Books About Swords – The Free Sword Collecting Library

Welcome to the library! This page lists a number of books about swords, or that are sword related. And the best thing is that you don’t need to whisper here.

Click on any of the links to be redirected to the website that hosts the book. This will often be available in different formats, such as PDF or EPUB. My only work here is collecting and curating the list. You can also sort the list to better help you find what you are looking for, or use the search box to look for specific keywords.

As far as I can tell, all these books are copyright free and available in the public domain or have been made available for free consultation and download by the copyright holders.

While our research and understanding about swords is constantly developing and not all the information that was accurate in the 19th century still holds up today, these books still provide invaluable insights, descriptions, images, and illustrations, that any sword collector should be able to enjoy.

I can not guarantee the completeness, or accuracy of the listed books. This page is provided simply as an easy-to-navigate pool of resources, which I will be expanding over time. But, should you spot inaccuracies, broken links, or irrelevant material, please let me know at info@swordcollecting.com

If you know about any copyright-free books about swords that you think would fit in this list, please fill in the form below (ideally adding the data listed above the submission box).

Feel free to also submit academic papers, articles, catalogs, and other short-form or ephemeral documents regarding swords. However, I will be posting those in separate sections, so don’t worry if they aren’t added here instantly. They eventually will be.

Author	Title	Year of publication	Country of publication	Language of publication	Summary
Sir Richard Francis Burton	The Book of the Sword	1884	United Kingdom	English	A comprehensive historical and cultural exploration of the sword's significance, styles, and usage across different civilizations.
Inazo Nitobe	Bushido, the Soul of Japan	1905	United States	English	An influential work delving into the moral and ethical code of the samurai, shedding light on the essence of the Japanese warrior spirit.
Headley and Phillipps-Wolley	Broad-Sword and Single-Stick	1890	United Kingdom	English	A practical guide to various historical European swordsmanship techniques, including broadsword and single-stick combat methods.
Maître d'armes Labat	The Art of Fencing; Or, The Use of the Small Sword	1692	United Kingdom	English	A classical treatise on the art of fencing and the use of the small sword as a weapon of personal defense and dueling.
J. M. Waite	Lessons in Sabre, Singlestick, Sabre & Bayonet, and Sword Feats	1895	United States	English	A collection of lessons and exercises covering various forms of swordsmanship and combat with sabre, singlestick, and bayonet.
Yamanaka & Company	Japanese Swords	1917	United States	English	A historical survey of Japanese swords, their craftsmanship, cultural significance, and the traditions surrounding them.
Baron de César Lecat Bazancourt	Secrets of the Sword	1892	United States	English	An examination of various types of swords and their use in different historical periods, accompanied by illustrations and descriptions.
Shizhen Wang	劍俠傳 (Jian Xia Zhuan)	1590	China	Chinese	A Chinese martial arts novel, exploring the adventures and exploits of sword-wielding heroes in ancient China.
R. C. Eden	The Sword and Gun: A History of the 37th Wis. Volunteer Infantry	1865	United States	English	A historical account of the 37th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, highlighting their weapons and battles.
Bashford Dean	Catalogue of A Loan Exhibition of Arms and Armor	1911	United States	English	A catalog of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcasing a vast collection of arms and armor from different cultures and eras.
Bashford Dean	Catalogue of European Court and Hunting Swords	1929	United States	English	A detailed catalog of European court and hunting swords exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering insights into their history.
Charles John Ffoulkes	Arms and armour in the banqueting hall, Edinburgh castle	1936	United Kingdom	English	Provides a descriptive notice of arms and armour displayed at the Edinburgh castle banqueting hall in 1936.
Ernst Curtius	Ueber wappengebrauch und wappenstil im griechischen alterthum	1874	Germany	German	Ernst Curtius explores weapon use and style in ancient Greece in this 1874 work.
Charles John Ffoulkes	Armour & weapons	1909	United Kingdom	English	Charles John Ffoulkes examines armour and weapons in this 1909 work.
Louis de Gaya and Charles John Ffoulkes	Gaya's Traité des armes, 1678	1911	United Kingdom	English	Louis de Gaya and Charles John Ffoulkes present "Traité des armes" from 1678 in this 1911 publication.
