The Book of the Sword
The Book of the Sword

Author: Richard Francis Burton

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-01-07

Total Pages: 612

ISBN-13: 1628738472

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“The history of the sword,” the author writes in his introduction, “is the history of humanity.” For centuries, the sword has been a symbol of power, strength, liberty, and courage. In the Middle Ages, the image of a sword was used to signify the word of God. Nearly every culture in history has forged blades from stone or steel to fight in times of battle and protect in times of peace. In this groundbreaking work, Richard Francis Burton, explorer, translator, scholar, and swordsman, draws on a wealth of linguistic, archaeological, and literary sources to trace the millennia-old history of the sword. From its earliest days as a charred, sharpened stick to the height of craftsmanship in the modern era, the sword has been the weapon of choice for warriors of all stripes. In eloquent, captivating prose, Burton describes: • Dirks • Daggers • Knives • Sabers • Cutlasses • The origin of the weapon • The weapons of the age of wood • The Copper Age of weapons • The Iron Age of weapons • The sword in ancient Egypt • The sword in ancient Greece • And more Nearly three hundred line drawings enhance Burton’s richly detailed text. Any reader of history or student of weaponry will find this book a fascinating, highly enjoyable read.

The Sword of Combat or The Use of Fighting With Weapons
The Sword of Combat or The Use of Fighting With Weapons

Author: Rob Runacres

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2014-07-16

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 1291919694

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In the 17th century Italy was the place to learn the art of the sword. Travellers visited training salles and across Europe Italian works on fencing were translated and Italian schools sprang up. France was no exception. Francois Dancie's 1623 treatise L'Espee de Combat (The Sword of Combat) is therefore an anomaly. Dancie's views are blunt and acidic. He says that many who teach fencing are a 'bunch of libertines'. He has no truck with the geometry that had crept into fencing since Agrippa's work of 1553 and had contempt for that author's use of illustration. Dancie's style follows an Italian form, but rather than following other authors by providing an explanation of tempo and measure, Dancie prefers to concentrate on what temperament is required in a confrontation. His is a direct, fighter's treatise, dedicated to a military man of similar temperament, his methods and descriptions speak more of the street than the salle.

The Sword and the Crucible
The Sword and the Crucible

Author: Alan Williams

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2012-05-03

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9004229337

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The sword was the most important of weapons, the symbol of the warrior, not to mention the badge of a officer and a gentleman. Much has been written about the artistic and historical significance of the sword, but outside specialised publications, relatively little about its metallurgy, and that often confined to a particular group. This book aims to tell the story of the making of iron and steel swords from the first Celtic examples through the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. The results of the microscopic examination of over a hundred swords by the author and other archaeometallurgists are given and explained in terms of the materials available in Europe.