[B.I]

Originally Posted by Adrian Ko

Mr. Rivkin, is it possible that any review or critique of Manouchehr's book by you will be unavoidably baised due to your personal issues with the gentleman.

i think that rivkins post is quite well written and, considering we are aware of his, and others opinion on the author, i think the post itself is concentrated on the book itself. we are all aware of the sensitive issue at hand, and all personal issues MUST be put aside. that said, all opinions on any published book/article should be both welcomed and encouraged, if concentrated on the material itself.
i think his opinion is as valid as ann feuerbach's, for anns opinion was a personal one, and she did not speak for the academic world as a whole. her opinion was extremely well written and appreciated, but it was the opinion of a scholar from her personal point of view. if we cant give our own opinion, understanding the rules and ethics involved in a controlled discussion, then i dont really see the point of a forum.
as rivkin said, i think that everyone should buy this book, and judge it based on what they get out of it. mainly because i value my library as much as i do my collection, and all books, whether good or bad should be bought, read, and reviewed. if i can learn one thing from a huge, lengthy (and expensive) book, then it was worth buying, for surely knowledge is what it is all about.
however, i dont for one minute believe that all, or any books are definative, and mistakes should be pointed out and discussed. many will not agree as opinions themselves are personal, but debating is healthy. surely any author will want his issues discussed as, in an ideal world, the point of putting forward an idea or concept is to provoke a discussion.
i was in a unique position, to be able to watch this book hit the academic world, via the london arms fair. many people i know had never heard of the author or the book before seeing it on a well known booksellers table (remember, the majority of the academic world is not internet based, much to our disappointment). the book was bought and read, and there are many academic opinions that will not agree with ann. but, as i said, this is purely personal. individuals have there own expectations of what any published book should contain, and i definately do not agree on applauding a book on face value alone.
i dont think anyone will not accept the authors time and effort in publishing such a huge contribution, but there are issues that do need to be discussed. i have already seen the book quoted in the wrong way, and his terminology used incorrectly.
another point that rivkin made, that i completely agree with, is that amongst the many editors, not one had a speciality or knowledge in persian arms. i personally think this was the authors failing, and one of main the reasons that it hasnt been accepted in the academic world. the author acknowledged help from people i know well, and i know that if he had sent them the text beforehand, their suggestions would have aided the faults in the cataloguing.
i have wanted to write a review as well, but because i have yet to find the time to read the book from cover to cover, it would be a gross injustice to offer an overall opinion. i can review what i have read so far, but that would be unfair.
once again, i urge all to buy this book and read it well. there are so few publications on oriental arms, that none should slip the net.
but, it should be read alongside other books, and the text should be compared. there is much text that has been lifted and quoted, and a lot of the cataloguing has been assumed, without the opinion of the author involved. a book on persian arms should be as such. the inclusion of non persian pieces, classified as persian must be offered up for others to see, and if they dont agree (for all of this is opinion based) then a forum is a great place to discuss these issues.
i dont agree that they should be hushed up and taken as a given!
i personally commend the author for having both the time and inclination to publish a book on oriental arms, for any book, whether good or bad will attract an audience, and we all desperatly need arms to be brought up for discussion. there are too many museums that are putting away their weapons and replacing the space with more politically correct exhibitions. we need the attention that any book can offer. whether anyone agree with what the author has said is neither here nor there. his personal crusade in promoting his book (for whatever reason) can only help in attracting a non-collective audience to the issue of antique arms!

i made a point on an earlier post on this book. the author has listed the inventories of 10 museums in iran. this is invaluable! with the current and ongoing political situation, there is a good chance that many of us will never see the contents of these museums. i have travelled a lot to see collections, both private and in institution. the knowledge of a country full of antique weapons that i may never seen is very disheartening!
i dont really care wheter i agree with the cataloguing or not. it is good to see these weapons! i have many books in my library that were written as academic, but i treat as pure picture books. for surely a picture alone speaks a thousand words. i dont care whether its a bad picture or not, or whether the author says its persian and 19thC, and i feel its indian and 18thC. the point is i get to see the picture., and so can judge it for myself. for that, i thank the author.
i think it is time to put aside all differences. not just rivkin (which i think he did) but others that will assume he is posting in a negative manner. this aggression can only go against the book they are trying to defend!
there are biased views from both camps and i think enough threads have been locked for us to see the true way forward. this is a discussion of material, and in no way personal.
with that in mind, i look forward to a very interesting conversation!
i also look forward to finding the time to finish the book!!
i have a friend who is a well known academic and a well published author that was rejected by legat (manouchers publishing house) some time back. again, another point in the authors favour! publishing anything on a subject like arms is extremely difficult, and the promotion the author has instigated via his forum and various lectures will lead the way for others to publish, and attract other publishing houses to incorporate this subject into their portfolio.