Auguste Demmin	Die kriegswaffen in ibrer historischen entwickelung von der steinzeit bis zur erfindung des zündnadelgewehrs. Ein handbuch der waffenkunde	1869	Germany	German	Auguste Demmin's 1869 "Die kriegswaffen" traces the historical development of weapons up to the invention of the rifle.
Bertram Edward Sargeaunt	Weapons, a brief discourse on hand-weapons other than fire-arms	1908	United Kingdom	English	Bertram Edward Sargeaunt discusses hand-weapons other than firearms in this 1908 discourse.
Volkmar Bach	Die Angriffswaffen in den altfranzösischen Artus- und Abenteuer-Romanen	1887	Germany	German	Volkmar Bach examines attack weapons in ancient French Artus and adventure novels in this 1887 work.
P. Lacombe and Charles Boutell	Arms and armour in antiquity and the middle ages : also a descriptive notice of modern weapons	1870	United States	English	P. Lacombe and Charles Boutell provide an overview of arms and armour from antiquity to the middle ages in 1870.
Max Kolbe	Schild, Helm und Panzer zur Zeit Lazamons und ihre Schilderung in dessen Brut / verglichen mit der im Roman de Brut von Wace. [I. Teil]	1891	Germany	German	Max Kolbe examines shields, helmets, and armour in Lazamon's Brut compared to the Roman de Brut by Wace in 1891.
Gustav Friedrich Klemm	Die Werkzeuge und Waffen, ihre Entstehung und Ausbildung.	1858	Germany	German	Gustav Friedrich Klemm covers tools and weapons, their origin, and development in this 1858 work.
P. Lacombe	Les armes et les armures	1868	France	French	P. Lacombe présente "Les armes et les armures" en 1868 avec des illustrations de H. Catenacci.
Auguste Demmin and Charles Christopher Black	An illustrated history of arms and armour from the earliest period to the present time.	1911	United Kingdom	English	Auguste Demmin and Charles Christopher Black provide an illustrated history of arms and armour up to their time in 1911.
John Hewitt	Ancient armour and weapons in Europe: from the iron period of the northern nations to the end of the seventeenth century: with illustrations from contemporary monuments.	1855	United Kingdom	English	John Hewitt explores ancient armour and weapons in Europe from the iron period to the late seventeenth century in 1855.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)	Educational charts. [Arms and armor]	1917	United States	English	The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents educational charts on arms and armor in this 1917 publication.
J. Frederick Hodgetts	The English in the middle ages; from the Norman usurpation to the days of the Stuarts. Their mode of life, dress, arms, occupations, and amusements. As illustrated in the British Museum.	1885	United Kingdom	English	J. Frederick Hodgetts covers the English in the Middle Ages, including their life, dress, arms, occupations, and amusements in this 1885 book.
R. Coltman Clephan	The defensive armour and the weapons and engines of war of mediæval times, and of the "Renaissance."	1900	United Kingdom	English	R. Coltman Clephan covers defensive armour, weapons, and war engines of medieval and Renaissance times in this 1900 book.
Ogawa, Morihiro	Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868	2009 (out of print but available for download)	United Stares	English	Illustrated book showcasing exquisite samurai arms, armor, and equipment from the 5th to 19th century, providing insights into the refined yet martial culture of the samurai.
Donald J. LaRocca, John Bigelow Taylor (Editor)	Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet	2006	United States	English
Donald J. LaRocca, Brian R. Price (Editor)	The Academy of the Sword: Illustrated Fencing Books 1500–1800	2015	United States	English
Dirk H. Breiding, Peter Barnet (Editor)	The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art	2015	United States	English
Alfred Hutton	The Sword and the Centuries (500 B.C. to A.D. 1900)	1901	United Kingdom	English	Traces the history of the sword from ancient times to the 20th century, examining various types of swords and their usage in different eras.
Sir Guy Francis Laking	A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries	1920	United Kingdom	English	A historical record of European armor and arms from the 13th to 20th century, featuring descriptions and illustrations of notable pieces.
Charles John Ffoulkes	The Armourer and His Craft: From the XIth to the XVIth Century	1912	United Kingdom	English	Explores the craft of armorers and the development of armor from the 11th to the 16th century, featuring illustrations and historical context.
American Art Association	Catalogue of Mr. Samuel Colman's Collection of Brocade and Silk Hangings, Swords, Inros, Carvings, Metal Work and Porcelains	1913	United States	English	Catalog of the collection of Samuel Colman, featuring brocade and silk hangings, swords, inros, carvings, metalwork, and porcelains with descriptions and illustrations.