If you’re at all like me — which, for your emotional maturity and general mental health I certainly hope is not the case — you obsessed a lot with weapons as a wee lad. As in, a lot. Sure most kids had some nunchucks lying around, and perhaps the occasional throwing star (sure to correct your friends that they were actually called “shuriken”), but if you had a pair of sais in your possession — or bb guns and M80 fireworks modified for maximum fun time — then chances are you might have had a bit of a problem. And you probably also would’ve enjoyed John O’Bryan’s comic breakdown of weaponry, the awkwardly titled book A History of Weapons: Crossbows, Caltrops, Catapults & Lots of Other Things that Can Seriously Mess You Up.
“One day a prehistoric guy picked up a rock and threw it at something. And the history of weapons began. Comedy writer and weapon nerd John O’Bryan relays the freaky highlights of man’s centuries-old obsession with weaponry. He hilariously explains the mace, the morning star, and the man catcher, while conveying factual information about each weapon: its history, uses, and bad ass potential. Flipping through history’s highlights, readers will learn about Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, and the “peaceful” Shaolin monks. This ultimate compendium of awesome weapons delivers all the surprisingly true details sure to impress anybody who’s ever made a gun with their fingers and said, “PEW-PEW-PEW!”
If that at all seems like something that would appeal to your adult-delayed and intellectually curious mind, pre-order a copy of O’Bryan’s A History of Weapons hardcover at Amazon for about $12. The book hits shelves April 23.
