Legat-Verlag Arms and Armor from Iran



FOREWORDS

Extract taken from “Foreword” by Richard Dellar

… Many of these photographs are published for the first time and include ancient artefacts from controlled excavations or those which have been confiscated from smugglers on illegal excavations. In particular, the book traces the development of the sword from the early straight bladed double edged form to the particularly distinctive curved single edged blade. Particular emphasis of course is given to the development of the highly curved classical Iranian shamshir with its magnificent watered (wootz) steel blade … Who does not stand amazed before the sheer beauty of the classical Iranian shamshir? Yet, despite this beauty, they were also formidable weapons of war and we have accounts of their fearsome effectiveness … It is a work of epic proportions in itself and the result of an immense amount of unflagging determination, enthusiasm and stamina on the part of Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani. I am sure this book will set the benchmark against which all works on this subject are now to be measured. He is to be congratulated on his achievement and I am honoured and privileged to introduce this book to the public.…

Extract taken from “Arms and Armor from Iran: New Insight into the Relationship between Art, Technology, and Long-Term Cultural Continuity” by John Cooksey

… This book has been years in the making, and reflects both great effort and a profound passion on the part of the author for his subject. Throughout the text, one can see the author’s deep interest in his chosen field of study, his justifiable pride in the long history and the enduring nature of Iranian culture, and his strong desire to present the historical development and cultural heritage of Iranian arms and armor to a world-wide audience … This book is not representative of other works in its field. In this scholar’s opinion, it stands head and shoulders above other contemporary works on “Persian” and “Islamic” arms and armor … I cannot recommend this work strongly enough to adequately reflect my appreciation for it. In my opinion, it is the single most valuable work to date on the subject of Iranian arms and armor. It is an important book for its content, with a rich level of detail and data concerning art and artifacts that have rarely been seen by Western scholars. It is also an important book because of its presentation, in which the author reveals an anthropological approach that allows him to make vital connections between the material and non-material cultures of Iran, throughout its long and rich history. …

Extract taken from “Iranian armaments: a Western perspective” by Peter Lyon

… Over the years, I have longed for an English-language book that explains the contexts and details of Eastern arms and amour from the cultural, historical and construction viewpoints, with as many detailed colour photographs as possible, and at last it is here … The present book will be valuable for researching more historical projects, where its value is obvious, by pulling together and analysing many historical sources into one volume … Just helping with the editing has made me appreciate the task of compiling and analysing all the information and theories, and made me thankful it has been done by someone with Mr. Moshtagh Khorasani’s enthusiasm, knowledge and background. …

Extract taken from “Iran’s Silent Legacy” by Dr. Kaveh Farrokh

… To understand Iran’s military legacy in world civilization, it is necessary to trace the roots of legacy back to the proto Indo-Europeans … The lack of awareness of western (mainly Anglophone) military historians has led to a chasm of ignorance with respect to the large number of military techniques and tactics of Persia or L’Iran Exterier … Much of Iran’s military tradition has been attributed to the Arab and Turkish domains, partly the result of a generation of western “Islamic” historians unfamiliar with Persia’s profound but latent influence in history and military tradition. Manouchehr Mostagh Khosrasani’s text provides an exhaustive compendium and history of Iranian arms and armor that is traceable to the arrival of the first Aryans into Persia. Many of the items illustrated in this text have never been seen or examined by western historians …

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