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. Truly comprehensive in scope, this encyclopedia begins with a history of knots and rope making and proceeds into the how-to of tying and of making useful and decorative articles with rope. More than 3,600 knots are described and illustrated in 348 full-page plates.