Samurai Arms, Armor, Costume is one of the first books to show the history and development of clothing, armor, and weaponry of Japan's samurai warrior class using reenactment photographic material. Covering almost a thousand years and all of the major periodicals of Japanese history, nearly fifty modes of dress are described and illustrated in full color. Most importantly, these depict the ever-evolving fighting outfits of the samurai class and its warriors. However, also shown are their everyday and formal wear, including female costumes, which are particularly beautiful and fascinating.