Michael Kirkland - Stage Combat Resource Materials - A Selected and Annotated Bibliography (Bibliographies and Indexes in The Performing Arts) (2006)

STAGE COMBAT
RESOURCE
MATERIALS:
A Selected and Annotated
Bibliography
Michael Kirkland
PRAEGER
STAGE COMBAT
RESOURCE MATERIALS
Recent Titles in
Bibliographies and Indexes in the Performing Arts
Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon, First Supplement: A Catalogue-Index to Productions

of the Royal Shakespeare Company, 1979-1993
Michael Mullin
A Guide to American Crime Films of the Thirties

Larry Langman and Daniel Finn
An Index to Short and Feature Film Reviews in the Moving Picture World:
The Early Years, 1907-1915
Annette M. D'Agostino, compiler
A Guide to American Crime Films of the Forties and Fifties

Larry Langman and Daniel Finn
Theatrical Design in the Twentieth Century: An Index to Photographic Reproductions

of Scenic Designs
W Patrick Atkinson
American Film Cycles: The Silent Era

Larry Langman
A Guide to Charlie Chan Films

Charles P. Mitchell
Productions of the Irish Theatre Movement, 1899-1916: A Checklist

Nelson O'Ceallaigh Ritschel
The Complete H. P. Lovecraft Filmography

Charles P. Mitchell
Hollywood's Image of the South: A Century of Southern Films

Larry Langman and David Ebner, compilers
The Broadway Design Roster: Designers and Thei r Credits

Bobbi Owen
Latin American Dramatists since 1945: A Bio-Bibliographical Guide

Tony A. Harvell
STAGE COMBAT
RESOURCE MATERIALS
A Selected and Annotated Bibliography
Michael Kirkland
Bibliographies and Indexes in the Performing Arts, Number 29
Westport, Connecticut
London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kirkland, J. Michael, 1943-

Stage combat resource materials: a selected and annotated bibliography I Michael Kirkland.
p. cm. - (Bibliographies and indexes in the performing atts, ISSN 0742--{)933 ; no. 29)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-3 13- 30710-5 (alk. paper)
l. Stage fighting- Bibliography. 2. Combat- Bibliography. I. Title.
Z5784.S78K57 2006
[PN207 J. F5]
016.79202'8-dc22 2006021038
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is avai lable.
Copyright © 2006 by Michael Kirkland
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006021038
ISBN: 0-313- 30710-5
ISSN: 0742--{)933
First published in 2006
Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the

Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48- 1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
For Candi; vous et nul autre.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
I. A Brief History of Arms, Armor, and Combat
2. Books 31
3. Articles 205
4. Videos 233
5. Conclusion 261
Appendixes
A. Glossary 265
B. Selected Feature Films 283
C. Suppliers of Period Stage Weapons and

Accoutrements 299
D. Selected Publishers, Distributors, and Periodicals 303
E. Books, Articles, and Video Titles by Category

and Historical Period 307
Selected Bibliography 335
Index 339
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I offer my sincere gratitude to those whose efforts significantly contributed to

the realization of this project. Special thanks are also in order to those members
of the Society of American Fight Directors, the British Academy of Stage and
Screen Combat, and the British Academy of Dramatic Combat who responded
to my various inquiries, including J. R. Beardsley, Drew Fracher, David
Boushey, Joseph Martinez, Erik Fredricksen, Richard Ryan, Henry Marshall,
Derek Ware, and Jonathan Howell. I also thank J. Allen Suddeth and his lovely
wife, Grace, for opening their home and Allen's personal library to me during
the summer of 1991. It was there that inspiration took root and the project was
conceptualized. Indeed, it was some of Fight Master Suddeth's personal library
holdings that furnished some of this bibliography's earliest annotations. Thanks
are also due to British colleague Jonathan Howell for his aid in forwarding
information that facilitated creating the appendix on feature films . My
appreciation is also extended to Dr. Marilyn Holt, formerly of the University of
Utah, who advised and counseled me so carefully during the project's early
stages. Any attempt to articulate my thanks to Dr. Holt cannot hope to reflect the
true depth of my gratitude. I also thank Ms. Barbara Bienkowski and the
reference staff at the Rosenberg Library in Galveston, Texas, who were so
helpful in arranging countless inter-library loans . Additional thanks are due to
Dr. Ron Hubbard and Ms. Linda McCollum for their moral support and
suggestions along the way. Special indebtedness is due to Michael Berberich,
Galveston College English teacher extraordinaire, for serving as an early editor
of the text. My thanks also go out to Ms. Sharon Young of the Department of
Information and Technology at Kutztown University for some very adept
reformatting of the text. I am also grateful to Mrs. Myrtis James, her late
husband, John, and Mrs. Doris Barnes for financial and transportational support
during the early stages of the project. I would also like to remark upon my
profound indebtedness to the late Dr. David Jones, formerly of the University of
Utah Theatre Department. Dr. Jones encouraged me to continue to embrace the
practical side of theatre even while training to become a scholar of it. More
important, Dr. Jones, who in my estimation personified the ideal of the
x Acknowledgments
gentleman-scholar, encouraged me to follow my passions, my dreams, and

above all- to do my own thinking. Finally, I must attempt to express the
inexpressible, my undying gratitude to my lifelong partner and wife, Candious,
who has been a well-spring of encouragement and support from the beginning.
From high school to graduate school; from Hollywood to Virginia- she has
always been an inspiration.
INTRODUCTION
In the Introduction to his Schools and Masters of Fence (1885),

Egerton Castle insightfully informs us:
Actors also, who, in every other case, are most particular about
historical accuracy, generally dispose of all questions relative to
fighting by referring them to the first fencing master at hand; and
accordingly one sees Laertes and Hamlet with the utmost sangfroid
going through a "salute" which, besides being unmanageable with
rapiers, was only established in all its details some fifty years ago.
There would indeed be less anachronism in uncorking a bottle of
champagne to fill the king's beaker than there is in Hamlet
correctly lunging, reversing his point, saluting carte and tierce, &
c.-foil fencing, in fact-in spite of the anticipation raised by
Osric's announcement that the bout should be played with rapier
and dagger. (4)
Mr. Castle, in the quotation above, quite correctly suggests that the local
competitive fencing coach may not be the most qualified person to stage a
historically accurate piece of combat for the stage. In doing so he offers one of
the more eloquent arguments that could be put forth in support of this annotated
bibliography. Castle appears to be proclaiming the need for a person who is
equally qualified as fencing coach, antiquarian, and artist of the theatre; in fact,
the specialist we now recognize as the fight director. The primary purpose of
this study is the compilation and description of resources useful to the fight
director in the creation of aesthetically pleasing and safe combat for the stage
and screen (the term "screen" being a reference to both cinema and television).
Xli Introduction
Mr. Castle's tome typifies the kind of resource useful to a variety of artists
of the stage and screen involved in the creation of scenes of violence, be they
historically accurate or not. It is, therefore, altogether fitting Castle 's book not
only appears in the body of this work but, indeed, lends support to the thesis at
the heart of its conception. Schools and Masters of Fence is, first and foremost,
a book about the evolution of fencing. However, in undertaking his examination
of the art of fence , Mr. Castle has uncovered an abundance of information useful
to fight directors, actors, directors, dramaturgs, costumers, and makers of stage
weapomy. In producing this bibliography, it has been my intent to provide a
guide to aid primarily, fight directors, teachers of stage combat, and
weaponsmakers in their efforts to locate and obtain pertinent resource materials
to inform their work. However, directors, actor-combatants, armorers,
dramaturgs, and costumers will also find many of these resources of significant
value.
The reader should please note I will be annotating available resource
materials. It is my contention that most fight directors have neither the
resources nor the time to travel to the Folger Library in Washington, D.C. (or a
comparable institution) to peruse such primary resources as the original
sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth century manuscripts on fencing by such
seminal authors as Talhoffer, Marozzo, Saviolo, Di Grassi, Fabris, Sainct Didier,
Angelo, et al.; even if said fight directors were capable of deciphering the
archaic English, Italian, German, or French in which these manuscripts were
originally penned. Similarly, it is virtually assured that the average fight
director's local public library will be unable to coerce the Folger Library to loan
the aforementioned primary resources. Therefore, it is my belief most
American, British, and English-speaking Canadian fight directors and teachers
of stage combat will be most interested in resources that are currently in
circulation and written in English. It is around such resources I have organized
this bibliography.
The scope of this effort has been extensive, though hardly exhaustive. It
would take more than a dozen lifetimes' efforts to track down all combat
references in print useful to those who stage combat for the stage and screen.
After all, whether a resource is "useful" or not is, decidedly, a subjective
evaluation. The decision as to the utility of a resource, though ultimately left to
my discretion, has not gone without scrutiny. Though I have been
choreographing fights for the stage and teaching stage combat for the last
twenty-five years, I still have sought input from several recognized and
reputable experts in the field. Included in this list of experts are several of the
Fight Masters of the Society of American Fight Directors, as well as some of
their equally qualified British colleagues. I turned to these experts in an effort to
determine which resources to pursue for annotation as well how they utilize
historical and contemporaneous resources to inform their work. Obviously,
space limitations restrict me from taking a liberal approach to inclusion and I
have labored to include those texts I believe to be of most value. Naturally, that
has meant passing over weaker resources whose primary focus may even have
been stage combat as opposed to real combat.
Introduction Xlll
In annotating resources, I have chosen to include only those I believe to

be useful in staging combat styles through the end of the eighteenth century.
My reasoning, for what might first appear to be a somewhat arbitrary cut-off
date, is practical enough-it is at this point firearms take over as the preferred
weapon of both the battlefield and the field of honor. Therefore, the
annotations of publications and the information offered in the appendices of this
study will focus on cut and thrust weapons and unarmed fighting techniques in
the Western European tradition through A.D. 1799.
I have purposely avoided entering into the field of Asian, or so-called
"oriental," weaponry and fighting techniques as I believe that topic worthy of a
detailed study in and of itself-just as one in firearms would be equally useful.
Inevitably, there are instances when the line between Eastern and Western
cultures becomes somewhat blurred. For example, in various annotations one
will find multiple references to the Mongol Hordes and the sweeping armies of
Islam. These Eastern, and Middle Eastern, armies came into significant conflict
with Western European warriors and knights. Many of the publications that
examine Ghengis Khan and Saladin cannot do so without peripherally imparting
valuable information about the warriors and combatants with whom they
struggled in battle. However, the weapons and fighting techniques of the
samurai warrior and ninja assassin are best left to a study that focuses not only
on Asian fighting techniques, but perhaps Asian theatrical traditions and Asian
stage combat technique as well.
It is important the reader understands that the fighting styles focused on
in this study terminate in 1799; however, that does not mean the resources
included and annotated were published before 1799. On the contrary, most of
the publications annotated will bear a publication date that significantly
postdates 1799. The only prerequisite for inclusion was that the publication
offer some insight or knowledge useful to the staging of fighting styles or the
construction of weapons which predate 1800; or offer information on the
training of actor-combatants in those styles; or be helpful to those listed above in
their efforts to more completely understand the social milieu, the weaponry, the
dueling etiquette, or the rules of combat for the period beginning with prehistory
and ending 1800.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Chapter 1 briefly examines the evolution of arms, armor, and personal combat
from prehistory through A.D . 1799. The primary purpose of this first chapter is
to offer the reader historical context for the material presented in the
bibliography proper. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 consist of annotations of various
publications including books, articles, and video resources. Finally, Chapter 5
presents some concluding remarks on what this bibliography and similar
projects might have to offer practitioners. Each of the bibliographic annotations
is placed in alphabetical order according to the author's last name and numbered.
Entered immediately after each bibliographical entry are "code letters"
designating which historical periods, weapons, or fighting styles are covered in
that publication. It should be stressed at the outset that the assignation of dates
xiv Introduction
to the following periods can, at best, only be approximated. It often took as long
as a century for new smithing practices or weapons-making techniques to spread
throughout Europe. Therefore we do not see, for example, the simultaneous
appearance of iron in Italy and England; or the rapier emerging simultaneously
in Spain and Denmark. The best that can be offered is an approximation of the
dates of these developments; an approximation that attempts, to one degree or
another, to determine a relative "center." Therefore, if the reader will allow for
these approximations it will greatly facilitate the use of this bibliography.
Similarly, it should be noted that there might be significant overlapping from
one period to the next. With this caveat in mind, the letter codes are:
"S" for Stone Age (Prehistory through 3,000 B.C.)

"B" for Bronze Age (3,000 B.c. through 500 B.C.)
"I" for Iron Age (1,200 B.c. through AD. 500)
"D" for the Dark Ages (AD. 500 through AD. 900)
"V" for the Viking Age (AD . 800 through A.D. 1l00)
"M" for the Middle Ages or the "medieval" period (AD. 1100 through AD.
1500)
"R" for the Renaissance (AD. 1400 through AD. 1600)
"T" for the Transition period from the rapier into the small-sword (A.D. 1600
through A.D. 1725)
"E" for the eighteenth century (AD. 1700 through A.D. 1799)
"U" for Unarmed techniques
"H" for "How-To" publications
In this final category ("H") would fall many of the books, articles, and videos
offering instruction on modem fencing technique, modem hand-to-
hand/unarmed combat techniques (which for the purposes of this study are
considered to be timeless, as the fist has been used as a weapon from time
immemorial), and publications that do not fit comfortably under any particular
combat style or period. For example, modem fencing books can be used as a
resource for stage combat instructors teaching theatrical fencing for the
Renaissance, Transition period, and the eighteenth century. Frequently,
exercises and drills appear in these publications that, with a little effort and
imagination, can be adjusted to the needs of a stage combat class. Similar
examples include books on boxing, self-defense, and police hand-to-hand
combat tactics. These publications might offer insights into the staging of an
unarmed altercation.
Throughout the text I have sought to offer as much bibliographic
information as possible so as to allow the reader to pursue a title should they
wish to do so. Therefore, most annotations begin with the ISBN and/or the
LCCN; universally accepted abbreviations for International Standard Book
Number and Library of Congress Catalogue Number, respectively. Armed with
such information, one is now ready to begin the search for useful resource
materials. The text also includes several appendices offered as supplementary
resources for the reader. Appendix A offers an extensive glossary of arms,
armor, and stage combat terminology. It is intended that this appendix will aid
Introduction xv
those who come across terms in the annotations, appendices, and publications
they are unfamiliar with. Appendix 8 offers a substantial list of feature films
that might be viewed for inspiration regarding costuming, weapon selection, and
choreographic style. Appendix C is designed to aid those who are in need of
aesthetically pleasing, yet safe and sturdy stage weapons and accoutrements.
Appendix D offers information on periodicals, publishers, and distributors of
materials useful to those involved in stage combat. This appendix will be
especially useful for those who wish to pursue additional articles and
publications beyond those contained in this study (for example, The Fight
Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors, which consists
entirely of articles germane to the subject); or would like to receive catalogues
from publishers or bookstores that specialize in publications on military history
and personal combat as new publications are released, to inform their work.
Appendix E categorizes annotations found in Chapters 2, 3, and 4. The
underlying assumption in supplying this appendix is that if a reader is interested
in researching a specific period or fighting style, it will be appreciated if
separate annotations have been grouped under specific headings that reflect that
particular historical period, fighting style, or category. This appendix also
supplies the page number upon which any particular entry may be found in the
bibliographic sections of the text.
With the advent of the internet, there are now hundreds of sites that the
researcher may turn to for information on historical fencers, stage combat,
weaponry, etc. I have purposely avoided including internet sites in this study for
two very basic reasons. First, the inception of the internet search engine has
made it a simple matter for virtually anyone to do their own on-line research for
useful resources. Second, these sites come and go very quickly--without
warning. I might also add that the quality of the information these sites afford
can and do vary radically. There is simply no gate-keeper.
It is my intent that in this single volume I have compiled a guide to a
significant number of stage combat resources that are both useful and available.
It should be emphasized that if the reader has access to a library that is linked to
the On-Line Computer Library Center (OCLC), virtually all of the books and
articles listed in this study can be located and borrowed. All of the video
annotations include information on various distributors who offer tapes and
DVDs for purchase. Perhaps, the most supportive statement I can offer the
reader is that virtually all of the published resources in this study, with a little
effort, are obtainable.
CHAPTERl
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARMS, ARMOR, AND COMBAT
The scope of this study begins with the Stone Age and continues through the end
of the eighteenth century. Therefore it seems fitting our examination of the
evolution of weapons and methods of personal combat begin with a scrutiny of
prehistoric human beings and the weapons they utilized. Early humans were
certainly no match for many of the predators they had to face on a daily basis.
The members of the animal world were much better equipped for survival,
having been supplied with natural weapons and defenses such as claws, beaks,
venom, teeth, the ability to take flight in the air, or to flee with great speed on
the ground. The primary advantage of humankind was the ability to think and to
reason. Humans used their wits to design and construct arms for offensive and
defensive purposes.
To begin with they made use of objects found in their immediate
environment. 1 Early humans quickly discovered that a dead tree branch of
significant weight could serve as a formidable cudgel. Similarly, stones, thrown
1. In his The Story of Man (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1955), Carleton S.
Coon makes ironic note of the fact that though the remains of actual ancient
human beings are often difficult to find, ancient artifacts frequently are not:
Although man's early bones are scarce, the product of his

