With full-color pages accessible to readers of any age, this how and why quick-start guide explains knighthood and nobility and royalty, what coats of arms mean, how to create your own, and how to assemble those of your ancestors. Heraldry is the art and profession of creating designs within shield-shaped outlines meant to identify important individuals and their descendants, as well as organizations (towns, schools, corporations) and nations. These designs often come surrounded by additional symbols such as helms, crowns or crests. Although few of us bear actual shields in the modern world, many today print their ancestors' armorial symbols onto paper, engrave them into jewelry or tableware, and carve them into wood and stone. Readers will learn about:Symbols of Identity - where Heraldry came from, and how it can still empower people today
Within the Shield - the symbols which identify a person or family or organization
Beyond the Shield - the symbols which identify social rank (gentry, knight, noble, royal)
Ancestry - where last names came from, and where you come into the story

"Coats of Arms is a thorough and comprehensive guide for anyone fascinated by heraldry. You'll learn how to differentiate a duke from a marquis, a firstborn son from a second, and the meaning behind every symbol on a shield. A treasure to refer to time and time again. I know I'll be referring back to it when I get back to genealogy and looking at my own medieval ancestors' coats of arms." --Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD and award-winning author of King Arthur's Children: A Study in Fiction and Tradition
"History can be boring beyond belief if it is a mere list of names and dates. Or it can be immensely fascinating. Coats Of Arms: An Introduction to the Science and Art of Heraldry will bring past times and even present customs to life through the study of symbols of many kinds, many though not all relating to badges of nobility. Any student of history, and of cultural differences, will benefit from looking at the many beautiful illustrations, all of which are keys for entry into ways of thinking and living. It is a good day when I learn something new, so I really enjoyed editing this book for the publisher." --Bob Rich, PhD and author of Sleeper, Awake!
"One of the most difficult requirements for teachers of history and English is to find ways to assess students with special needs. Coats of Arms offers a uniquely creative means to enhance the study of Medieval Times; most students, with or without disability, will enjoy learning patterns, colors and shapes that relate to their personal history. Creating one's own coat of arms using methods centuries old will help students relate to the past while tying together strands of history still used in the present. A secondary bonus is the intriguing vocabulary presented in this book, with new meanings for 'hatching' and 'field' as examples." --Carolyn Bouldin, reading comprehension specialist and teacher of secondary English
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From Modern History Press