Secret Geometries of the Sword In the early years of the 17th century, Girard Thibault -- poet, physician, architect, painter, occultist, and master swordsman, a true Renaissance man -- astonished the courts of Europe with a new system of swordsmanship based on the principles of sacred geometry and Renaissance occult philosophy. In his youth, Thibault studied the art of the sword with the great Dutch fencing master Lambert van Someren, then traveled to southern Spain to learn _destreza_, the revolutionary Spanish system of rapier fencing, from Luis Pacheco de Narvaez and other masters of the art. After his return to the Netherlands around 1610, he won fame as one of the best swordsmen of the age, and set out to put everything he knew about the way of the sword into a single comprehensive textbook of rapier fencing that could be used by students who had no access to a teacher of his system. Originally published in 1630, _Academy of the Sword_ is that textbook -- the most elaborate manual of swordsmanship ever published in any language, packed with hundreds of clearly described and illustrated techniques. Starting with the geometrical foundations of his system, Thibault proceeds step by step to explain effective methods for drawing the sword, entering into measure, subjecting the opponent's blade, countering his attacks and defeating him, whether the contest is a friendly bout or a struggle to the death. He outlines competing systems of swordsmanship used in the Europe of his time, points out their weaknesses and explains how their proponents can be defeated, and he provides methods by which his pupils, armed only with a rapier, could overcome an opponent armed with rapier and dagger, rapier and shield, two-handed sword -- even a musket. Never before available in English, _Academy of the Sword_ has been trans

Product Description: Swords and other weapons with handles, or hilt weapons, were originally designed for use in melee, or confused fighting, where combatants were little more than an arm’s length apart. Wars are now often fought over much larger distances with much more elaborate methods, but for thousands of years swords, knives, daggers, machetes, axes, and other blades were the weapons of choice in any conflict...read more

Product Description: This colorful and vividly descriptive book traces the sword and its use throughout the Golden Age of swordsmanship. Alfred Hutton examines the development of the sword and its manipulation' from the Age of Chivalry to the nineteenth century when pistol dueling put an end to the days of single combat with cold steel...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Neumann illustrates over 700 historic bladed weapons as he traces the history of the edged weapons used by both sides in America's War for Independence. This companion book to Neumann's Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution includes swords, halberds, bayonets, knives, axes and other bladed arms and tools...read more

Product Description: Sort through the maze of edged weapons suitable for self-defense with this practical analysis of custom fighting knives, bowies, bayonets, switchblades, butterfly knives, kukris, machetes, samurai swords, battle axes, razors, screwdrivers, meat cleavers, belt-buckle blades and more...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Neumann illustrates over 700 historic bladed weapons as he traces the history of the edged weapons used by both sides in America's War for Independence. This companion book to Neumann's Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution includes swords, halberds, bayonets, knives, axes and other bladed arms and tools...read more

Explores the origins and development of the famous samurai sword as a work of art and a weapon and discusses its identification, evaluation, and care