Book excerpt: Deadly Ingenuity: A History of Unusual Weapons from Around the World and Across Time does something new in the study of weaponry and martial arts. It traverses the centuries and continents while focusing exclusively on fighting tools that are not the usual suspects. It also brings to light some historical weapons and fighting techniques that have never before been surveyed. The diverse panoply of objects takes the reader from islands (Hawaii, Okinawa, New Zealand), to plains (Argentina, the American Southwest) and from jungles (Borneo, Brazil) to cities (New York City, London, Seoul, Tokyo, Venice). Nor are those complete lists. Sources include but are not limited to Chinese and Japanese martial arts texts, Irish mythology, Victorian crime blotters, naval history, Greek classics, Roman historians, the memoirs of English knights and 21st century headlines. Robert Escobar's first weapons book was praised by an American History professor, an award winning author, an archeologist, a legendary weapons author and others. He worked feverishly to ensure this work is a worthy follow-up.