handiwork is abundant. His basic cutting tools, made of pebbles,
quartzite, fossil-wood, and flint, run into the millions. (43)
It was most certainly the invention of the "cutting tool" which subsequently led
to the development of weapons that could be used for hunting or warfare. Mr.
Coon gives us some insight into the types of materials early humans may have
utilized for both tool and weapon.
2 Stage Combat Resource Materials
with enough velocity, could inflict terrible damage to both animal and human.
Those stones, when held in the hand and brought down upon the skull of an
animal or enemy, could also inflict debilitating damage. Early humans soon
discovered that sticks, sharpened and honed to a fine point, could be thrust into
the bodies of animals and enemies. From these early beginnings an evolution
occurred. Early humans began not only to sharpen the stick, but to heat the
point in a fire to harden it. From this innovation it was but a small step to attach
a sharp rock to the end of the stick, and thus was born the spear. Similarly, a
hand-sized rock could be attached to a shorter stick and a hand-axe or
bludgeoning instrument might be constructed. These weapons could either be
thrown or held in the hand. Small, sharp stones were also attached to the ends of
light reeds and branches, forming crude arrows, which were then shot with
relatively high velocity from bows. In either case, techniques for using these
primitive weapons to their best advantage began to be formulated.
Surprisingly, the Stone Age produced more weapons than one might
initially suspect, especially when one considers that the most suitable medium
for weapons production was the less than malleable rock. Flint was one of the
more suitable materials available. A piece of flint could be chipped (a process
known as "knapping") until the required shape had been produced. However,
flint was not particularly well suited for making long-bladed weapons, such as
swords, for several reasons. First, such a large piece of flint would be difficult
to obtain. Second, such a lengthy and thick piece of flint would be too heavy
and unwieldy to use in battle. Finally, if flint was struck against another piece
of flint or rock it was liable to chip or shatter into dozens of small pieces.
Obsidian2 tended to hold a slightly sharper edge than flint, but did not offer the
resiliency. Obsidian made for resourceful scrapers and arrowheads, while flint
proved an excellent source for knife blades, spearheads, hatchet blades, and
arrowheads as well.
Early humans did not have the technology or the materials with which to
produce consistently effective body armor. Animal skins and tanned hides were
worn for protection from the elements as much as from enemy warriors. As
humankind's intellect and experience at warfare increased, crude shields of
wood and animal skin were developed for protection against animal predators
and human enemies. As weapons were not particularly sophisticated, a crude
shield was, in many cases, probably able to withstand the onslaught of an
enemy's spears or arrows. Shields were often reinforced with an animal hide
stretched over the wooden facing and used to deflect stones, spears, and arrows.
2. Flint is the material which one finds most commonly referred to in

discussions on the tools and weapons of early man. While found more
frequently in the Western Hemisphere, obsidian was also used in the Old World.
This glass-like rock formed from lava could be chipped to a razor's edge.
Obsidian is most frequently associated with Mexico and Central America.
Indeed, the Conquistadors saw first hand what damage could be inflicted by an
Aztec warrior who had wedged chips of obsidian along the edge of a wooden
sword.
A Brief History of Arms, Armor, and Combat 3
Not surprisingly, there were significant advances in technology and the crafting
of weapons during the Bronze Age. Whereas the Stone Age had produced many
weapons but little in the way of armor, the Bronze Age witnessed significant
developments in the area of armor designed to protect the body from injury.
Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin (approximately 90 percent copper and 10
percent tin), began to be smelted and worked in the Near East around 3500 B.C.
This innovation precipitated a profound leap in the development of body armor
and ushered in an era in which the production of arms and armor was elevated to
an art form-an art form that continues to evolve to this day. Weapons makers
had, for eons, been hampered by the relative fragility of flint. It could hold an
edge, but once a flint blade broke it was useless. Weapons makers were now
free to attempt new designs which had never been possible when working with
stone. They could now utilize metal casting methods to produce a dizzying
variety of new blades, arrowheads, spearheads, and various other bladed
weapons. More than this, however, armorers could now produce helmets and
body armor. Copper, without the addition of tin, is a relatively soft metal; and
was not ideal for producing blades, as it had to be cast very thick. Even when
cast thick, copper did not maintain a sharp edge well. However, its soft quality
made it an ideal material from which to produce helmets and body armor. These
protective pieces could be molded and then hammered out by craftsmen to fit
specific individuals. Finally, depending upon the artistry of the craftsman and
the wealth of the person commissioning the armor, these pieces could be etched,
damascened, encrusted with jewels, enameled, or even inlaid with precious
metals and jewels.
Naturally, the development of body armor had a revolutionary impact on
the way in which combatants fought. They could now depend more heavily
upon their armor to protect them against the weapons of their enemies. This
new protective armor, when used in tandem with the shield, gave the warrior a
degree of protection never experienced before. At this time it was virtually
unheard of to utilize the weapon for anything but offense. The weapon was to
be used for the attack while body armor and the shield were relied upon for
protection. It would not be until the early years of the seventeenth century that
fencing masters would determine that the sword could be used for both offense
and defense.
The Bronze Age encompasses the period which the great Greek poet
Homer (circa 800-700 B.C.) writes of in his Iliad-the Late Mycenaean period
(approximately 1200-1100 B.c.).3 His descriptive passages of battles, duels,
and contests waged by such fictional Grecian and Trojan warriors as Achilles,
Ajax, Hector, and Odysseus and the armor and weapons he describes may offer
3. 1. Buchanan-Brown, ed., Cassell's Encyclopedia of World Literature (New

York: William Morrow, 1973), 681. Though Cassell's places Homer's birth
during the seventh or eighth century B. c., the exact year of birth and the
inclusive dates of the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey remain a
mystery. There appears to be more consensus among scholars regarding the
time period depicted by Homer in the Iliad, approximately 1200-1100 B.C.
us some insight into things military during the late Grecian Bronze Age.
However, it must be remembered that Homer is writing fiction about an era
which occurred possibly four or five centuries before his time. Nevertheless, in
examining Homer's works we can acquire, perhaps, some insight into the armor
and weapons of his own day. The heavy use of bronze by the ancient Greeks
(and it should be mentioned that there were several different city-states, virtually
no cooperation amongst them, and each convinced of the unmitigated barbarism
of the others) lasted well past the age of the Persian Wars (490 and 480 B.C.),
the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.),4 and even into the era of Alexander the
Great (circa 356-323 B.C.).5 Harold Peake and Herbert John Fieure, authors of
The Horse and the Sword (1933), have the following to offer regarding the pre-
Classical, or what is often loosely referred to as the "Heroic," Greek warrior:
The equipment for battle was varied. Some used an enormous

shield of flexible leather, made more rigid by a bronze rim; this
was attached over the left shoulder so as to hang before the body,
leaving both arms free to use a great thrust spear. Sometimes the
warriors carried two lighter spears, and, when these had been cast,
rushed in with bronze swords, sometimes the long thrusting dirk
and at others the leaf-shaped slashing sword. Other warriors were
clad in bronze helmets and greaves, carrying on their left arms
round parrying shields; these used a single thrusting spear. In
other cases the men wore body armour of padded linen covered
with bronze plates. It is clear that the battle equipment was as
varied as the origin of the men who wore it, and had not yet
become standardized. One thing, however, is undoubted; the great
majority of the arms used were of bronze, and the use of iron,
which had been known for nearly two centuries among the Hittites,
had not become general... 6
There appears to have been virtually no uniformity of weapons, armor,

uniforms, or tactics amongst the ancient Greeks until well into the Iron Age. It
would not be until after the Spartans defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War
that many of the Greek states would begin to emulate the Spartan uniform and
adopt Spartan battle tactics. Nicholas Sekunda, in his The Ancient Greeks
(1986), explores several of the Greek armies of the Classical Period,
4. John Warry, Alexander: 334-323 B.C., Campaign Series, (London: Osprey

Publishing, Ltd., 1991), 6.
5. Nick Secunda and Angus McBride, The Army ofAlexander the Great, Men-
at-Arms Series, (London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1984), 5-6.
6. Harold Peake and Herbert John Fleure, The Horse and the Sword (New
Haven: Yale University Press, 1933),53.
.. .in the Archaic period, which preceded the Classical, Greek

warriors simply wore what they wanted, and military uniform was
unknown. During the Classical Period, however, the state began to
play an increasingly important role in military organisation
...Regional differences in dress and weaponry also played their part
in this process. So did periodic fads in military fashion, seen most
clearly in the widespread adoption of Lakonian styles of military
dress by Sparta's allies during her period of supremacy. It does not
seem that the majority of Greek armies entered the Pe1oponnesian
War in uniform, but the situation changed dramatically by the end
of the war. By the middle of the 4th century uniform had become
general. 7
The Greek hoplite (or "shield carrier") tended to wage battle, along with his
fellow warriors, in what was called a phalanx-a large square, bristling with
javelins and moving en masse to meet the enemy. Its success lay primarily in its
use of long spears and the sheer number of soldiers.
Although swords, daggers, spears, and armor had developed to a
relatively sophisticated degree during the Bronze Age, a more significant
development in the evolution of weapons was yet to come-the innovation of
iron smelting and forging. This was a profound discovery which significantly
improved both the quality and range of weapons which could now be produced
for combat.. At first the quality of iron being produced was quite low-grade but,
even so, was far superior to bronze in its ability to maintain a sharp edge and
withstand the abuse of battle. As forging and smithing techniques improved, the
quality of iron and weapons produced improved as well. Noted antique arms
and armor expert, Robert Wilkinson-Latham, offers the following insights into
the appearance of iron and its impact on arms and armor in his Phaidon Guide to
Antique Weapons and Armour (1981) :
For weapons the most significant step forward was the discovery
of iron smelting and forging with all its infinite capabilities, and
the spread of the knowledge west from Anatolia, from about 1200
B.c. At last sword blades could be made of a suitable length,
arrowheads instead of being flint could now be in iron (copper was
too valuable for such an item with such a short life) and helmets
and armour could be, if not so decorative, more practical and more
effective. 8
7. Nicholas Victor Sekunda and Angus McBride, The Ancient Greeks, Elite
Series, (London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1986),3.
8. Robert Wilkinson-Latham, Phaidon Guide to Antique Weapons and Armour

(Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1981), 9.
Wilkinson-Latham places the spread of iron at or around 1200 B.C. However,

Terence Wise, in his Ancient Armies ofthe Middle East (1993), suggests that the
Hittites may have discovered the process as much as two hundred years before
its general dispersal throughout the region. This advantage only fueled the
Hittites explosive expansion in the Middle East, an expansion which had already
begun around 1579 B.C. With their iron swords and armor the Hittites
conquered Syria, Palestine, the kingdom of Mitanni, and essentially brought the
preeminent nation in the region, Egypt, into a stalemate position. Terrence Wise
describes the Hittite expansion in the previously mentioned Ancient Armies of
the Middle East (1993) ,
This fantastic growth, despite an unexpectedly sturdy resistance

by the Egyptian Empire, owed much to the Hittites' use of iron
weapons. Iron tools and weapons had been known in Egypt and
Mesopotamia since at least 2700 B.C. (the Sumerians called iron
'metal from heaven', i.e. in meteoric form), but such items were
costly and difficult to produce in quantity. However, sometime
around 1400 B.C. the Hittites, or a vassal tribe within their
empire, discovered a process for producing good quality iron in
bulk. The process was kept secret by the Hittites, enabling them
to gain an immense advantage over their enemies, who were still
using bronze weapons. 9
It would not be until the Hittites faced a burgeoning Assyrian Empire that their
expansion would falter and the Hittite kingdom would begin its inevitable
disintegration and, finally, assimilation by the Assyrian's in the eighth century
B.C.
Well after the introduction of iron (and beyond the completion of the
Peloponnesian War), most of the Grecian armies continued to make liberal use
of bronze in their weapons and armor. Their swords may have been made of
iron, but their helmets, breast plates, greaves frequently continued to be made of
bronze; their linen corselets layered with bronze plates. It would not be the
Greeks who would go on to perfect the production of iron and profit from it on
the battlefield. It was the Romans who, with the aid of their short thrusting
sword of iron, the gladius, would shortly change the face of the known world.
The continued improvement of iron smelting and smithing techniques allowed
the Romans to be significantly more creative and eclectic than the Greeks in
their development of body armor. They worked indefatigably to develop body
armor which was strong, light, easy to put on, easy to wear, and effective at
deflecting cut, thrust, and artillery (arrows, darts, and javelins). The Romans
utilized such varying materials as bronze, cuir bouilli (leather boiled and shaped
to form body armor), tanned leather, quilted cloth, and iron. Roman officers
frequently commissioned intricately decorated bronze breast plates ornately
9. Terence Wise and Angus McBride, Ancient Armies of the Middle East, Men-
at-Arms Series, (London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd. , 1981), 24.
etched and molded to give the appearance of a muscular chest. Also, the
average Roman legionnaire was sometimes fitted with the lorica segmentata, an
abdominal and chest armor consisting of strips of iron or steel (iron which had
been heated in coal, absorbed carbon, and then quenched in water or oil to give
it temper), and then banded together around the abdomen and over the
shoulders. For obvious reasons, the lorica segmentata was a much sought after
item as it was far superior to the leather cuir bouilli when it came to stopping or
deflecting a cut or thrust to the abdomen or chest. As the Romans perfected
their ability to mass produce items the lorica segmentata became a standard item
of the legionnaire's uniform. In Sword and Masque (1967), acclaimed fencing
maestro, Julius Palfy-Alpar, notes that:
In Ancient Rome the soldiers wore leather tunics (often mounted

with iron bands or scales), leather breeches, studded girdles, metal
helmets, and carried round or rectangular shields. They used
straight double-edged, pointed swords (gladius) and spears
(pilum). The sword was attached to the left side of the body; a
short dagger was carried on the right side. 10
The leather breeches reached to just below the knees and the helmet was
frequently made of both iron and bronze, with the crown being made of iron and
the cheek guards of bronze. It should also be stated that it is very difficult to
generalize regarding the armor and weapons of the Roman soldier-as the arc of
the Roman Republic and Empire is nearly eight centuries in length.. As one
examines the various uniforms utilized over that lengthy period it becomes
obvious that there were numerous changes and developments, many of which
reflect the growing influence of the foreign Auxiliary forces upon the domestic
Legions. II
10. Julius Palfy-Alpar, Sword and Masque (Philadelphia: F. A. Davis,

