Arms and Armor the Cleveland Museum of Art

Rating:
Summary: A well-written, accessible guide to armor, with minor flaws.
Review: Although this book specifically catalogues the armor collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art -- issued to commemorate the Museum's splendid renovation of its legendary Armor Court -- this is a fine, intelligent, and comprehensive overview for anyone interested in how arms and armor were made, used, and venerated from the Middle Ages through the Baroque period.

The only reservation I have about this book is the author's curious reluctance to fully acknowledge the real purpose of these items. Yes, arms and armor can be beautiful -- and the examples provided here surely are -- but it cannot be forgotten that they are at their core instruments of war, meant to kill, maim, or at the very least, intimidate. This book implies that arms and armor are merely fashion statements, much as we venerate the clothing designs of Versace, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Geoffrey Beene, etc. today. It's pretty to think so, but an overly romanticized viewpoint.

This reservation, however, is not enough to prevent me from highly recommending this book.