The Book of the Sword - Sir Richard Francis Burton 1884 - Chatto and Windus, London - First Edition A magnificent and large work on edged weapons by Burton, who was a very skilled swordsman, and published an earlier practical work on military exercises for infantry in 1876. Profusely illustrated throughout.

Rarely encountered in such nice condition. This first part of a planned three volume work, ‘
treats of the birth, parentage and early career of the sword. It begins with the very beginning, in pre-historic times and amongst proto-historic peoples; and it ends with the full growth of the Sword at the epoch of the early Roman Empire.’ Despite Lady Burton’s efforts to find someone to complete the next two volumes after Burton’s death, the haphazard collection of notes, partial manuscripts, and the commercial failure of the first volume, were enough to put off any publisher.
  Provenance: Richard R. Leiper, with his signature.

Reference: Penzer,
An Annotated Bibliography of Sir Richard Francis Burton, 107.

Large octavo (book size 28 x 20 cm), pp. xxxix [1] 299 [1]. In publisher’s light grey cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, intricate decorations in brown to spine and front board, publisher’s device in brown to rear board, black coated endpapers. Front inner hinge with neat archival repair.
  Condition: Near fine, minor soiling to cloth and toning to spine, light wear to corners and spine ends, foxing to endpapers, front inner hinge with evidence of earlier neat archival repair, one or two pages over-opened.   Ref: 109780   Price: HK$ 15,000