Company, 1967),3. Palfy-Alpar is slightly at odds with such noted scholars as
Michael Simkins when he maintains that the Roman soldier carried his sword on
his left side and the dagger on the right. Others maintain that it was actually the
opposite; sword on the right and dagger on the left. Ostensibly, this was to
enable him to draw the sword with the right hand while holding the shield with
the left and not entangle the sword with the shield while in the heat of battle.
11. For a closer examination of the evolution of the Roman soldier's weapons,
equipment, and uniform the reader may wish to consult the following
publications in the Osprey Men-at-Arms Series:
Michael Simkins and G. A. Embleton. The Roman Army from Hadrian to

Constantine. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1979. ISBN: 0-85045-333-x.
Michael Simkins and G. A. Embleton. The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan.
Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1984. ISBN: 0-85045-528-6.
The typical soldier of the Roman Empire (c. first century A.D.) was a
member of one of the great Legions. He fought as a member of an eight man
unit known as a cohort, attached to a company of eighty men known as a century
(which at one time had consisted of one hundred men), which when joined to
other centuries comprised an army of some 4,800 men known as a legion. The
average legionnaire carried a javelin called a pilum, a rectangular shield called a
scutum, and a short pointed sword called a gladius. He, like the Greek hoplite,
fought en masse, but in a line formation. He was taught to throw his javelin, and
then wade in with his gladius. The Roman soldier, unlike the Greek hoplite or
the Germanic or Celtic barbarian warrior to the north, was taught to rely
primarily on the thrust to the abdomen (as opposed to the cut) and to defend
himself with his shield. The Romans championed the use of the point in close,
armed combat. Once Roman influence was circumvented, the less disciplined
use of the slash and cut once again rose to preeminence. As the Roman Empire
fell into disarray, and Western Europe was overrun by various Celtic and
Germanic tribes, the cut was to supplant the thrust until the latter half of the
fifteenth century when the sleek new rapier appeared on the scene in Italy and
Spain.. Fittingly, it was in Italy that the thrust would be rediscovered and
applied to rapier-play. 12
The Romans were very creative in their use of the shield. They often
formed a wall of shields which could advance on the army; or they would hoist
their shields overhead to form the testudo (or tortoise), an armored box-like
formation which was the equivalent of the Iron Age tank. This often allowed
the Romans to advance on a fortified position while protecting themselves from
stones, arrows, javelins, and other missiles.
Osprey also has several offerings in a series entitled Enemies of Rome. This
series covers Rome's adversaries during the periods covered in Simkins's books.
Naturally, there is a great deal of information about the Roman soldier in these
publications as well.
12. In his prologue to The English Master of Arms from the Twelfth to the
Twentieth Century (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1956), well respected
fencing historian, J. D. Aylward, discusses the abandonment and triumphant
return of the point in close combat with the sword:
Another striking advance made by the Italian masters of the

sixteenth century was the rediscovery of the virtue of the
point...the Romans...trained their legions in its use, but the practice
had been lost during the Middle Ages. The revival of the old
theory led to the evolution of a system...which, though not yet
excluding entirely mandritti and riversi-cuts with the right and
the false edge of the blade respectively-relied upon the superior
efficiency of the stoccata or thrust. (2)
This was also the era of the bloody gladiatorial combats of the arena.
Gladiators tended to be much better trained than the average Roman soldier.
Protective armor varied significantly from one type of gladiator to the next, but
generally they wore less protective armor than the average soldier. Palfy-Alpar,
in Sword and Masque (1967), offers some relatively detailed information on the
various weapons and body armor employed by three types of Roman gladiators:
Of the different kinds of gladiators, the Myrmillo and the Samnite

were the heavier armed with helmet, shield, left leg protection, and
sword. The Thracian gladiators wore helmets, two greaves, and
used a short dagger. The Retiarius fought with a net in one hand
and a trident in the other, and wore only a girdle with loincloth,
greaves, with bands, and a bandaged left sleeve with metal
shoulder plate. This type of gladiator was usually matched with a
heavily armed opponent and fought either by throwing his net over
his adversary and stabbing him or keeping him away with the
trident. The sword, which in the beginning was a short, wide
weapon, later was made about three feet long and thinner...The
Latin proverbs show the seriousness of the games; "Ave Caesar
morituri te salutant" (Hail Caesar, those who are about to die salute
you); "Gladiators vincendum or moriendum erat" (The gladiators
must conquer or die); "Vae victis" (Woe to the vanquished) . These
expressions allow us to guess the fate of the conquered. 13
The way in which a gladiator fought was contingent upon the types of weapons
and armor they were supplied with and trained to use. Some relied primarily
upon the thrust, whereas others relied on the slash and cut. Still others sought to
impale their opponents on spears or three-pronged tridents. Gladiators received
their training in schools called Ludi, from instructors known as Lanesta.
Students often practiced by delivering sword strokes to a wooden post planted in
the ground, an early form of the quintain. From these early lessons, the
gladiators then graduated to sparring with each other with wooden swords.
Frequently demonstrations were offered by students before the fully trained
gladiators began their fights to the death in the arena. Interestingly enough, the
Romans, even though they enjoyed their gladiatorial games, did not advocate the
duel; considering it a less than civilized way in which to decide personal
matters.
Both the ancient Greeks and the Romans relied very heavily upon the
strength of their infantry. The foot-soldier was undoubtedly at the core of Greek
and Roman combat strategy. After the introduction of the saddle in the fourth
century A.D. and still later the stirrup, the emphasis shifted considerably toward
the cavalry and the mounted soldier. David Edge and John Miles Paddock speak
to the monumental importance of the introduction of the stirrup in Arms and
Armor ofthe Medieval Knight (1988),
13 . Palfy-Alpar,3-4.
A heavy thrusting spear was developed at the same time which had
lugs at its base to prevent it penetrating too far. ..the lugs may have
been necessary because stirrups were introduced which, in
conjunction with a new type of saddle with a more prominent
cantle and pommel, enabled the weight and speed of the horse to
be harnessed to a lance thrust. Certainly stirrups allow a rider to
make a stronger downward cut with a sword and give him more
stability on rough ground and in a melee. Stirrups appear to have
been invented in China sometime in the fifth century and are first
recorded as having been used by the Arabs in the seventh century.
They arrived in the West in the early years of the eighth century,
apparently brought by the Avars and Lombardic invaders... 14
The impact of these innovations on warfare is clearly reflected in subsequent

armor and weapons production and a heretofore unseen emphasis on the
mounted warrior in battle. For all intents and purposes, this is the birth of the
paradigm which will ultimately produce the Western European chivalric
tradition and the mounted knight of the Middle Ages.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire, during the period loosely
referred to as the Dark Ages (the fifth through the tenth centuries A.D.), Roman
style battle strategy, weapons, and armor continued to be utilized throughout
what had formerly been the Roman Empire. However, some Roman fighting
traditions were certainly discarded. Whereas the Romans had utilized the short
thrusting sword in the hands of the infantryman, the Teutonic, Celtic, and Gallic
barbarians utilized the longer, heavier forerunner of the medieval broadsword
and effectively utilized the mounted warrior. Peter Wilcox, in Rome's Enemies
(2): Gallic and British Celts, examines the nature of the sword Celtic barbarians
utilized in battle,
Celtic warriors were primarily thought of as swordsmen in the

ancient world...Early Celtic iron swords were of excellent quality
and followed the style of late Bronze Age types. Both bronze and
iron types were manufactured together, until in time bronze ceased
to be used...Several of the iron swords in this (Halstatt) period are
so large that some experts have thought them to be for ceremonial
use only, but they are no bigger than some of the great war swords
of the Middle Ages. As with the bronze swords of this period, the
blade is of a graceful elongated leaf shape with rounded spatular,
square-kink or hollow 'V' points. 15
14. David Edge and John Miles Paddock, Arms and Armor of the Medieval
Knight (New York: Crescent Books distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc.,
1988), 11.
15. Peter Wilcox and Angus McBride, Rome's Enemies (2): Gallic and British
Celts, Men-at-Arms Series, (London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1985), 20.
The Romans, in the latter portion of the Empire, had begun to see the advantages
of a strong cavalry-but only after seeing it utilized effectively by their
barbarian opponents on the frontiers of the Empire. The Roman cavalry
auxiliaries tended to be made of foreign contingents culled from occupied
territories. Mounted warriors discovered the power of the slash and cut
delivered from the height gained when riding in the saddle on the back of a
horse. During the Dark Ages the cavalry was to begin its inexorable march
toward the supremacy it would attain during the early Middle Ages.
The use of plate armor, as utilized by the Greeks and Romans, fell into
some decline during the Dark Ages. The Romans had developed a crude form
of chain-mail, which may have been borrowed from the East. During the Dark
Ages chain-mail continued to be developed and refined. Scale armor also
continued to flourish. What body armor was utilized tended to be based on
Roman design as much of it had been either captured or discarded as the Roman
Empire began to recede. Barbarian tribes of Western Europe-such as the Celts,
the Lombards, and the Franks-relied heavily upon the bow and arrow, the
spear, the javelin, the battle-axe, and the long battle sword. The Celtic battle
sword had a blade which was long, wide, and straight, sometimes sporting a
sharp, pointed tip-sometimes a sharp, rounded tip. Battle strategy was quite
rudimentary during this period and individual talent coupled with valor tended
to be the order of the day.16
In the latter part of this period, during the eighth and ninth centuries,
Charles Martel, his sons Carloman and Pepin "the short," and Pepin's son,
Charlemagne (Charles I), would firmly establish the Frankish Empire and
solidly affirm their position as protector of the Roman Church. Ultimately the
Frankish Empire would falter under pressure from several fronts including
Viking raiding parties, the Lombards, the Magyars (and several other nomadic
steppe-peoples), the pagans in the north, and the Muslims in the south. The
external pressures placed upon the armies of the Frankish Empire led to fighting
on multiple fronts, and hence to a much too thinly deployed army. As the
Carolingian army became less effective at protecting cities and regions from
attack, local alliances began to be formed and the advent of feudalism
occurred. 17 According to this peculiar European form of governance, a ruler
was allowed to make land grants in return for fealty, loyalty, and assurance that
the landowner would raise an army when called upon to do so by the king. Each
duke or baron now became responsible for raising a predetermined number of
knights and foot soldiers. Each fief was also responsible for arming its knight.
16. Wilcox and McBride, 24 and 33. Wilcox describes, in some detail, a Gallic
army attack on Roman forces. He goes on to offer commentary on the
Cambrian wars, the Gallic wars, and the Roman invasion of Britain.
17. David Nicolle and Angus McBride, The Age of Charlemagne, Men-at-Arms
Series, (London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1984),20-31.
During the late eighth century A.D. (around 793 A.D.) a new threat to the
relative stability achieved by Charlemagne and his descendants began to appear
from the north- the Vikings. These fierce invaders (initially from Norway, but
the Danes and Swedes would soon join suit) sailed south into the British
Channel and began to execute raiding parties up the rivers and estuaries of
Western Europe, Britain, and Ireland. The Vikings came in their dragon ships
brandishing their broadswords, spears, and battle-axes of the single and two-
handed variety. They were terrifyingly fierce warriors and frequently
slaughtered unsuspecting villagers as they plundered whatever that village might
have to offer. "Berserkers" were a particularly fierce type of Viking warrior
who would work themselves up to a frenzy (sometimes chewing on their
shields) before rushing headlong (oft times completely unclothed) into battle.
Many small villages in western France and the east coast of Britain were simply
not prepared to face the type of unbridled barbaric Ferrocity exhibited by the
Vikings in battle. As the invaders from the north made increasing headway into
northwestern France, it was determined that it would be easier to cede a portion
of the region to these tough Scandinavian warriors than to wage war against
them. As the Vikings settled in this region became known as Normandy, the
land of the Northmen, or Norsemen. 18
The early Western European knights who did battle with the Vikings and
amongst themselves (as one petty province frequently tended to do battle with
its neighbors) were protected by a knee length coat of leather covered with iron
scales or rings. The knights also used a shield to ward off enemy weapons and
artillery. Iron helmets were utilized, but were still of very simple design and
construction. These knights were frequently supported by poorly equipped
peasants. There is, however, little doubt that the lion's share of the fighting fell
to the knight, as peasants could generally be put to rout all too easily by a
mounted and well equipped knight. The weapons of the knight of the late Dark
Ages and early Middle Ages included the lance (spear), the broadsword (which
was long, straight, two-edged, and usually with a sharpened but rounded point),
the battle-axe, and the mace. 19 At this time, defensive actions with the sword
(parries) were still not a viable fighting technique. The knight tended to protect
himself with his shield and use his weapons exclusively for the attack.
As the later Dark Ages gave way to the Middle Ages chain-mail
continued to be refined. The armor worn by the Normans who invaded Britain
in 1066 with William the Conqueror, varied little from the protection worn by
the Saxon warriors of King Harald Hardraada, the last of the great Viking
kings. 20 However, there was one significant difference-more of William's
18. Terence Wise and G. A. Embleton, Saxon, Viking and Norman, Men-at-
Arms Series, (London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1979), 17-30.
19. Wise and Embleton, 10-16.
20. Terence Wise, in Saxon, Viking and Norman (Men-at-Arms Series, London:
Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1979), offers the following :
soldiers had armor. This armor consisted of body and head protection, body
armor in the form of a mail shirt or hauberk and head protection in the form of a
conical helmet worn over a mail hood. The helmet usually had a bar which
protected the nose called the nasal. Occasionally another bar extended down the
rear of the helmet to protect the neck. The weapons still continued to be the
lance (spear), the broadsword, the battle-axe, the mace, and the bow and arrow.
Though relatively well protected by armor, it is believed a Norman arrow in the
eye brought King Harald down and led to the subsequent defeat of the Saxon
forces at Hastings. This was a lesson that would not be lost on the English.
The next three centuries would see the English develop the use of the
powerful longbow into an art form. They would utterly decimate the French
forces at Crecy (1346), Poitier (1356), and Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred
Years War, through their strategic use of the longbow. The mounted knight
used his lance but just as frequently dismounted to fight on foot. This is the
fatal flaw many of the French knights executed at Agincourt. The rain soaked
ground quickly became a quagmire in which the heavily armored knights had
great difficulty maneuvering. In the morass of mud and fallen comrades, the
French knights fell easy prey to English archers as they released one "arrow-
storm" after another. One by one, the French knights fell as the English "gray
goose-shafts" found their way to the vulnerable points in the knights armor. The
lightly armored archers could then move in, virtually at will, among the
exhausted and wounded knights and dispatch them with arrow, sword, or
dagger.
During this period use of the shield, as opposed to defending with the
weapon, remained the primary means of deflecting a blow, cut, or thrust. The
hauberk and chain-mail hood (coit) was relied upon to protect the body from
slashing and cutting blows. The thrust was utilized with the spear, but the
primary means of attack with the sword and battle-axe continued to be the cut.
The armor of the Norman knight changed relatively little until well into
the twelfth century. The sleeves of the hauberk were lengthened and mail-
mittens were attached to the end of the sleeves to protect the hands. The helmet
now began to reflect significant change. Helmets now tended to be hammered
out of one piece and often included added neck and ear protection. These great
helms fit over the entire head, including the skull-cap. The hair was worn long
and stuffed up under an arming cap. This provided a sort of cushion for the
skull-cap to rest upon. It was during this period that heraldry and armorial
bearings (coat of arms) began to emerge, as the great helm hindered a knight in
distinguishing friend from foe on the battlefield. Emblems began to appear on
both battle and ceremonial shields and, shortly thereafter, on cloth surcoats worn
over the body armor. These coats of arms were meticulously generated under
the guidance of the College of Heralds. Each symbol, color, or tincture on the
coat of arms communicated copious information about a knight's ancestors,
On 25 September Harald Hardraada, the last great Viking leader,

