhaps the Best History of the Templars to Date
Over the past twenty or thirty years the Templars have become the subject of some really silly religious conspiracy theories which say more about the authors who espouse them than they actually do about the Templars themselves.
Absolutely wonderful!
This is an absolutely wonderful book for anyone at all interested in The Templars. This is a full and original work of research that covers every detail you can imagine about The Templars. If I must chose something that detracts from the over all feeling of the book is the chapter called The Templar Network as this is a rather dry account of the manors and so on throughout the Continent and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. If you do chose to read this book I would recommend skipping most of the chapter mentioned above until Barber starts talking about the Templar network as a reliable bank for kings and popes alike. I highly recommend this book!
Full of facts but too scholarly for
This book is a good source of information for the serious student. If you have a good knowledge of medieval and crusade history then this book will trace the order of the Templars through all the political, military and ideological contexts that the order existed in. It will provide you with sources and chronologies and will explain what the Templars did, why they were such an important force and how exactly they were able to achieve what they achieved.Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. History    3. History: World    4. Institutions & Organizations    5. Medieval Church (476-1517)    6. Religion - Church Life    7. Templars    8. Christianity    9. Europe    10. History / Europe / General    11. History of religion    12. Templars--History