$150
CRAWFORD, T.S.
[220] pp.
Taplinger Publishing Company
1970
8 3/4 x 5 3/4"
VG/ VG
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"The indispensable umbrella, friend of pedestrians everywhere and the pride of Mary Poppins' self-styled air force, has a longer and far more distinguished lineage than is generally imagined. Known more than a thousand years before Christ, it has cast it shadow down through the ages in many forms and in an astonishing variety of roles, assuming only comparatively recently the protective guise in which it is now best known. ; The first attempt in English to provide a comprehensive history of that accessory once called "the Englishman's sceptre of Empire," this thoroughly charming book traces the earliest known uses of the umbrella in its gradual progress from Egypt and China across Asia, India, and Africa until its arrival in Europe. While defining its place in literature and the arts, Mr. Crawford also explores the umbrella's role on the battlefield, as a precursor of the modern parachute, and as an inspiration to the earliest astronauts. ; A delightful choice for a rainy day!"