died at the battle of Stamford Bridge: with him died not only the
Viking raids on Europe, but also the Viking Age,
and...Scandinavian influence over Western Europe. (22)
coat of arms communicated copious information about a knight's ancestors,

accomplishments, and the hierarchical status of his family. Standards bearing a
commander's coat of arms often helped facilitate regrouping on the battlefield
and, during peace-time, made for colorful pomp and ceremony at tournament.
In the twelfth century, due to the accuracy and power of the longbow and
the crossbow, scaled and ringed coats were no longer affording adequate
protection. It was now necessary to make chain-mail out of a smaller, denser
link. The development of a stronger chain-mail led to the quest for a weapon
which could penetrate this new improved form of chain-mail. The answer to
this challenge was the estoc. This long, thin, stiff three or four sided blade could
push apart the new chain-mail and penetrate the body beneath. Predictably, this
new offensive weapon led to a defensive response, the development and
implementation of plate armor. The prevalent use of plate armor reinforced the
need for heavy, percussive offensive weapons designed essentially to beat the
opponent into unconsciousness and to crack through the defensive armor.
Arthur Wise, in his The Art and History of Personal Combat (1972), discusses
the symbiotic relationship between arms and armor:
Increased defence has always produced new weapons designed to

overcome it. The period of heavy personal armour was
accompanied by the development of weapons that would crack it
or slip through its articulations to penetrate the human body inside.
The war hammer, the mace, the axe and poleaxe, the morning star
and the flail, all fall into this first category. The misericorde
dagger and a new type of thrusting sword (estoc) both fall into the
second. 21
During the thirteenth century the hauberk tended to be replaced by the

brigantine, a garment upon which iron scales had been sewn. Knights now wore
ailettes, square plates of armor worn over each shoulder which bore the knight's
ornamental emblem as it appeared upon his shield. During this century
additional plates were added to the panoply of armor the knight wore. Cuir
bouilli also made a comeback during this period, and the common soldier often
wore this boiled and molded leather over his chain-mail for additional
protection.
During lengthy periods of peace, tournaments were held. At these
"tourneys" jousting might take place, or melees might be fought. Jousting
consisted of two knights racing toward each other on horseback with a lance
under the right arm leveled at the opponent. A shield was carried on the left side
of the body to deflect the opponent's lance. Melees were "free-for-alls" in which
several knights fought with blunted, or "bated," blades. These tournaments were
looked upon as great social events and were considered opportunities for knights
to keep themselves ready for combat. It is also in this period that the Judicial
21. Arthur Wise, The Art and History ofPersonal Combat (Greenwich, Conn.:
Arma Press, 1972),33.
Combat was employed by the nobility in determining guilt or innocence in

matters of law and honor. Might was considered right, and it was believed that
God would never allow the just to be vanquished by the unjust. However, the
appearance of the paid "champion," a professional man-at-arms who sold his
services for a price, was just one of the influences which would ultimately lead
to the demise of the Judicial Combat. The law, in many instances, allowed a
person (especially a woman, but not exclusively so) involved in a judicial
dispute to enlist the services of a champion to fight in their stead. As this
practice became less and less rare, it became evident that the person who was
apparently in the right oft times would fail to overcome the trained skills of
these medieval mercenaries. It became more and more manifest that "might"
was not necessarily always "right;" thus encouraging noblemen to rely
increasingly upon their own honed skills, and less upon the whims of
Providence.
The fourteenth century saw rapid developments in plate armor. It is
during this century that upper and lower arm protection appeared, as did
protection for the upper and lower leg. Coupled to the arm and leg plates were
protection for the elbows (couters) and knees (polyens). The mailed gauntlet
gave way to the gauntlet of articulated plates for each finger. The strips of metal
plates which made up these articulated sections were called "lames." During the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the knight's entire body was to become totally
encased in metal plates. The foot soldier continued to wear the hauberk
supplemented with a kettle type helmet, or a skull-cap, or simply a mail-hood
called a coif.
The fifteenth century was a period of rapid development in which the
helmet experienced several evolutionary improvements. The cumbersome great
helm was replaced with open-faced helmets such as the bascinet, the barbut, the
kettle-hat, and the sallet, which offered a rear extension which covered the
exposed rear portion of the neck. In the beginning the bascinet was worn over
the coif, but soon the chain-mail was directly attached to the rim of the helmet.
During this century the lower portion of the breast plate was increased in size to
cover not only the chest but the lower abdomen as well. Italian armorers also
began to build ridges and ribs into the armor to aid in deflecting thrusts away
from such vital areas as the neck and joints. German armorers, in the 1450s,
began to "flute" the surfaces of their armor with hundreds of ridges. This style
is now referred to as "Gothic" armor. Eventually this "fluting" would become
very exaggerated and relegated to the realm of decoration.22
As the open-faced helmet was realized as a liability, visors began to be
attached to the front of the helmet in place of the older nasal bar. These visors
could be raised and lowered at will and were held in place by spring-loaded
catches. Soon plates were added to protect the lower neck and chin (bevors) and
the upper chest (gorgets). Most foot soldiers were too poor to afford either new
hauberks or plate armor. They tended to acquire new body armor by either
scavenging it from fallen soldiers or by having it given to them by their masters.
22. Edge and Paddock, 94-135.

The fact that they fought un-mounted dictated that leg armor was, by and large,
cumbersome and unnecessary. Conversely, the mounted knight was perpetually
plagued by the fact that his legs were vulnerably exposed and easy prey for the
enemy. Necessity being the mother of invention, protective armor for the legs
began to evolve at a more rapid rate during this period. It should, however, be
mentioned that knights could, and often did, remove the lower portions of their
armor when they dismounted to engage the enemy on foot.
The techniques of waging personal combat remained relatively static
during this rather lengthy period. It was the heavy percussive weapon which
continued to carry the day. The jousting lance, the heavy broadsword, the
battle-axe, and the mace were used to bludgeon the opponent into submission.
Once the enemy was on the ground and at the victor's mercy, the victor could
then determine whether to dispatch the fallen knight with a "mercy stroke"
(cutting the throat with a dagger called the misericorde), search for a chink in
the armor or joints into which the estoc could be thrust, or to let him live to be
ransomed for a handsome price. These techniques were used whether the
combat was a duel, an encounter on the battlefield, or a contest in tournament.
The latter portion of the sixteenth century saw firearms come to play a
more prominent role in battle. Interestingly enough, it was the introduction of
the firearm which led directly to the rapid development of swordplay, as knights
were forced to discard their cumbersome armor. A knight perched firmly atop
his steed and blazing in his armor in the early dawn made a wonderful target for
the peasant trained to touch off an arquebus. Arthur Wise, in The Art and
History ofPersonal Combat (1972), explores the impact that early firearms had
on the art of warfare in the Middle Ages:
It was the concept of personal defence by heavy armour that the

firearm shattered. It was theoretically possible at this time to
produce armour of sufficient thickness to withstand the blows of
the armour-cracking weapons-though such armour would have
reduced the mobility of the wearer to nil. But it was not possible
to produce personal armour of sufficient thickness to withstand the
blow of a missile impelled by a charge of gunpowder. At one
blow, the theory of personal defence through heavy body armour
fell apart. 23
If the noble knight could not depend upon his suit of armor to protect him on the
battlefield what was he to do? He soon realized he would have to tum to those
who had never really had access to armor for lessons on defense and evasion:
True, by the middle of the fifteenth century it was probably safe

for a man to admit that he ran a school of fence, though legislation
in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was still in force . But the
professional fencing teacher was still classed with "rogues and
23. A. Wise, 33-34.

vagabonds"-and actors!-and such a classification did not

encourage lively, analytical and discriminating minds into the
profession. 24
The common man had, from the beginning, had to learn to survive without the
aid of body armor. For him, armor had always been cost prohibitive. It was
now the commoner who was in a position, having developed special survival
skills, to serve as master and instructor:
Fortunately, perhaps, skill with the sword had not fallen into
abeyance during the period of armour. To arm for the lists was an
expensive business and there were many who could afford no more
than a shirt of mail. The archer at Agincourt, for example, was not
clad in plate. In personal combat he still relied on the sword. So
did the apprentice in the larger towns of Europe. For defence such
men relied on agility and on the buckler, very much as men had
done for five hundred years and more. There was here a
continuous tradition of sword and buckler play, but it was a
tradition that relied very much on personal tricks and personal
ability. It was not a tradition that had thrown up any systematic
practice or theory.25
In other words, the common man who could develop his survival skills and
personal combat techniques into a viable and marketable system, could now
teach-becoming, in essence, the new "Lanesta." In Renaissance England, the
teaching of fencing, the art of cut, thrust, and defense with the blade, came to be
virtually dominated by commoners as opposed to noblemen. On the continent,
however, the upper classes quickly made up for lost time and in such countries
as Spain, France, Italy, and Germany. Members of the upper classes
enthusiastically embraced the teaching of swordplay and schools of fencing soon
began to appear in these countries. Italian masters, in particular, began to see
the rest of Europe as a burgeoning marketplace for their skills. Many began to
go abroad and set up schools of fence in other European countries. In England,
however, the aristocratic Italian masters would run into significant resistance
from the English Masters of Defence, made up almost entirely of commoners.
It is during this period that the long, thin, two-edged blade known as the
rapier appeared on the scene. The rapier's origin is variously attributed to Spain
and to Italy. In either case, its deadly thrusting style was destined to gain
momentum and ultimately dominate Western Europe during the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. The fact that the rapier was worn by civilian and soldier
alike, and was considered a part of everyday dress, facilitated a dramatic
24. A. Wise, 35.
25 . Ibid., 34.
increase in private altercations and duels. 26 In fact, the period of the rapier was
one of the most quarrelsome in all of history. In the wake of a terrible duel
between two favorites of Henri II of France, the Sieur de Jarnac and the Lord of
Chastaigneraie (which left Chastaigneraie dead) the king determined never to
give his permission for such an encounter to occur again. Ironically this royal
edict, intended to circumvent future bloodshed, in fact it had the reverse effect.
Alfred Hutton, in The Sword and the Centuries (1901), discusses how the
Judicial Combat of the Middle Ages-and the brutal medieval broadsword-
came to give way to the private Duel of Honor of the Renaissance-and the
deadly cut and thrust style of rapier:
In the knightly days single combats were confined to the champs

dos, which was never granted where the quarrel was of a frivolous
nature, and only the monarch himself, or some great noble the
governor of a province, and so holding vice-regal powers had the
authority to grant it...and to fight a duel without permission was a
matter of high treason. Thus such encounters were held in check,
and took place rarely. But this ill considered vow of Henri II
changed the aspect of affairs; various gentlemen applied for
permission to settle their quarrels in the good old fashioned
manner, but invariably met with a prompt refusal, so they ignored
the King's vow and his edicts, and the laws of the land as well, and
introduced, in place of the solemn combat in the champ dos, the
duello alia mazza, as the Italians called it. They went out into the
woods and fields, sometimes with seconds and sometimes without
them, which latter imprudence opened the way to abuses: a
combatant would wear chain mail underneath his clothes...men
were placed in ambush to intercept the enemy on his way to the
field, and the possibility of such an arrangement caused both
parties often to come to the ground attended by a number of friends
and partisans. This again, led to other abuses, and to much sad
slaughter of valiant gentlemen.27
If the king was not going to personally oversee a combat between two
gentlemen, it became obvious that some type of governance was necessary.
This led to the aristocratic class articulating what it believed to be honorable
conduct before, during, and after a duel. Indeed, a gentleman's reputation
depended upon how closely he followed these rules of conduct. Hutton
discusses how the gentleman's "Code of Honor," and it's liberal definition of
what constituted an insult or affront to one's reputation or honor, came to be
26. Palfy-Alpar,9.
27. Alfred, Hutton, The Sword and the Centuries (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E.
Tuttle, Company, 1901; second reprint 1980), 70-71.
inextricably entwined with this sleek, deadly sword; and why gentlemen were
inclined to cross swords upon the slightest provocation:
... the "point of honor" was carried to such an extreme point that
men would fight to the death for almost any trivial reason, and
sometimes even without any at all, but from pure light-heartedness,
for the mere fun of the thing and for nothing else...Why, these
sixteenth century people would pick a quarrel with a man for
merely looking at them. ..28
Early in the sixteenth century, publications on fencing began to appear on the

scene with some frequency.29 Authors such as Mozete, Marozzo, di Grassi, and
Agrippa began to publish their theories and techniques for the rapier. These
theories began to advocate, more with each passing year, the efficacy of the
thrust over the cut. The rapier was, at this time, still used exclusively for
offensive purposes. A small round shield, called the buckler (about twelve
inches in diameter), was utilized in the left hand to ward off the thrusts and cuts
of the opponent. Thrusts were frequently aimed at the face with the intent of
causing the opponent to flinch or change their guard. Duelists also made liberal
use of the time-thrust, a simultaneous parry and counter-attack. To clarify: a
fencer was at his strategic best if, as he thrust at his opponent's body, his sword
simultaneously deflected his opponent's thrust; if he failed to do so, then the
buckler (or the target, another small, rectangular shield) was then used to deflect
the opponent's attack. 30 Another left-handed defensive technique included
wearing a glove of mail upon the left hand. This would allow the fencer to
deflect the point of his opponent, or even grasp his opponent's blade with
impunity. Still another was to wrap one's cloak around the left arm and use it to
parry cuts and thrusts. If the cloak were loosened, it might be wrapped around
28. Ibid., 75 .
29. Palfy-Alpar,9. Diego de Valera had actually published a book in Spain in

