Other Recommended Resources

Please note that if you don't see a work here it could be because we don't recommend it, or more likely because we've simply overlooked it. Where you think the latter is the case, please bring our omission to our notice. E-mail and concerns to Stephen Hand or Andrew Brew.


Books and Papers
General Fencing
Amberger, J. C. 1998, The Secret History of the Sword. Multi-Media Books, Burbank, California
This is a collection of essays by Chris Amberger, the editor and publisher of Hammerterz Forum (see below). It contains something for practically anyone with a remote interest in any facet of western swordplay.

Aylward, J.D. 1956, The English Master of Arms from the Twelfth to the Twentieth Century.
A useful history of English fencing masters with good biographical information on many key figures

Castle, E. 1885, Schools and Masters of Fence, George Bell, London
Still the best historical synthesis, despite some outdated ideas. It contains large tracts of manuals in English translation. Ignores medieval fence schools.

Gaugler, W.M. 1998, The History of Fencing: Foundations of Modern European Swordplay, Laureate Press, Bangor, Maine
This book is more about the foundations of modern European swordplay than it is about an impartial history of fencing. It's coverage of 19th and 20th century masters and developments is superb.

Wise, A. 1971, The History and Art of Personal Combat. Hugh Evelyn, London
Similar to Castle in his ideas that everything was a progression to modern fencing. Also includes useful synopses and quotes.

Medieval Fencing
Anglo, S. 1991, Le Jeu de la Hache: A Fifteenth-Century Treatise on the Technique of Chivalric Axe Combat. ARCHAEOLOGIA, CIX, pp.113-128.

Talhoffer, Hans 2000, Medieval Combat. Greenhill Books, London
Edited and translated by Mark Rector, this makes available one of the key fencing texts of the middle ages, Talhoffer's 1467 Codex.

Tobler, Christian 2001, Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship. Chivalry Bookshelf, Union City, California
A translation and interpretation of the commentaries of Sigmund Ringeck, a key 15th century author. If you want to understand the German medieval fighbook tradition, start here.

Zabinski, Grzegorz and Walczak, Bartlomiej 2002, Codex Wallerstein. Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado
A translation of an important German text from the same tradition as Ringeck.

Renaissance Fencing
Anglo, Sydney 2000, Renaissance Martial Arts. Yale University Press, New Haven and London
Professor Anglo's book does not replace Castle et al as a history of fencing, because it doesn't try to. It looks at the history and development of fencing and of fencing literature in several very interesting ways and should be read by all historical fencing scholars.

Jackson, James Louis, 1972,Three Elizabethan Fencing Manuals. Scholars Facsimilies and Reprint
Facsimile reproductions of di Grassi (1594 English translation), Saviolo (1595) and Silver (1599 - Paradoxes only) An excellent primary resource for the major 16th centry English language sources.

Turner, C. and Soper, T. 1990, Methods and Practice of Elizabethan Swordplay. Southern Illinois University Press.
An analysis of Di Grassi, Saviolo and Silver from a dominantly stage fencing approach. Makes some useful points but doesn't really understand Silver and his style.

Post Renaissance Fencing
Brown, T. 1997, English Martial Arts. Anglo-Saxon Books, Hockwald-cum-Wilton, Norfolk, England
Interesting look at traditional styles from texts written in the 16th-18th centuries (primarily the 18th century, hence its placement here). Excellent photographs of techniques and a superb discussion of the evolution of native English martial arts. Terry's interpretation of Silver and ours are somewhat different but that doesn't stop us from recommending his book.

Rector, M. 2001, Highland Swordsmanship. Chivalry Bookshelf, Union City, California
This is a well annotated version of Donald McBane's Expert Sword-man's Comapnion (1728) and Sir William Hope's New Method of Fencing (1707). It contains an essay on Gaelic Swordsmanship by our very own Paul Wagner.

Thompson, C. Lannaireachd: Gaelic Swordsmanship. Ceilidh House, USA
A clear explication of the regimental swordsmanship styles used by the highland (and indeed by other) regiments in the British army in the 18th and 19th centuries. The only down side to the book is the author's use of Gaelic terms for actions and concepts taken from English language treatises. This makes the book harder to follow and reduces its usefulness.

Videos
Martinez, Ramon 2002, La Verdadera Destreza. Palpable Hit Productions, Hollywood, California
In this two volume video set, Maestro Ramon Martinez, the world's foremost expert on the unique Spanish system of rapier fencing teaches the basic skills with both single rapier and rapier and dagger. He is ably assisted by Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martinez and the professional fight Director Anthony De Longis.

Journals
SPADA. The first edition of the Journal of Swordplay Symposium International was released in March 2003. Edited by Stoccata's Stephen Hand, it contains five papers by Stephen Hand and Paul Wagner of Stoccata as well as papers by other leading scholars of swordsmanship from around the world. To order it go to the Chivalry Bookshelf website www.chivalrybookshelf.com

Hammerterz Forum. The international Journal of the Fencing Collector. This was published quarterly by J. Christophe Amberger (Zoergiebel@aol.com) in the mid to late 90s. Hammerterz Forum contained articles by fencing scholars from around the world on aspects of fencing history.


Fencing Treatises (or sections thereof) available on the World Wide Web
The best site on the web for obtaining reproductions of old fencing treatises is Aemma's (The Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts) site at http://www.aemma.org/library_top.htm

Here are a few works we particularly like:
George Silver:
Paradoxes of Defence
Brief Instructions

Giacomo Di Grassi

Vincentio Saviolo (While we appreciate the effort that has gone into this transcription we should note that there are several transcription errors. The majority involve skipping one or more lines between identical words. Therefore a facsimile should be consulted when working with this text.)

Pallas Armata

Joseph Swetnam

Materials Available from Patri Jones Pugliese
These materials are xerographical reproductions of original publications offered to the researcher for cost. Each manual has index stock covers and those with fewer than 100 pages are stapled, while longer manuals are issued as loose sheets. These latter manuals may be drilled for three hole, GBC (plastic spine) or other binding system at your local print shop.
A complete list may be found at:http://www.latourdulac.com/fencing/patri.html

Patri may be e-mailed at patri@dragonsys.com
To order your manuals or for more information, contact:

Patri J. Pugliese
39 Capen Street
Medford, MA 02155
(617-396-2870)

Treatises are also available from Jared Kirby at:http://artofcombat.org/public/thespis/jaredbooklist.htm