Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work  Raoul Graumont and Hensel HC Book

Fourth Edition 1952 eleventh printing 2010

This is unquestionably the greatest book on knots and rope work ever published, yet it is a valuable reference for anyone from eight to eighty. First published in 1939, it quickly became - and has remained for more than a half century - the classic in its field.

Here, every step in tying knots - from the simplest to the most complicated - will be found, clearly pictured and fully explained - will be found, clearly pictured and fully explained in the accompanying text. Here, also, the fascinating stories behind the origins of hundreds of these knots are retold, with the superstitions, the lore, the historic, heraldic, or religious backgrounds associated with them.

This monumental work describes 3,668 knots, illustrating them in nearly 350 full-page photographs plates and drawings.

Even a cursory examination of the book will reveal why the critics hailed its appearance as "the Alpha and Omega of the subject," "a museum in book form."