the second half of the fifteenth century, as had Talhoffer (Fechtbuch) in 1467.
Talhoffer's book consisted, primarily, of illustrations.
30. In The Art and History of Personal Combat (Chapter Four: Cut or Thrust)
Arthur Wise discusses French master Sainct Didier's concept of the "counter-
attack"
To him [Sainct Didier] the only way in which the sword might be
used defensively was when it was launched as a counter-attack on
an opponent's attack in such a way that it would deflect the
attacking blade and at the same time strike the opponent. Such a
move was well known to Marozzo and to German
practitioners...(47)
the opponent's blade and suddenly jerked away in an effort to disarm the enemy.
Finally, it was even possible to cast the cloak over the opponent's face to be
followed up by a quick thrust, or "stocatta" to the abdomen-hardly "cricket,"
but certainly effective. And finally, a dagger could be used in the left hand.
This afforded the fencer the advantage of not only deflecting or parrying with
the left hand, but also, when necessary, the fencer could attack with the left hand
as well. Yet another commonly utilized technique was trapping the opponent's
rapier blade in the quillons of the dagger. Once trapped, a quick twist of the
wrist locks up the opponent's rapier blade. With his opponent's blade safely
neutralized, the duelist would then have the advantage of distance-as his rapier
is still free and his opponent has only his dagger available.3l
One challenge the modem fight director faces when attempting to create a
Renaissance swordfight for the stage or screen, is that modem audiences have
been conditioned to expect the lightning fast swordplay exhibited by Errol Flynn
and Basil Rathbone in film swordfights staged by such master fight
choreographers as Fred Cavens and Jean Heremans during the 1930s and 1940s.
In truth, actual duels of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries would have been
much less theatrically interesting to watch...though infinitely more deadly.
Light modem competitive fencing blades coupled to adjusted modem fencing
techniques have led to the evolution of a theatrical fighting style which is more
palatable to a modem audience.
Rapier hilts were still relatively simplistic at this point in the weapon's
evolution. The hilt consisted primarily of a cross bar (derivative of its
progenitor the broadsword) with the addition of "arms of the hilt" (pas d' anes)
extending below the cross bar to afford protection for the index finger which
was now looped over the cross bar (quillons). The ability to loop the index
finger over the quillon gave the fencer much more control over his weapon. It is
also worth mentioning that at this point (the middle of the sixteenth century) the
rapier was still a relatively heavy and somewhat cumbersome weapon, often
reaching lengths of five feet and over (six feet in Spain). The sheer weight and
length of the weapon would have made much of the choreography we currently
see on the stage and screen impossible to execute in the first place, and
secondly, very dangerous if it were attempted by an actual duelist. The large
sweeping sabre cuts, which modem audiences so adore, would have left a real
duelist dangerously vulnerable to a quick thrust to the abdomen or face.
As of the beginning of the sixteenth century, what modem fencers
recognize as the "lunge" was still virtually unknown. Descriptions of a
31. Leonid Tarassuk, Parrying Daggers and Poniards (Blue Diamond, Nev.:
Society of American Fight Directors, 1987), 17. A very informative little
booklet published by the late Dr. Tarassuk, former Senior Research Associate
and Curator of the Department of Arms and Armor at the Hermitage Museum in
Leningrad and Research Associate, Department of Arms and Armor,
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Those wishing to purchase this
publication can do so at a very reasonable price through the Society of American
Fight Directors (1-800-659-6579).
movement somewhat similar to the lunge begin to appear as early as the middle
of the sixteenth century-yet it was still some time before it would gain
widespread acceptance. Di Grassi wrote, in 1570, of a lunging type movement
in his Ragioni di Adoperear Sicuaramentall'Arme. Viggiani described a lunge
in his Trattato dello Schermo, published at the end of the sixteenth century.
Egerton Castle in his Schools and Masters of Fence (1885) credits the Italian
master, Salvator Fabris, with publishing the first comprehensive description of
the lunge in his Sienz E Practica D'Arme, but not until 1606. During the late
fifteenth, throughout the sixteenth, and even well into the seventeenth century,
fencers "passed," or utilized a walking type movement to move in and out of
thrusting distance. The "wardes" or "guards" of this period are not to be
confused with parries, or use of the blade to block or deflect an opponent's
attack. They were actually more akin to differing positions from which attacks
might be launched.
During the latter portion of the sixteenth century the general movement
pattern of the duel would best be described as circular. The participants would
attempt to gain the advantage by moving to the side of their opponent.
Naturally, the opponent would counter by stepping away, or traversing, at an
angle away from the attack. The overall effect was that of the duelists circling
each other attempting to find a moment of opportunity during which they might
move within distance and deliver a debilitating cut; or even more preferable, a
mortal thrust to the face or abdomen. Arthur Wise, in The Art and History of
Personal Combat (1972), describes some of the more salient aspects of
Renaissance rapier-play:
The whole fight was energetic, with a good deal of general

movement-passing, slipping to one side, changing guards, having
first the right foot forward and then the left. Strength and
endurance were essential qualifications for success. We should
remember, too, that two men meeting in earnest would not feel
restricted by any rules of gentlemanly conduct. All rough-and-
tumble techniques of the earlier periods were still legitimate in
serious combat. Wrestling, tripping, and kicking were all
legitimate moves. 32
As the last quarter of the sixteenth century began, the buckler and target were
soon replaced by the dagger in Italy. Germany, like England, continued its
devotion to the cut over the thrust. And Shakespeare's England began to
experience a somewhat heated controversy regarding the importation of the
continental rapier; a controversy one can see clearly represented in several of the
Bard' s plays including Romeo and Juliet and Henry IV, part 1.
During this period of time in England it was considered fit and proper that
aristocratic young men, as part of their cultural "finishing" before they officially
joined society, should make a "Grand Tour" of Europe. Naturally, as these
32 . A. Wise, 39.
young men traveled to Spain, Italy, and France they were introduced to the
rapier and its deadly thrust. These young men returned to England with a desire
to learn more about this new form of fighting. Italian fencing masters, sensing a
profound opportunity to emich themselves, began to travel to England and set
up schools in which rapier and dagger-play were taught. This was not well
received by the English Masters of Defence. This was a hearty group of
Englishmen (virtually all commoners) who had been awarded an exclusive
patent for teaching self-defense by Hemy VIII. 33 They set up a system in which
students could progress from one level to the next: from scholar to free scholar,
from free scholar to provost, and from provost to master. Unfortunately for
them, the patent granted the organization by Hemy VIII expired during
Elizabeth I's reign, just in time for the arrival of these entrepreneurial Italians.
The Masters of Defence advocated the good old English broadsword and
despised the thrusting style of the Italians. One Master of Defence by the name
of George Silver wrote a book entitled Paradoxes ofDefence (1599). This book
was a valiant attempt to defend the English broadsword and stem the Italian
invasion as articulated in Vincentio Saviolo's tome Vincentio Saviolo, His
Practice in Two Books (1595). Silver referred to the Italian style of rapier and
dagger playas the science of "offense," not defense. He also referred to the
Italians and their "frog pricking poniards (daggers)." Italians such as Rocco
Bonetti, Jeronimo, and Vincentio Saviolo, had set up shop in London and begun
to cater to the throngs of young gallants desiring to learn more about this
continental style of swordplay. Some of the English Masters of Defence, in an
effort to embarrass the usurping Italians, challenged them to contests of skill and
to serious duels as well. The Italians frequently refused to fight on the grounds
that the English masters were commoners, and a gentleman was prohibited from
crossing swords with a social inferior. 34 Do what they might, Silver and the
33. In his The English Master ofArms, 1. D. Aylward discusses the

introduction of the rapier to England:
Even when the London Masters of Defence obtained their long

sought monopoly from Hemy VIII, the Italians had already given
the sword a new form, and had evolved scientific theories about its
management...The infiltration of Italian ideology into England was
due, largely, to the craze among the upper classes for Italian
culture. During the sixteenth century every English parent who
could afford it sent his sons adventuring across the Alps to acquire
polish in what was reputed to be the Promised Land.. .no doubt...the
majority found schools of arms more to their taste than
letters.. .During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries a surprising
number of Italians faced the hardships of a journey to England. A
few made it their adopted country; others went back to their native
land after a more or less profitable stay. (39-40)
34. J. D. Aylward., 52-53 . Aylward discusses incidents recounted in George

Silver's Paradoxes of Defence in which Rocco Bonetti receives a sound
other Masters of Defence could not stop the onslaught of the rapier. Much to
their dismay the upper classes continued their love affair with the "new fangled"
rapier and they continued to patronize the Italian fencing masters. Queen
Elizabeth was not disposed to support the Masters of Defence when they
requested a renewal of the patent given them by her father, HeillY VIII.
Therefore, the English masters had no legal means of shutting down the Italians,
and the upper classes continued to look upon the "common" English masters
with scorn even as they studied the new "Italienate" methods of swordplay
taught by Bonetti and others.
Rapier instruction was generally limited to the upper classes, as the
aristocracy tended to be those who could afford to pay the relatively exorbitant
fees demanded by the Italian teachers. The lower classes could afford neither
the expensive new weapon nor the equally expensive lessons which one needed
to become proficient in its use. Therefore, the lower classes continued in their
use of the sword and buckler and its predominantly cutting style of play.
Fencing principles in Italy, France, and Germany seemed to spring from
similar sources. In Spain an entirely different school of rapier-play developed
during the sixteenth century. The Spanish masters introduced a sense of the
mystical into their swordplay via geometric and mathematical principles. The
instructors taught their students legwork by having them step out patterns on
diagonals and tangents drawn out in diagrams on the floor. This came to be
known as the Spanish "magic circle.,,35 The English, for some strange reason,
drubbing at the hand of a waterman, Vincentio Saviolo is knocked down by one

Bartholomew Bramble, and Jeronimo is slain by "two thrustes through the
bodie" with a good old English broadsword, naturally. But it is also possible, as
Alfred Hutton suggests in The Sword and the Centuries (1901), that the Italians
may not have wanted to fight because they were not as good as they advertised.
Hutton muses that if these Italian masters were as good as their claims they
could have easily earned a living in Italy and saved themselves the trouble and
expense of setting up shop in a chauvinistic foreign land bristling with
contentious competitors. (150)
35. In The English Master of Arms, Aylward discusses the Spanish school of
rapier-play and the grudging respect English swordsmen had for duelists trained
in the "mystical" Spanish style:
Ten years after the defeat of the Armada, the Tudor Englishman
still regarded the Spaniard with pious horror. But while he had
quite unwarranted contempt for the Spaniard as a fighting man, he
was eager to study the principles of rapier-play laid down by Don
Jeronimo de Carranza and his successor, Don Luis Pacheco de
Narvaez, actually Master of Arms to the King of Spain. These
masters based their theory upon geometrical principles presuming
a "magic circle," the radius of which was the length of the sword-
blade, itself proportioned to the stature of its owner. By stepping
along the chords and tangents of the magic circle in the correct
came to respect Spanish fencers, much more so than the Italians and French (the
French tended to be taught by Italian masters at this time) . Spanish theory
postulated that if one moved in a certain sequence along established lines one
would eventually gain the advantage of proximity on the opponent and be in a
position to thrust home. The "mystic circle," containing the various lines of
attack and evasion, was marked out on the floor of the Spanish schools and the
scholars took great pains to practice their footwork diligently. The Spanish
swordsmen always kept in motion while they fought, with the feet moving
quickly and lightly -as if executing the intricate steps of a dance. They tended
to keep the feet fairly close together, the body relatively upright, the weapon
arm fully extended, and the point directed at the opponent's face. English
respect notwithstanding, this school of fencing was not particularly practical and
took years of devoted practice to master. 36 Nevertheless, according to Arthur
Wise in The Art and History of Personal Combat (1971), Spanish swordplay
had,
.. .wide European influence whilst remaining itself unaffected by

developments elsewhere. Theory and practice remained
substantially as Thibault described it until well into the eighteenth
century, and this itself argues considerable merit in the method in
actual combat, since it could hardly have lasted if its exponents had
not been able to survive combat with opponents from other
schools. 3?
By the end of the sixteenth century dueling had become quite the rage all over
Europe. To some it may have seemed as if men walked about with their hands
manner the pupil was bound to hit his opponent, unless, of course,
the latter took evasive action by stepping the reverse way. (66)
36. Like J. D. Aylward, Arthur Wise also speculates on the strange respect the
English had for Spanish swordsmen in The Art and History ofPersonal Combat.
This phenomenon is especially strange considering that the two countries were
vying for world leadership:
...this insistence on cool deliberation produced swordsmen who

were renowned throughout Europe as formidable duelists. Perhaps
it was that the system, because of its complexity, was difficult to
leam...it required long hours of practice. .. Whatever the
shortcomings of the system evolved by Caranza and developed by
Narvaez...it produced fine swordsmen.. .it must have had virtues
that are no longer immediately apparent to us. It was certainly
well known in England...(53)
37. Ibid., 117.

