NORTON, Robert.

by Robert Norton

£7,560 · Offered by Sokol Books

Rare first edition of this beautifully illustrated work on gunpowder weapons, including the geometrical principles of infantry formations and artillery, rarely found complete, by the military engineer Robert Norton (d. 1635). Among the laudatory verses is one by Captain John Smith, President of Virginia, who signs himself Hungariensis; this was in remembrance of his service for the Austrian army in the Hungarian wars against the Ottomans. The first part of the work is devoted to the mathematical principles of warfare, including arithmetical calculations such as squares and cubic roots, in order to calculate the sizes of square battalions of infantry as well as other infantry formations according to different proportions, and geometrical calculations underpinning the accurate firing of artillery. One such calculation involves measuring the height of a defensive tower simply from its reflection in a puddle of water. The second part recounts the history of the invention of gunpowder in China, including the history of the English use of gunpowder weapons, with tables of their gross weights, metal weights, and maximum elevation ranges, as well as English weapons, with more extensive tables including the bore, dimensions of the shot, weight of powder and dimensions of the powder ladle, and the length of and weight of the gun. Norton discusses the production of guns and shot, including the metals and alloys used, the earth used to create moulds for casting in the foundry, and testin

• Binding: Hardcover

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