Yes, I know it was not Osama himself who funded the publication.
Some time ago we had a heated discussion about Tirri's book (also essentially a catalog of private collection).Compared to the Saudi collection of full page color pictures, Tirri's one was an academic masterpiece!
For me the two books by Astvatsaturyan (on Caucasian and Turkish weapons) are the gold standard. Pity they are not available in English! What about Elgood's books on Arabian and Indian weapons? Van Zonnenweld's on Indonesian weapons? Gutowski's book on Tatar weapons? Chodynski's on Persian weapons?
It IS possible to publish a first rate book combining both academic rigor and good pictures: all is needed is a combination of a reasonably generous publisher and a dedicated academically-oriented researcher. No millions from Bin Ladin and his ilk can compensate for the writer's appaling lack of professionalism.
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