Swords of Imperial Japan 1868 - 1945 Cyclopedia Edition

Based on 10 years of historical research & two years in actual production. Everything is new, resulting in the finest of references. Over 900 plus photographs are in color. Featured swords include kyu-guntō, cavalry swords, artillery swords, the army Red Cross sword, early naval swords, youth organization swords, court swords, police bureau swords, fire service swords, railroad swords, colonial empire swords, Manchukuoan swords, and the sword pistols developed for the cavalry to add firepower to the Type 32 saber. The best known swords of the Japanese military, the shin-guntō and kai-guntō of WWII, are presented in over seventy photographs. A Special Section features the gensui-tō, the 1918 sword awarded to field marshals and fleet admirals. rare European manufactured Japanese swords hitherto only represented by drawings in previous works. It covers parade sabers, katanas, and daggers from all military and civil branches,all conquered territories/colonies including swords of Manchuko (occupied Manchuruia) and the Mongol government. The Cyclopedia Edition draws heavily on Japanese government documents now preserved as historical archives. Collections featured are from the United States, Japan, Australia, Israel, France, Britain, and Germany. Jim Dawson is a teacher and a retired U.S. Navy Special Operations commander. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, the Georgia Fire Academy, the Navy's Underwater Swimmers School, the Army's Chemical Ordnance School, and the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) School. On active duty Jim served in a variety of challenging Cold War assignments that gave him the opportunity to search NATO warship hulls for Russian limpet mines, recover neat items from the ocean floor, blow things up, and generally behave like his boyhood hero, Lloyd Bridges in Sea Hunt. As a teacher, Jim has taught in Georgia high schools and colleges and for the Georgia Police Academy. He purchased his first Japanese sword in 1990 when his son wanted a wall hanger for his Georgia Tech dormitory room. Jim's military books include Swords of Imperial Japan 1868-1945 (the 1996 Edition) and The RAF in Arizona, Falcon Field 1941-1945. 448pp.