Native American Weapons by Colin F. Taylor (2005, Paperback)

It is said what does a professor do when they are out of work? Answer: They write a book and this book certainly has that tone.

If you want a quick read pocket manual or just a coffee table dust collector this book will fit the bill, but overall it is just recycled photographs found in a half dozen other books that are far superior.

These same photographs can be found repeated in many books such as "Through Indian Eyes" - a Hollywood, revisionist version of Native American History and not recommended, "Sun, Circles, and Human Hands (which I do recommend)", and Reader's Digest "America's Indian Heritage" another book I would recommend. Taylor fails miserably in offering any new insights or photographs of weapons that are original. His views, in my opinion, borderline plagiarism in its worst case and dull drool in its best light. After reviewing his work, I feel comfortable in stating his concepts are, in my opinion, inaccurate and generic in interpretation with little real knowledge of age and actual use of prehistoric weapons, and holds a movie-prop view of most historical weapons. The illustrations of Native American's moving in Roman Legion like formations of well organized marching blocks forming a square around the central chief are about as inaccurate as they come as early Native American contact cultures NEVER marched like this and these early lithographs were simply artist fantasy by early printers to glamorize the Native American then as Hollywood likes to portray Native Americans today. It makes for great eye-catching copy, but has little historical fact.

To show a full lack of cultural understanding and differences Taylor categorizes the items in this book in way that would not be easily understood by either American collectors and quite possibly even Native Americans. Where we would call an item what it is, Taylor gives them odd names such as "Striking Weapons" for clubs, axes, and coup sticks - which may be technically correct in the application of use, the name fails to properly cross cultural barriers leaving the reader to wonder how much of the real Native American Culture or even Euro-American culture of the time does he really understand? Knives become "Cutting Weapons" instead of simply calling them what they are - Knives. He confuses this area futher by portraying flint projectile points such as Folsom Points as a blade instead of the generally recognized Spear or Atlatl point it really is.

Arrows and Spears are not Arrows and Spears according to Taylor - they are piercing weapons. Shields are first a Defensive Weapons and then later a Symbolic weapon according to Taylor, as is the Gun which certainly is capable of piercing the body but like the knife is not a piercing weapon. The pipe, the war shirt, and ballsticks (lacrosse) are also considered symbolic weapons in Taylor's book as is the feathered head-dress and eagle wing bone whistle. Charms or talisman, maybe, but certainly not Weapons. Very confusing concepts.

The book is inexpensively priced, and it makes it an attractive buy and the cover is certainly a great work of some clever marketing firm, but once the cover is opened the reader suddenly realizes the content is hollow and lacks any real depth or information full of romanticized revisionist concepts with little fact.

Save your money and buy another book other than this one. You will be better served with one of the other two books I mentioned and do recommend.