Saracen Archery. An English Version and Exposition of a Mameluke Work on Archery (ca. A.D. 1368) With Introduction, Glossary, and Illustrations.

LATHAM, J. D., & W. F. Paterson.

Published by London: The Holland Press, 1970

About this Item

First edition. An extraordinary piece of scholarship that is remarkably hard to find for such a recent title, this is a full translation and explanation of Taybugha Al-Ashrafi Al-Baklamishi Al-Yunani's previously unpublished Complete Manual of Archery for Cadets, which was originally composed for presentation to the sultan. Superbly produced and aimed at an academic readership, it was priced at 7 guineas on publication, approximately £150 in current values, so it is perhaps unsurprising that, although well-represented in institutional holdings, it is uncommon on the market. The quality of the enterprise is well summed up in R. B. Sergeant's review in the SOAS Bulletin: "It will be recognized from first sight that the two authors of this handsomely produced volume have achieved an outstanding piece of research, praiseworthy in respect of its technique, involving close collaboration between an Arabist and an expert in the technique and history of archery, assisted by craftsmen who actually constructed bows to their specifications and with reference to a large number of experts in other fields of Oriental studies. Saracen Archery will doubtless remain an invaluable work of reference of great reliability for scholars. Most praiseworthy are the fine selection of illustrations. The range of illustrations from Europe, Turkey, Persia, India and even Korea is remarkable". R. B. Sergeant, Bulletin of the SOAS, vol. 35, no. 2, Feb. 1972. Octavo. Frontispiece and 16 other plates, full-page map, numerous line-drawn illustrations and diagrams to the text. Original black buckram, title gilt to spine, top edge orange. With price-clipped, jacket pictorial dust jacket. A very good copy in like jacket, the spine just a touch sunned and with a few small chips from the head.

Seller Inventory # 153148

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Saracen Archery. An English Version and Exposition of a Mameluke Work on Archery (ca. A.D. 1368) With Introduction, Glossary, and Illustrations.
• Publisher: London: The Holland Press, 1970
• Edition: 1st Edition