Our Bookshelf
Swords & Swordsmanship
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Our Bookshelf |
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Listed and reviewed here are some books on swords and swordsmanship that we consider well worth buying. The books are all ones that we own and have therefore read and can honestly recommend. You can also purchase any of the books by clicking on the "purchase" link by the book you are interested in. As time permits I will add more.
| Archery | Swordsmanship / Fighting techniques | Period life | Sword / Blade smithing | |
| Swords | Cannon / Gunpowder | Wood working, etc. | Blacksmithing etc. |
| Medieval
Swordsmanship: Illustrated methods and techniques
By
John
Clements
ISBN: 1581600046 |
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| This is a source that I use in
training members of my company. This book's approach is truly
martial, and is designed to teach real fighting skills not stage fighting.
The book covers in detail the history, design, and most importantly the
use of the sword and shield and the long sword against a whole host of
European weapons including pole arms, axes, spears, flails, swords and
shields. Over 300 pages contain more than 200 hundred pages of
illustrations including a nice collection of historical drawings. like
Terry Brown's 'English Martial Arts', this is a no-nonsense comprehensive
guide to medieval European fighting, and is completely authentic and
meticulously researched, there are no blows held back concerning myths,
misconceptions, and other negative influences on the reconstruction of
historical European swordsmanship today. Its packed with an incredible
range of information from historical fighting manuals. Everyone involved
in mediaeval history, martial arts and any kind of simulated combat should
read this.
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Purchase
this fine work
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| Renaissance
Swordsmanship The Illustrated Use of Rapiers and Cut-And-Thrust Swords By John Clements ISBN:
0873649192 |
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| This book is an essential addition to the library of the Arms and Armour Historian, the Historical Re-enactor of the 16th and 17th Centuries, the student of Renaissance Swordplay, and anyone with an interest in Western martial heritage and antagonistic personal combat. If you are looking for a deep analysis of the sword or rapier style of a particular period master such as Achille Marozzo, Ridolfo Capo Ferro and Giacomo di Grassi this is not the place to find it. This work is rather a synergy of effective, basic sword and rapier technique, rather than a precise and exacting presentation of a particular Renaissance style. For extraction of useful, effective, sparring-tested sword technique and strategy, this book has no equal in print in the English language. "Renaissance Swordsmanship" is one of the harbingers of a small but steadily growing wave of interest in resurrecting Renaissance Swordplay as a true martial art, using the highest standards of research, accurately reconstructed cut-and-thrust swords and rapiers, and a devotion to the high level of excellence and martial ability of the period masters. By no means a perfect book, but it is highly recommended. | Purchase
this fine work
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| The
English Martial Arts
By Terry Brown ISBN 1898281181 |
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| This work is
primarily one of instruction in a system of martial arts practiced and
taught in England by the 16th century "Company of Maisters". It
first examines the history and development of the English fighting system
from Anglo-Saxon times until the 18th century. If you are interested in
history or martial arts then you must have this book. The second part of
the book deals with fighting techniques for bare-fist fighting,
broadsword, quarterstaff, bill, sword and buckler, and sword and dagger.
The instruction is enhanced and accompanied by photographs, and the theory
that underlies the system "The principles of true fighting". The
historical section is well researched and gives a wonderful insight to the
realities of martial arts in English History.
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Purchase
this fine work
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| German
Swords and Sword Makers
By Richard H Bezdek ISBN1581600577 |
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| German sword makers
have always been famous for their production of high-quality swords,
making the swords themselves highly sought by collectors. Equally
important to the knowledgeable collector are the histories of the men who
designed, manufactured and sold these prized weapons. This volume presents
the comprehensive information on German sword and edged weapon makers from
the Middle Ages to the present. It includes photos and illustrations of
swords from Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Saxony and Austria; more than
300 illustrations of German sword maker blade marks spanning five
centuries; rare sketches and photos of German sword makers and their
factories. An excellent reference work.
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Purchase
this fine work
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| Records
of the Medieval Sword
By Ewart, Oakeshott, ISBN 0851155669 |
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| Representing the
culmination of 40 years of research into the specialized subject of the
straight, two-edged knightly sword of the European Middle Ages, this work
spans the period from the great migrations to the Renaissance. This is a
marvelous reference work with more than 300 photographs. The drawings of
the swords are annotated and described in detail, and there is a long
introductory chapter with diagrams of the typological framework.
Appendices present a diagnosis of the styles and dating of inlaid blade
inscriptions, a record of the scientific investigation in the British
Museum research laboratory of a specific 13th-century sword, and a
detailed description of how a complete sword is made. The author being a practicing
blade smith lends far more to this book.
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Purchase this fine work | |
| The
Sword in the Age of Chivalry
By Ewart, Oakeshott, ISBN 0851157157 |
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| The resplendent image of the medieval knight is concentrated in the symbolism of his sword. The straight, two-edged, cross-hilted knightly sword of the European Middle Ages was an object of vital importance, a lethal weapon on the battlefield and a badge of chivalry in that complex social code. Ewart Oakeshott draws on his extensive research to develop a typology for and recount the history of the sword, from the knightly successors of the Viking weapon to the emergence of the Renaissance sword - that is, roughly from 1050 to 1550. Within this time-span, two distinct groups of swords successively evolved. Problems of dating are acute, and evidence is adduced from literature and art as well as from archaeology, for a sword (or some parts of a sword) could have been in use several generations after it first saw battle (Metal was precious and recycling common). To deal with such overlap, the author develops and refines a detailed typology of swords which takes in entire swords, pommel-forms, cross-guards, and the grip and scabbard. Extensive reference to specific weapons is accompanied on the page by line illustrations and a further 48 pages of photographs illustrate over a hundred splendid weapons or parts of weapons, accompanied by detailed captions. This is another work that a serious student of the sword should have. | Purchase
this fine work
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| The
Book of the Sword
By Richard F Burton ISBN 0486254348 |
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| This book was
written in 1884, and is full of the history and lore of the sword. The
author was a historian, an explorer, and a fencer, and he managed to blend
all three interests in this fascinating biography of "the Queen of
Weapons." His passion for the sword is obvious as he follows it from
its origins in prehistory to Roman times. The authors attention to detail
is great, no detail too small when it comes to the sword. He had a burning
desire to illuminate, to tell what he knew, and this he did with great success
. Today, the book is recognised for the work of art it truly is. I
recommend this book highly
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Purchase
this fine work
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| If there is a book you want and it is not listed above try searching for it below. | ||
