Dictionary of Heraldry

I found A Dictionary of Heraldy, in concert with Arthur Fox-Davies (1969 edition) A Complete Guide to Heraldry, to be one of the best introductions to Heraldry printed to date. This book is a dictionary, containing defintions of attributes (special features of a charge: beak, tongue, claws, etc...) and attitudes (body position of a charge) of heraldic charges, and how to blazon and emblazon armorial bearings. In a two color plate, he walks the reader through the blazon (and emblazon) of arms so that the reader can see the order of precedence.It is a nicely laid out in alphabetical order and the drawings are clean and crisp. There are many colored plates and photos. He even covers some medieval "merchants marks".He also gives historical information regarding a subject when clarification is needed. Though as pointed out in a previous review, this may require a more specific source for further research.I highly recommend this book, if you can lay hands on it, for any heraldic library.

While I enjoy Friar's >, it would take several life times to check the references for the number of items about which there is disagreement. To wit: using Kay W. Holmes as his source, Friar says that the Order of the Holy Ghost was a Castilian order of the 1300's. But Aviles [1780] dates the order in 1578 and says that it is French.<p>R Goss [[email protected]]