8vo (271 x 189 mm). Half-title, numerous wood-engraved illustrations. (Some marginal toning, a few leaves with minor dust soiling.) Original grey cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt and brown, upper cover decorated with crossed swords and arabesques, uncut and unopened (spine darkened, some soiling, slight wear to extremities, hinges and spine started with a few gatherings nearly sprung). Provenance: Frank Keith (signature). 

FIRST EDITION of Burton’s history of the sword as a weapon, intended to be the first of a 3-volume work. "The history of the Sword is the history of humanity," he wrote, but his book "fell still-born on the public" (Penzer). On his death, his manuscript notes were so incomplete that no publisher would publish the subsequent volumes. Penzer, pp. 107-112 (“very scarce”); Spink 72.