perpetually upon their sword hilts, as if they left their abodes with the set intent
of inciting a fight. As previously mentioned, Henri II of France issued edicts
against the practice of dueling, as did Elizabeth I of England, as they grew
increasingly weary of losing their favorite courtiers and most dynamic soldiers
in back alley brawls. Nevertheless, dueling not only continued but grew to be
considered virtually a right of passage for the aristocratic gentleman. Arthur
Wise, in his The Art and History of Personal Combat (1972), discusses the
paradoxical popularity of the duel in France and its deadly consequences:
The latter half of the sixteenth century saw, with the disuse of the
judicial duels, the rise of that extraordinary mania for private
dueling which cost France in 180 years the useless loss of 40,000
valiant gentlemen, killed in single combats which arose generally
on the most futile grounds.38
Much to many a monarch's chagrin, dueling was not only winked at by the
aristocracy, it was considered a sign of good breeding and courage to duel in
defiance of the edicts. In fact, a gentleman's station in society, the esteem in
which he was held by fellow members of his social class, was often a direct
corollary of the number of times he had dueled.
During the late sixteenth century the rapier went through several
innovations. Whereas the weapon had begun as virtually a streamlined
broadsword with arms extending below the quillons to protect the index finger,
new bars began to be added to protect the hand. These bars were not only a
product of necessity, but often resulted from the dictates of fashion-mongers.
Daggers soon began to be produced to match the intricate bars of these "swept"
hilt rapiers. When rapier and dagger were of similar hilt style they were referred
to as "en suite." The favorite weapon of the military continued to be a
broadsword with a basket-type hilt which covered much of the hand. To
effectively make use of the rapier the combatants needed room in which to
thrust, room that was often lacking in the tight confines of a battlefield melee.
Soldiers, and especially members of the cavalry, found the heavier broadsword,
a weapon designed for cutting and slashing, more effective on the battlefield.
By the beginning of the seventeenth century the transition rapier
(flamberge) was being introduced into society. This rapier frequently had no
knuckle-bow and very short quillons. It reflected a transition toward what was
known as single rapier-play. As the rapier evolved toward a lighter weight, it
became a weapon used almost exclusively for thrusting. Fencing masters began
to recognize that a lighter weapon could be used for both offense and defense.
During this century many fencing masters accepted the thrust as supreme and
began to publish that opinion. Fabris, Giganti, and Capo Ferro began to
advocate the parry and the counter-parry-all of which were now possible with
the lighter rapier. It is also during the seventeenth century that the fencing-
38. A. Wise., 48. Wise draws upon Egerton Castle's Schools and Masters of
Fence (1885) for the substance of his discussion.
button was placed on the tip of the blade for practice. This was intended to
curtail the number of eye injuries incurred during practice bouts.
French schools tended to dominate the fencing scene during this century.
Dueling continued to be popular even in the face of laws against it established
by Louis XIV. 39 During the first quarter of this century, a Netherlandish
combination swept-hilt/shell-guard rapier known as the "Pappenheimer" (named
after Gottfried Heimich, Graf zu Pappenheim, one of the most prominent
cavalry leaders of the Thirty Years War) came to be extremely popular. As the
century wore on it became clear that a shell guard was quite adequate for
protecting the hand, especially as swordplay continued to evolve toward an ever
increasingly thrust oriented style. It was during the middle decades of the
seventeenth century, as the rapier gave way to the transition rapier (or
flamberge), that the cut began to fade away into virtual obscurity. During the
waning decades of the century, the transition rapier was rapidly losing its
prominence to a new weapon-the elegant, sleek, small-sword and its exclusive
use of the thrust. This deadly weapon was destined to hang on the hip of most
continental gentlemen for the next 150 years.
Across the English Channel, the English Masters of Defence, no longer
able to make profitable living teaching students, began to fight each other in
quasi-gladiatorial combats for purses of money. Indeed, these men came to be
referred to as gladiators. In days gone by the English Masters of Defence,
commoners that they were, would never have stooped so low as to fight each
other for money. These, however, were different days and times were difficult
for the "masters." These contests were often bloody and brutal affairs in which
scalps were laid open, ears nearly lopped off, fingers and wrists sliced open, and
wounds sewn up with needle and thread, on the stage, in full view of the
audience. Acclaimed scholar of the sword J. D. Aylward, in his The English
Master ofArms, the Twelfth to the Twentieth Century (1956), presents an extant
contemporaneous piece reflecting on the bloody bouts of the English gladiators
as penned by a visiting French author-a certain M. de Rochefort, during the
Restoration of Charles II:
The tallest had the advantage over the least, for according to the
English fashion of fencing, they endeavored to cut rather than to
push in the French manner, so that by his height he had the
advantage of being able to strike his antagonist on the head, against
which the little one was on his guard. He had in his tum an
advantage over the great one in being able to give him the Jamac
stroke by cutting him on the right ham, which he left in a manner
quite unguarded. So that, all things considered, they were equally
matched. Nevertheless, the tall one struck his antagonist on the
wrist, which he almost cut off, but this did not prevent him from
continuing the fight after he had been dressed and taken a glass or
two of wine to give him courage, when he took ample vengeance
39. Palfy-Alpar, 15 .
for his wound. For a little afterwards, the tall man stooping to
parry it laid his whole head open, when the little one gave him a
stroke which took off a slice of his head and almost all his
ear....For my part, I think there is an inhumanity, a cruelty, and a
barbarity in permitting men to kill each other for diversion. The
surgeons immediately dressed them and bound up their wounds,
which being done, they resumed the combat, and both being
sensible of their respective disadvantages, they therefore were a
long time without giving or receiving a wound, which was the
cause that the little one, failing to parry so exactly, and being tired
with his long battle, received a stroke on his wounded wrist which,
dividing the sinews, he remained vanquished, and the tall
conqueror received the applause of the spectators. 40
These contests were frequently fought with a variety of weapons including the
rapier, the rapier and dagger, the broadsword, and the quarterstaff.
In the latter portion of the seventeenth century a new blade, referred to as
a colichemarde, had come on the scene. It had a rather thick forte (the third of
the blade closest to the hilt)-virtually as thick as a rapier; but then it quickly
tapered to a very thin and flexible blade. In theory the colichemarde was to
offer the best of both weapons. It was thought that the thicker forte would allow
the fencer to parry the cut of a rapier should he face a rapier fencer (which was
quickly becoming antiquated, except in Italy and Spain); but the lighter
colichemarde blade would also allow the fencer the quickness of blade to
effectively deal with an opponent sporting the newer small-sword. In reality, the
small-sword continued to gain dominance and the thick forte of the
colichemarde was soon determined to be unnecessary-as the cut had virtually
disappeared. Arthur Wise, in his The Art and History of Personal Combat
40. J. D. Aylward, in The English Master of Arms (London: Routledge and

Kegan Paul, 1956, 120), offers an account of playing the prize in post-
Restoration England, from the diaries of M. de Rochefort, who was doing social
research in London, and therefore "needed no excuse for his presence among his
inferiors at the Bear-Garden." Indeed, it was imperative, for no account of
English manners could be complete without an intensive review of "playing the
prize," a feature peculiar to England. The "Jamac" stroke which is mentioned in
M. de Rochefort's account is a cut to the back of the leg (the "ham") which
might sever either the knee tendons or the ham string muscle. It is named for a
famous French duel in which two favorites of King Henri II, the Sieur de Jamac
and Chastaigneraie, fought. Jamac was taught the stroke by a certain Italian
soldier of fortune, Captain Caizo. De Jamac systematically cut the tendons
behind Chastaigneraie's left knee and then the right. Chastaigneraie was
completely incapacitated and could not continue. He was so distraught he tore
off his bandages and would not let his wounds be dressed. He eventually bled to
death. For a more detailed recounting of this well known duel, see Robert
Baldick's The Duel and Alfred Hutton's The Sword and the Centuries.
(1972), puts the demise of rapier and dagger-play and the ascendancy of the
single-blade style of swordplay in context, when he notes that,
...the superiority of French theory and practice over that of the

Italians was established by the work of Besnard in 1653. Besnard
had in mind the transition rapier, which still retained some
semblance of a cutting edge but which in use could be regarded as
exclusively a thrusting weapon. With Besnard we see the
beginning of the end of rapier play and its replacement by the play
of the small sword which was dominated by French theory and
practice during the eighteenth century. With Besnard, although
passing is still admitted, the lunge is the main method of attack.
We see, too, the establishment of the parry proper, as something
separate from the "time thrust," in which an attack was met with a
counter-attack, which not only beat aside the oncoming blade but
hit the opponent at the same time. So the single movement of the
counter-attack is replaced by the double movement of parry and
riposte.41
The eighteenth century saw the small-sword completely supersede the rapier as
the chosen weapon of the European and English aristocracy. The small-sword
was the product of 150 years of evolution of a weapon that was originally
designed to cut, into a weapon that could both cut and thrust, to, finally, a
weapon designed exclusively for the thrust. There is little doubt that in the
hands of an experienced fencer this was a deadly weapon. The small-sword was
light, flexible, sported a razor sharp point, but no cutting edge. When worn at
court it often exhibited the exquisite craftsmanship normally reserved for
jewelry. The hilt was frequently engraved with intricate designs, which
included precious stones, precious metals, and colorful enamel illustrations.
Gentlemen paid quite exorbitant sums in an effort to obtain a small-sword which
would be the envy of his social circle. Generally these expensive and intricately
crafted weapons were reserved for the court on special occasions and were not
used in actual duels.
During the eighteenth century the differences between the French and
Italian schools of fence became more clearly defined. The French school, based
on small-sword-play, was centered on subtlety in the wrist and fingers and
deception of the opponent's blade. The Italian school was based on a more
aggressive approach which had evolved out of rapier-play. The Italian style
relied upon controlling the opponent's blade with such actions as beating,
enveloping, or binding. The French school, because of its ability to deceive any
attempt to take the blade and quickly return to a threatening line, was ultimately
to be the more widely accepted of the two. Undoubtedly the best known small-
sword stylist of the eighteenth century was Domenico Angelo, an Italian trained
in the French style who established a school of fencing in London which would
41. A. Wise, 126.

become incredibly popular during the second half of the eighteenth century.
Arthur Wise, in The Art and History of Personal Combat (1972), recounts
Angelo's accomplishments despite of the rising popularity of the dueling pistol
in affairs of honor:
Angelo is certainly the most important figure in British personal

combat theory in the eighteenth century. Yet in many ways he
heralded the end of such combat with the sword. There was no
more efficient thrusting weapon for killing a man than the small
sword and in consequence there were few ways in which the
theory and practice of its use could be developed further. And, as
we have seen, a totally new method of killing a man was being
evolved. The pistol, towards the end of the eighteenth century,
was still a crude and unreliable weapon, but it already contained
within itself the idea of thrusting a hole through an opponent far
more effectively than could be done with the small sword, and
without coming into close personal contact with him. 42
Angelo ' s salon was a very popular haunt for the London bon vivant. There one
could socialize, have a drink, get invited to an impending soiree, catch up on the
latest gossip, and grab a quick fencing lesson as well. It should, perhaps, be
mentioned that many of the attacks and parries advocated by such eighteenth
century small-sword masters as Angelo, Danet, Girard, and La Boessiere form
the basis for much of the French foil technique practiced in competitive fencing
to this day.
It was, of course, during the eighteenth century that the musket was to
become the preferred weapon for the soldier and the pistol the preferred weapon
of the duelist. Initially, neither the musket nor the dueling pistol was "rifled."
In other words, the lead balls were not expelled from a barrel which had been
rifled to make the ball spin and travel a more true line. These early weapons
were not particularly accurate. Due to the inconsistency and inaccuracy of these
primitive dueling pistols, small sword duels were still a relatively common
occurrence through the first quarter of the nineteenth century.
The discussion of the eighteenth century and its deadly small-sword
completes our survey of the development of arms, armor, and personal combat
through 1799. Such a survey can only be cursory at best. In a chapter of this
size it would be impossible to discuss all Western cultures, nations, weapons,
and fighting styles utilized through 1799. The primary purpose of this
bibliography is, after all, to guide readers to resources which they can then
research for themselves. The intent of this chapter is merely to serve as an
organizational aid; to assist readers by supplying historical context as they
attempt to "zero in" on whatever resources they deem pertinent to their research.
42. A. Wise., 178.

CHAPTER 2
BOOKS
1. Alaux, Michel. Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975. **H, R, T, E**
ISBN:0-684-14116-7 (cloth) and 0-684-16945-2 (paper). An excellent book on

competitive fencing technique of most use to the fight director, teacher of stage
fencing, and the actor-combatant. The text is 189 pages in length, includes 163
black and white photographs of various techniques with explications, 3 pen and
ink drawings, and 6 diagrams. Here will be found the terminology of fencing
and precise explanations on how to execute all the techniques any fencer could
ever hope to master. However, it should be remembered that many of the
parries and attacks would need to be adjusted for the stage and screen. In a
preface penned by Eugene Blanc, Jr. (President, New York Fencers Club, circa
1975) we are treated to a list of Mr. Alaux's most impressive credits, which
include: Maitre d'Armes at the Fencers Club in New York and thrice coach of
the United States Olympic Fencing Team. Modern Fencing begins with an
entertaining chapter entitled "History of Fencing" which quickly scans the birth
and development of the art of fence. Agrippa's innovations are discussed as are
the contributions of Di Grassi and Vigiani. This section concludes with a lively
narrative of the exploits of one Jean-Louis Michel, a mulatto born in Haiti and
destined to become one of France's greatest duelists during the age of Napoleon.
The book then moves on to its true focal point-an exploration of the theoretical
base and technical expertise required to fence foil, epee, and sabre in
competition. Table of Contents:
HISTORY OF FENCING
Jean-Louis Michel
FOIL
Equipment- Footwork- Fencing Strip-Distance- Grip-The

Engagements- Target- Simple Attacks- Lines- Parries--Hand
Positions- Riposte and Counter Riposte-En-garde Positions-Compound
Attacks-The Lunge- Preparations of Attacks- Footwork-
Counterattacks- Variety of Attacks- Counter Time- Attacks on
Preparation- Bouting
EPEE
Equipment-Defense- Grip-Offense-Target-Preparations of
Attacks- Lines- Counterattacks- Hand Positions-Variety of Attacks-
En-garde-Position- Counter Time and Counter Stop-The Lunge-
Bouting- Footwork
SABRE
Weapon- Footwork- Target- Hand Positions-Line-Simple Attacks-
Grip-Parries- En-garde Position-Riposte and Counter Riposte-The
Lunge- Compound Attacks-The Fleche-Attacks on the Blade-
Distance- Counter Attacks-Variety of Attacks-Bouting
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS
LESSONS LESSONS
Developing Technique (the academic lesson; the bouting lesson; the
training lesson; the group lesson)
CONDITIONING by Marius Valsamis, M. D., Associate Professor of
Pathology at Albert Einstein Medical School Preparation for Endurance-
Preparation for Strength- Coordination and Mobility- A Conditioning
Program
The section on lessons really operates more on a theoretical level as opposed to

supplying specific lesson plans for instruction.
2. Allanson-Winn, R. G. and C. Phillips-Wooley. Broad-Sword and Single-

Stick. London: George Bell and Sons, 1898. **B, I, D, M, V, R, T, E, H**
No ISBN available. Allanson-Winn and Phillips-Wooley offer a "How-To"

manual on quarterstaff, broadsword (read: heavy cavalry sabre), and single stick
(read: German schlager) technique. The text is a brief 116 pages in length,
offers 35 line drawn illustrations, and 5 diagrams. In the Introduction Allanson-
Winn states:
When man was developed, no doubt one of his first ideas was to
get hold of a really good serviceable stick-not a little modem
masher's crutch- a strong weapon, capable of assisting him in
jumping, protecting him from wild beasts, and knocking down his
fellow-man.. .Thus we can imagine that the birth of quarter-staff
play- not much play about it in those days- was a very simple
affair; and we recognize in it the origin and foundation of all the
sword exercises, and all the games in which single-stick, lance, and
bayonet play a prominent part.
Books 33
With these words of introduction the author leaps into an explication of

quarterstaff technique. One of the more interesting aspects of the book is its
presentation of quarterstaff as a competitive sport. The numerous illustrations
and accompanying descriptions of quarterstaff equipment bring to mind the
Japanese kendo (sword) stylist-with all of the accompanying protective armor.
Table of Contents:
I. Introduction
II. The Quarter-staff
III. The Broad-Sword
IV. Single-Stick
V. The Bayonet
VI. The Cudgel, Shillalah, Walking-Stick, Umbrella, and Various
Accessories
Allanson-Winn and Phillips-Wooley have produced a manual on the study and

use of several weapons that are rarely found in other resources. For example,
quarterstaff theory and drills, outside of a very cursory presentation in Arthur
Wise's Weapons in the Theatre, are relatively difficult to find. An interesting
side point is the authors' presentation of the "circle of cuts" offered in this text.
It bears a strong resemblance to Henry Marshall's (Stage Swordplay, 1977)
circular chart diagraming blade paths. The various lines cutting across the circle
represent blade cutting paths, and are numbered one through seven. This system
does not coincide with modem fencing terminology in terms of labeled cuts and
parries. However, many of the trajectory paths do correspond to several cuts
utilized in modem sabre technique.
3. Allcock, Hubert. Heraldic Design: Its Origins, Ancient Forms and

