A History of Weapons: Crossbows, Caltrops, Catapults & Lots of Other Things that Can Seriously Mess You Up

John O'Bryan

Apr 2013 · Chronicle Books

About this ebook

“[A] menacingly illustrated book . . . nerdily gushes over the design and use of 130+ historical instruments of combat.” —Thrillist

One day a prehistoric guy picked up a rock and threw it at something. And the history of weapons began. Comedy writer and weapon nerd John O’Bryan relays the freaky highlights of man’s centuries-old obsession with weaponry. He hilariously explains the mace, the morning star, and the man catcher, while conveying factual information about each weapon: its history, uses, and badass potential. Looking through history’s highlights, readers will learn about Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, and the “peaceful” Shaolin monks. This ultimate compendium of awesome weapons delivers all the surprisingly true details sure to impress anybody who’s ever made a gun with their fingers and said, “PEW-PEW-PEW!”

“[A] comic breakdown of weaponry.” —Lost in a Supermarket

Ratings and reviews

I only read the sample, but this books is hilarious and informative at the same time. Love this guy's tone too, he talks so casually about thousands of years of revolutionary ingenuity in a way that makes it sound like some kids nerf modifications.

I absolutely loved this book! The author's witty and jocular narrative is nicely matched by the great hand sketches of the various weapons. Best of all, the provenance and history of the weapons are well researched and educational. This is a great read and I definitely recommend this book for the tasteful treatment of weapons used in mankind.

I hate do not read

About the author

John O'Bryan has written for Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender and Disney XD's Motorcity. He lives in Los Angeles.