The Japanese Sword: A Comprehensive Guide

Rating:
Summary: The Japanese Sword; K.Sato
Review: An excellent introductory book. Pictures were of high quality which was surprising since they were not digital quality.

Definitions were clear and the glossary of terms was excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Superb illustrated history and guide to connoisseurship.
Review: Just when I thought there were new books of note on Japanese swords lacking, I discovered this fabulous volume in a Tokyo book store. The content is meaningful and constructive in building on an already developed foundation of knowledge. A must for both the collector and the fortunate chance owner of a possibly valuable war souvenir. You can learn much about the care of your possession here.

Rating:
Summary: A standard in any nihonto library!
Review: The pictures in this book are stunning! A real tribute to the sword and their beauty. This is a great book for someone who is just beginning their study in nihonto, or for anyone who enjoys the awesome creations that man has achived, before the days of electricty and the power tool!

Wonderful book!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview book with good photographs
Review: This is a new edition of a classic book on Japanese swords. So far as I can tell, the only difference from the earlier edition is the (very nice) dustjacket.

The book includes a history of the sword, some basic information, though it's not a primer on collecting, and some good photographs of some truly excellent blades and fittings. The largest criticism I would make is that the photographs of blades don't show the subtle details, especially of the temper and "grain", which collectors are interested in. On the other hand, you can see the whole shape of the blade well in the photographs.

If you're interested in swords, this book is a must-have. Serious collectors will find it a bit simplistic and general of course, but the blades included are some of the best, which makes up for a lot. For people who just are interested by Japanese swords and want to find something out about them, this book is perfect. For the beginning collector this is good, but something like Yumoto's "Japanese Sword: A Handbook" is more important.