Modern Usage. New York: Tudor Publishing Company,1962. **H, M**
LCCN: 62-19117. Mr. Allcock examines the origins of heraldry (the coat-of-
arms), blazonry (the verbal and technical description of the coat-of-arms), and
how the practice continues to be used to this day by states, universities, colleges,
etc. This brief book, which makes prolific use of illustrations, will be of most
use to armorers constructing medieval shields and costumers constructing
medieval surcoats and banners. The book is 96 pages in length, includes over
500 line drawn (black and white) illustrations, and a glossary-index. In his
introduction Allcock outlines how heraldry came into being, the evolution of the
coat-of-arms, and the creation of the College of Heralds by Richard III of
England. Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Complete Armorial Achievement
Components of a Complete Armorial Achievement
The Shield
Tinctures (Colors)
Charges
Devices
Beasts and Monsters-Birds and a Bee-Vegetables and Fish-A Variety
of Objects-Human and Part Human
The Crest
Impalement of Arms
Quartering
Cadency: The Inheritance Line
Blazonry
Your Own Personal or Commercial Coat
Calligraphy
A Sampling of Symbols
Commercial Arms
Arms of the World:
American Arms-British Arms-Scotch Arms-Irish Arms-French
Arms-Spanish Arms-Italian Arms-Teutonic Arms-Scandinavian
Arms-Russian Arms-Arms of the Pope and Clergy-Arms of the
American Republic- Early American Arms-D. S. Government Seals-
Seals of the States-Academic Arms
Allcock clearly explains the meaning behind the use of color (both tinctures and
metals), how a shield is divided and why, what the various monsters and animals
which adorn a coat-of-arms mean, what a crest is, and the several other elements
which comprise this exact art form.
4. A New Book ofSports. London: Richard Bentley and Son, 1885. **R**
This publication offers a chapter entitled "Rapier and Dagger," (pages 147-154),
no illustrations. "Rapier and Dagger" is an interesting nineteenth century
offering which will be of most interest to the fight director and stage combat
teacher. Fight choreographers may enjoy comparing the descriptions of the
"wardes" (guards) to illustrations from earlier periods. The anonymous author
of this book looks to ancient manuscripts in an effort to clarify the style of rapier
and dagger play current during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. The
author has chosen to confine himself exclusively to those masters who directly
influenced fencing in England: Di Grassi, who was translated into English in
1594; Saviolo, who taught in London and was published in 1595; Silver, who
fought so valiantly in defense of the English broadsword, and whose Paradoxes
of Defence was published in 1599; and Swetnam, who published his book in
1617. Included are references to some of the early guards or "wardes" that were
utilized-the "high," the "broad," and the "low" guard are all discussed in
relative depth. The author also attempts to examine the origin of the lunge in
regard to its appearance in England and credits Joseph Swetnam with first
advocating what modern fencers would now recognize as the lunge. He also
makes inaccurate reference to the "punto riversa" as a riposte. As set forth by
Books 35
Marozzo, the "punto" is simply a point attack to your opponent's right side
(generally initiated from the attacker's left side). An attack of this nature is not
necessarily a riposte-which is an attack immediately following the successful
parry (block/deflection) of an attack. Our author concludes this chapter with a
word of support for the much maligned George Silver, the staunch defender of
the native English broadsword in the face of those "frog-pricking poniards" of
Bonetti, Jeronimo, Saviolo and the other "villainous" Italian masters of what
Silver referred to as the art of"offense."
5. Angelo, Domenico. The School of Fencing. New York: Land's End

Press, 1971 (reprint of 1763 original). **E**
This publication will prove invaluable to anyone interested in theatrical fencing,

especially to those interested in the intricacies of the small-sword of the
eighteenth century. The text is 137 pages in length with 69 black and white line
drawn illustrations of small-sword techniques at various stages of execution.
Also contained in this publication are two small publications by Henry (known
as Harry) Angelo, Domenico's eldest son, entitled The Angelo Cutlass Exercise,
and Hungarian and Highland Broadsword. In Domenico Angelo's descriptions
of technique and Thomas Rowlandson's illustrations (Rowlandson supplies the
illustrations in Harry's reprint-the original illustrations were supplied by John
Gwynne for Domenico's 1763 original) we have a relatively precise record of
eighteenth century small-sword technique. It should, however, be remembered
that many of the poses contained in Angelo's book were considered academic
even in his own time but we are concerned with what is useful theatrically. This
copiously illustrated treatise on the art of fencing is a translation from the
original French into English of Domenico Angelo's L'Ecole des Armes (1763).
This "smaller and less expensive" version of Domenico's magnum opus was
originally published, with Domenico's blessing, in London (1787) by his eldest
son Henry who had since inherited the Fencing Academy at the Opera House,
Haymarket. Domenico Angelo is now considered an icon of the eighteenth
century art of fence and many fight directors frequently utilize this book's
illustrations for choreographic inspiration. Angelo was teaching during that
somewhat awkward period during which the duel with the sword was, more
often than not, being replaced by the duel with pistol. The study of swordplay
was quickly being relegated to the somewhat tepid position of gentlemanly
exercise. This ambiguity is reflected in the descriptions of technique as they take
on the flavor of academic exercise only to slip into a more combative attitude-
as advice is offered for surviving the duel or ambush. Frequently the weapon is
represented as bated, yet just as often we see illustrations depicting the blade
passing through the body of an unfortunate duelist or brigand. Such styles as
sword and dagger, sword and lantern, sword and cloak, sword versus Spanish
rapier, and sword versus broadsword are described and illustrated. The greater
share of the book is devoted to the various thrusts, parries, and leg work
necessary to excel in the use of the small-sword.
6. Annis, P. G. W. Naval Swords: British and American Edged Weapons

1660-1815. Harrisburg, Pennsylania: Stackpole Books, 1970. **R, T, E**
ISBN: 8117-1104-8. This book will be a valuable resource to swordmakers

interested in reproducing Renaissance, Transition, and eighteenth century naval
cut and thrust weapons. The text is 80 pages in length, includes 51 black and
white photographs, 3 diagrams, and a glossary. Mr. Annis was involved with
W. E. May in producing Swords for Sea Service, a two volume comprehensive
examination of swords in the British National Maritime Museum. Naval Swords
is, essentially, a truncated version of these volumes. The text has a decidedly
British point of view as evidenced by the following from the Introduction to
Naval Swords:
The period chosen, from 1660 to 1815, covers the appearance of a

formal naval organization and growth in Britain, the extension of
maritime traditions in America, the continuation and severance of
political links between the two countries and, more importantly in
the present context, the establishment of recognizable types of
edged weapons for seamen.
The period covered is one in which the use of cut and thrust weapons in both the
American and the British Navies was, at the very least, somewhat eclectic. The
formal organization of the British Navy dates from the Restoration of Charles II.
Beginning with the eighteenth century the various European wars and
revolutions gave tremendous stimulus to the development of naval weapons. Of
special interest is the French influence due to the success of the French
Revolution; said influence especially impacting in the weapons used by the
American colonials. The nineteenth century saw the British Navy establishing
patterns for weapons, all of which are discussed and many of which are depicted
in this text. Although several small-swords are pictured in the book-it is the
hanger, the hunting sword, and the cutlass that tend take center stage. The sort
of subtle swordsmanship associated with the small-sword was not considered
particularly valuable on board ship. There is also discussion on German
influence, as both America and Britain tended to import Solingen blades. Table
of Contents:
Plate 1. A Late Seventeenth Century Scallop Shell-hilted Hanger

Plate 2. Admiral Duncan wearing a Bead-hilted Sword
Chapter 1: Naval Swords General History 1660-1815
Larger Hunting Swords
Stirrup Hilts (cavalry influence)-1790s
Back and Broadswords
Eighteenth Century Decoration
The Beaded Hilt Spadroon- I780s
Chapter 2: The Naval Dirk
American and British Dirks
Books 37
Dirk as a Fighting Weapon

The Dirk in Other Countries
The Dirk as a Sign of Officer Status
Chapter 3: Presentation Weapons
Officers Distinguished in Action
Distinguished Careers
Chapter 4: Sword Knots
Sword Knots on Civil and Military Swords
Sword Knots as Sign of Rank and Status
Plates 3-31. Naval Swords worn from 1660-1815
Plates 32-36. Small Swords
Plates 37-42. Cutlasses
Plates 43-51. Dirks
Plates 52-57. Presentation Swords
Mr. Annis frequently turns to portraits from the period in an effort to trace and
date various weapons. Some of the more recognizable portraits examined
include: John Benbow (by Sir Godfrey Kneller), Sir C10wdisley Shovel (by
Michael Dahl), Charles Saunders (by Richard Brompton), Richard Kempenfelt
(by Tilly Kettle), and John Paul Jones (by R. Brookshaw). Naval Swords is very
similar in nature to T. A. Bosenquet's The Naval Officer's Sword, offering a
similar focal point.
7. Ashdown, Charles. Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages. London:

The Holland Press, 1925 (facsimile edition reprinted 1975). **D, V, M**
ISBN: 0-900470-63-1. Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages will be very
helpful as a standard introductory resource for armorers, weaponsmakers, fight
directors, directors, actors, and dramaturgs. The text includes 183 line drawn
illustrations, a photographic frontispiece, a bibliography, and a glossary. The
wide range of usefulness for this text is due not only to its general references to
medieval weaponry, but also to its references to specific historical incidents and
the role the specific weapons and armor played in those incidents. Ashdown's
book best serves as an introduction to its topic. However, when compared to
other offerings in the field it puts several of them to shame. The book does not
offer much detail in its line drawn illustrations. They are of the line drawn
variety which one might find in dozens of other publications covered in this
study or listed in any general arms and armor bibliography. One might compare
this book to Oakeshott and Treece's Fighting Men. Table of Contents:
I. The Saxon Period (To 1066)

II. The Norman Period (1066-1180)
III. The Chain-Mail Period (1180-1250)
IV. The Chain-Mail Reinforced Period (1250-1325)
V. The Cyclas Period (1325-35)
VI. The Studded and Splinted Period (1335-60)
VII. The Camail and Jupon Period (1360-1410)

VIII. The Lancastrian or Surcoatless Period (1410-30)
IX. The Gothic or Tabard Period (1430-1500)
X. The Transition Period (1500-25)
XI. The Maximilian Period (1525-1600)
XII. The Half-armour Period (1600 and afterward)
XIII. The Tournament
XIV. Horse Armour
Each chapter begins by defining the period chronologically and then offers a
listing of significant battles from the period. This same chapter heading will
then frequently offer a list of significant improvements in arms and armor from
that period. The fight director will undoubtedly enjoy the various descriptions
of battles, including several specific "rencountres" and one on one combats.
Finally, the Glossary that Mr. Ashdown has devised will be very useful in
facilitating communication. When one compares it to similar offerings it is
undoubtedly one of the more readable and informative. This is a very useful
piece of scholarship for those involved in the production of plays, films, Faires,
etc. set in the medieval period.
8. Asquith, Stuart and Chris Warner. New Model Army 1645-60. Men-at-
Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, 1981. **R**
ISBN: 0-85045-385-2. This small book will be of most use to fight directors,
costumers, directors, actors, and dramaturgs. The text is 40 pages in length, and
includes a selected bibliography of 25 entries, 29 black and white photographs, 8
color plates, and 6 diagrams of significant battles fought by the New Model
Army. This particular entry focuses on the formation, structure, major battles,
and the major personalities that made up the New Model Army (1645-60), the
army patched together by Cromwell to do battle with King Charles I. List of
section titles:
Introduction
The Origins of the New Model
Organization
Regimental Establishment
The Foot-The Dragoons-The Horse- The Artillery- The Staff
Uniforms and Equipment
Infantry-Cavalry-Dragoons- Weapons- Artillery- Flags
Army Life
Recruiting-Supplies-Discipline- Religion-Marriage-Medals
Campaigns
The Interim-The Second Civil War-Regicides- Ireland-Dunbar and
Worcester-The Commonwealth
The Plates (illustrations)
Books 39
As is typical of this series, the illustrations supplied by Chris Warner are of high
quality and clearly depict the various uniforms, weapons, accoutrements, and
standards of the various regiments of the New Model Army.
9. Aylward, J. D. The English Master of Arms, from the Twelfth to the

Twentieth Century. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1956. **M, R, T,
E**
No ISBN available. Here is a useful resource for directors, dramaturgs, actors-

and even some marginally useful information for choreographers in terms of the
weapons, attacks, parries, stances, etc. in vogue during the various historical
periods the author examines. The book's range is quite broad for its 284 pages
and includes 23 illustrated plates (engravings, portraits, woodcuts, etchings, and
illustrations from ancient original manuscripts), various appendices, a
bibliography, and an index. Mr. Aylward, Member of Honour of the British
Academy of Fencing, is painstakingly meticulous in his research, and does his
best to weave his factual (and occasionally trivial) material into a format that is
reasonably entertaining. However, if one will put up with his occasional
indulgences, there is a great deal to be gleaned from his book in terms of the
ancient methods of fighting, etiquette, and the evolution of weapons, fighting
styles, and teaching methodologies as presented by the English Masters of
Defence (be they native to Britain or not). Table of Contents:
I. The Medieval Master

II. The Tudor Master
III. Playing the Prize
IV. Rocco Bonetti
V. Jeronimo and Saviolo
VI. George Silver
VII. The Jacobean Master
VIII. Monsieur Faubert's Academy
IX. The Carey Manuscript
X. The Gladiator, I
XI. The Gladiators, II
XII. Sir William Hope
XIII. Donald McBane
XIV. The Eighteenth Century Masters
XV. The Later Georgian Masters
XVI. The Angelo School
XVII. The Nineteenth Century
XVIII. Renaissance
Aylward begins with "The Medieval Master" and quickly launches into such
topics as trial by combat and the pugilists, or those professional ruffians who
fought in place of one or both of the litigants in trial by combat...for a price.
Aylward then moves forward to the Renaissance with his chapter on "The Tudor
Master." He also delves into what a candidate had to go through to become a

Master; or that process known as "playing the prize." Aylward also discusses
the process known as the "Bill of Challenge." This was a public proclamation
that an aspirant was ready to attempt to gain his Master's classification, or
"prize," against all "Maisters in their subtle mysterie at the weapons." Chapter
IV. briefly chronicles the career of the Italian who refused to play his prize with
the English Masters, Rocco Bonetti. Aylward describes, in some detail, how the
English Masters sought to plague Bonetti and thwart his attempts to teach.
Chapter V discusses Bonetti's heirs Jeronimo and Saviolo. It is clear from the
evidence Aylward presents that the antagonism that the English Masters held for
Bonetti had by no means abated by the time they dealt with his successors.
Chapter VI takes a look at that venerated champion of the English broadsword,
George Silver, and his long suffering fight against the "new-fangled" rapier and
its deadly point play. Also offered are two chapters on the English "Gladiators"
which examine what "playing the prize" had degenerated into by the late
seventeenth century. The chapter entitled "Renaissance" (Chapter XVIII) details
the efforts of such men as Alfred Hutton and Sir Richard Burton to shine the
spotlight on the early masters through lectures, demonstrations, reprints of
original manuscripts, and new publications on early fencing masters. This
chapter also discusses the "new" style of sport fencing and the effect of the
teachings of nineteenth century master Baptiste Bertand.
10. Aylward, J. D. The House ofAngelo. London: The Batchworth Press,

1953. **E**
No ISBN available. This entertammg and informative look at the Angelo

dynasty will be of most use to directors, fight directors, and dramaturgs for its
wealth of historical information. The book is probably most valuable as a look
into the fashionable London fencing salle of the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries and the colorful personalities that gathered there. The text is 215
pages in length, includes 13 black and white illustrations (photographs and
reproductions of antique plates), a bibliography, and an index. Domenico
Angelo is now primarily remembered for his 1763 tome on the use of the small-
sword, L'Ecole des Armes. For material usable to the choreographer, it is
recommended that one go directly to Angelo's book as opposed to Aylward's.
Although some disarms and techniques illustrated in Domenico's book were
already considered academic in his lifetime, the illustrated plates in the book are
the source of inspiration for countless fight directors to this day. The Angelo
family, beginning in the l760s, was to dominate the London fencing scene for
over a century. The lion's share of The House of Angelo is appropriately
devoted to Domenico, founder of the House of Angelo. Aylward does a
creditable job of narrating Domenico's accomplishments as a teacher of fence
and as a duelist as well. Aylward then moves on to Henry Angelo (who is called
Harry) and is also known as Angelo II. Aylward also deals with Henry Angelo's
transformation of the Angelo School of Fencing into a social club once
gentlemen began leaving their swords at home. An entire chapter is devoted to
Books 41
duels fought by Angelo disciples. There is even an examination of that oh so

mysterious character, the Chevalier d'Eon, whose gender baffled so many until
the day he (?) died. Table of Contents:
I. Domenico Angelo Tremamondo

II. Domenico settles in London
III. Carlisle House
IV. L'Ecole des Armes
V. Life at Carlisle House
VI. Some duels by Angelo's pupils: Wilkes-Riddle-Bate-Dudley-R.
B. Sheridan
VII. Angelo's friends: Wilkes-Horne-Tooke-Reynolds-D'Eon
VIII. Domenico's latter days
IX. Harry Angelo
X. Harry Angelo's life in London
XI. The Opera House Rooms
XII. Harry's pupils: Byron-Herries-the Light Horse Volunteers
XIII. The Bond Street Academy and Harry's latter days
XIV. The Angelo descendants
The House of Angelo is an entertaining narrative of the many accomplishments

and exploits of this First Family of the Small-sword. It serves as a very useful
resource for researching the salle d'arrns of the eighteenth century in London.
and is a remarkable resource penned by a reputable author.
11. Aylward, J. D. The Small-Sword In England: Its History, Its Forms, Its
Makers, and Its Masters. London: Hutchinson's Scientific and Technical
Publication, c. 1945. **E**
No ISBN available. Noted scholar-of-the-sword, J. D. Aylward, offers a

detailed study of the small-sword during multiple decades in several European
countries. This book is an excellent resource for those interested in reproducing
small-swords for the stage. The text is a compact 132 pages in length and
includes 56 illustrations (including 46 different examples of small-swords, 8
reprints of antique illustrations, and 2 diagrams), an index, references, 9
appendices, and a flow-chart. This detailed examination of the small-sword
includes 46 photographs of actual antique small-swords. The publication is
extremely well documented and scholarly in tone. Mr. Aylward has applied his
keen talent for historical research to the development of the small-sword, the
weapon of choice for civilian duels during the period 1660-1800 (although
during the later decades the dueling pistol had already begun to supplant the
small-sword in disputes of honor). Aylward carefully charts French influence
on the English court of Charles I. He also chronicles the introduction and
ascendancy of the small-sword, and its exclusive use of the "thrust" over the
"cut and thrust" play of the rapier. Table of Contents:.
Chapter I: The Sword

Chapter II: Blades
Chapter III: Hilts
Chapter IV: Silver Hilts
Chapter V: Swordsmen
Chapter VI: Contemporary Sources
Chapter VII: Collecting
Chapter VIII: The Sword-Cutler
Appendix
Mr. Aylward has produced an extremely well documented and scholarly

examination of the weapon of choice for the eighteenth century gentleman-
whether on the field of honor or cutting a fashionable swath at court. The
dozens of photographs of small-swords from various nations makes this an
especially attractive publication for swordrnakers. Fight directors will enjoy the
discussion on the several prominent swordsmen and the duels in which they
participated. Drarnaturgs and directors will appreciate the history that Mr.
Aylward so meticulously documents.
12. Baldick, Robert. The Duel: A History of Dueling. New York: Spring
Books, 1965. **D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-600-328376. The Duel is an informative and entertaining historical

survey of the European and American duel. This book will be of most use to
fight directors, directors, actors, and drarnaturgs. The book is 212 pages in
length, with 47 black and white photographs, 43 line drawings, 8 reproductions
of engravings, a bibliography, and an index. Various categories of dueling are
chronicled in chapters that include: the Judicial Duel, the Duel of Honor, and the
Duel of Chivalry. The book draws upon dozens of contemporaneous accounts
of historically famous and infamous duels in France, England, America, and
various countries throughout Europe and Scandinavia. Of particular note may
be the author's chapters entitled "Unusual Duels" and "The Pen and the Sword."
The first presents several duels that, either due to the nature of the conflict, the
weapons involved, or the execution of the duel, are considered to be outside the
traditional and established guidelines of the Code Duello. Some of these
unusual duels include some very humorous incidents. Other episodes are quite
brutal and end tragically. The latter chapter, "The Pen and the Sword," touches
on the duel in literature and various literati who have participated in duels.
Table of Contents:
I. The Origins of the Duel

II. The Middle Ages
III. The Renaissance
IV. The Seventeenth Century
V. The Eighteenth Century
VI. The Nineteenth Century
Books 43
VII. The Twentieth Century

VIII. The Unusual Duel
IX. The Pen and the Sword
Baldick offers narratives of duels involving blades and firearms. He adeptly

presents his narrative in a way which is scholarly yet maintains a sense of humor
throughout. The information is presented in some depth, yet the content is
entertaining.
13. Barbasetti, Luigi. The Art of the Sabre and the Epee. New York: E.
P.Dutton & Co., Inc., 1936. **8, R, T, E**
This book presents numerous drills and exercises designed by Maestro

Barbasetti, circa 1936, for sabre and epee. Many of these drills, with minor
adaptation, can certainly serve as the inspiration for drills for theatrical fencing.
This 170-page book contains 24 black and white photographs, 34 line drawings,
and a glossary of terms. Luigi Barbasetti began his Viennese salle in the fall of
1894. We are informed, by Victor Silberer, Proprietor and Director of the
Allgemeine Sports Zeitung of Vienna, who pens the eloquent Appreciation to
this manual of the Barbasetti style:
...the best fencers in Vienna-and all of Austria for that matter-

soon realized that they still had much to learn from the young
Italian master. ..
Several black and white photographs present Barbasetti's parries for sabre, while
line drawings clarify and support his epee drills. Barbasetti advocates the elbow
as the pivot point for the sabre molinello (what Castello calls the "whirl"). Most
modem masters have long since gravitated toward the Hungarian wrist and
finger centered approach to the sabre. Even though Barbasetti's technique may
no longer be de rigueur for modem competition, the larger circular movements
he advocates are entirely appropriate when one considers the
cueing/telegraphing process so necessary for fencing on the stage. Table of
Contents:
PART ONE-THE ART OF THE SABRE

Chapter I
Introduction
1. Sabre Fencing
2. The Parts ofthe Sabre
3. Holding the Sabre
4. Preparation for the Salute or the First Position
5. The Salute
6. The Guard
7. Resting Position
8. The Target
9. The Distance
10. The Advance
11. The Retreat
12. The Jump Backward
13. The Lunge
14. The Recovery from the Lunge to the
Position of the Guard
Chapter II
15 . Positions of the Hand
16. Movements for Study (Molinelli)
17. Cut to the Head by Molinello Coming from the Left
18. Cut to the Head by Molinello Coming from the Right
19. Molinello to the Flank
20. Molinello to the Abdomen
21. Molinello to the Face
22. Invitations
23. Engagements
Chapter III
24. Cuts in General
25. Direct Cuts
26. Cuts by the Molinello
27. The Thrust
28. Parries in General
29. The Simple Parries
30. Yielding Parries
31. Counter Parries
32. Parries While Recovering from the Lunge
33. The Riposte
34. The Cuts to the Arm
This represents only the first part (three chapters) of three "parts" devoted to
sabre technique. Obviously, Mr. Barbasetti has compiled and explicated a
comprehensive list of techniques. The following 4 chapters (numbers 4 through
7) offer an additional 39 techniques, for a total of 73 sabre techniques. Many of
the basic techniques necessary for competent foil and epee fencing are covered
in the chapters on sabre. What he offers is an additional 4 chapters covering 13
technical aspects of consideration for effective epee fencing. The glossary,
which appears at the end of the text, presents English, Italian, French, and
German translations of various fencing terms.
14. Barber, Richard. The Knight and Chivalry. London: Cox and Wyman,
Ltd., 1970. **M**
ISBN: 0-85115-041-1. Mr. Barber who is also co-author with Juliet Barker of
Tournaments: Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages, offers a
comprehensive and scholarly examination of feudalism, knighthood, chivalry,
Books 45
and religion. The book will be of most use to directors, dramaturgs, and fight
directors. The book is 399 pages in length, offers 22 black and white
photographs, 8 color photographs, a bibliography, and an index. Mr. Barber
delves into the origins of feudalism and knighthood. He begins by examining
the influence of Charlemagne and uses this as a departure point for discussing
the rise of feudalism, the emergence of an elite class of warrior, the aristocracy,
and the integration of chivalry with knighthood. Table of Contents:
Part I: The Feudal Warrior

1. The Knight
2. Knighthood
3. The Heroic Age of Chivalry: the Chansons de Geste
Part II: Chivalry and Literature
4. Traditions of Love and Attitudes to Women
5. The Troubadours and the Courts of Provence
6. The Minnesingers
7. The Romances of Chivalry
8. The Knight and the Clerk
9. Chivalric Biographies and Handbooks
Part III: Chivalry in Action
10. The Tournament as Sport
11 . The Tournament and Politics
12. Warfare
Part IV: Chivalry and Religion
13. The Church, Warfare and Crusades
14. The Military Orders in Palestine
15. The Templars in Exile
16. The Hospitallers at Rhodes and Malta
17. The Teutonic Knights
18. The Spanish Orders
19. The Prince and Chivalry
20. The Secular Orders
21. The Epic of Chivalry Revived
22. Critics of Chivalry and Advocates of Reform
Epilogue
Appendix I: The Order of the Banda
References
Bibliography and Sources of Quotations
Of special interest to the fight director will be chapter twelve, "Warfare."

However, the fight director should take note of the fact that there is little here
regarding how the individual knight fought. Most of the narrative in this chapter
examines the knight as member of a unit of knights involved in combat on
horseback.
15. Barthop, Michael and G. A. Embleton. The Jacobite Rebellions 1689-

1745. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1982. **R, T,
E**
ISBN: 0-85045-432-8. This entry examines the various seventeenth and

eighteenth century attempts to place a Stuart on the throne of England. The text
will be most useful to fight directors, directors, actors, dramaturgs, and
costumers. The book is 39 pages in length, offers approximately 34 black and
white photographs, 8 color plates of costume and weapons renderings, I map,
and a suggested reading list. Scottish uniforms of the period abound throughout
this small but densely packed text. Armorers will not find many useful photos
in this particular Osprey offering; however, some reasonably detailed
illustrations of weapons are supplied. Author Barthop and illustrator Embleton
chronicle the several failed attempts (in 1689, 1708, 1715, 1719, and 1745) to
place a Scottish king upon the throne of England after James II was forced off
the throne for trying to re-Catholicize England and was replaced by William and
Mary. The final rebellion came in 1745 as young Prince Charles Edward Stuart
(son of James III and known as the "Young Pretender") attempted to take
Scotland in a prelude to war with England. He succeeded in taking Edinburgh
but was doomed to failure at Culloden on April 16, 1746. List of section titles:
Chronology of the Jacobite Rebellions

Background
The 1689 Rebellion- The 1708 Rebellion-The 1715 Rebellion-The
1719 Rebellion- The 1745 Rebellion-Aftermath
The Jacobite Forces
The Government Forces
Regiments engaged in the chief actions of the Rebellions, 1689-1746
Uniforms
Jacobite Forces- Government Forces
The Plates (various illustrations of Highland Clansmen and Government
soldiers)
The text examines the Jacobite forces (Stuart), the Government forces (William
and Mary, and later the House of Hanover), and the uniforms and weapons of
these forces. Embleton's illustrations of the Scottish Highlander uniforms and
weapons reflect Osprey's high sense of quality. The core of the book is a time-
line/chronology of all the various battles fought (most of which took place in
Scotland). The narrative is not as lively as found in some of the other Men-at-
Arms offerings focusing more on listing facts, events, and dates.
16. Barthop, Michael and Angus McBride. Marlborough's Army 1702-11.

Men-af-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1980. **E**
ISBN: 0-85045-346-1. Mr. Barthorp supplies the narrative and Mr. McBride the
color illustrations for this book on the army under the command of the young
Books 47
Duke of Marlborough, sent to the Low Countries to do battle with France in the
early years of the eighteenth century. The book will be of most use to fight
directors, directors, dramaturgs, actors, costumers, and weaponsmakers. The
text is 40 pages in length, offers 27 black and white photographs, 2 line drawn
illustrations, 8 color plates (illustrations). William III sent the young
Marlborough to the Low Countries to head a multi-national force (very much
like the NATO of today) in an effort to stop the land and power hungry Louis
XIV of France. List of section titles:
Further Reading
Chronology of the War of the Spanish Succession
Political and Military Background
Officers and Men
Organization, Armament and Employment
Cavalry-Infantry-The British Army in the War of the Spanish
Succession
Uniform and Equipment
Mr. McBride's illustrations reflect the high quality that appears to be the norm in
all Osprey publications on military history. Included are renderings of: the
Duke of Marlborough, the Austrian Prince of Eugene of Savoy, an English
sergeant in the Scots Regiment of Fusiliers, a Danish musketeer, an English
grenadier, an Austrian grenadier, a Dutch musketeer, a Prussian grenadier, a
trooper in the English dragoons, an Austrian trooper, a Dutch artillery officer, an
English gunner, and a Prussian footguardsman. Swordmakers will find a few
photographs of weapons, but will have to rely, more often than not, on Mr.
McBride's illustrations.
17. Blackmore, Howard L. Arms and Armour. New York: E. P. Dutton

and Co., Inc., 1965. **D, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Mr. Blackmore, author of British MilitaryFirearms, Guns

and Rifles of the World, and Firearms, offers a very useful publication for those
interested in reproducing cut and thrust weapons for the stage and screen. The
fight director will also find the illustrations of battle scenes of interest. The text
is 160 pages long, offers 132 black and white photographs, 23 reproductions of
various works of art, and a list of illustrations. Arms and Armour is a pictorial
survey that traces the development of post-classical armor from the simple mail
shirts and broadswords of the Battle of Hastings (1066, the Norman period) to
the modern cavalry breastplate and helmet. Contained in this Dutton Vista
Picturebook are some excellent examples (photographs) of chiseled small-sword
guards, grotesque style helmets, and black and white armor. There is also a
section on armour made for the joust on foot or on horseback. Swords, axes,
daggers, crossbows, etc. are pictured and discussed in an effort to demonstrate
how each improvement in offensive weapons was countered, until the
introduction of the firearm reduced armour to a mere ornamental covering or

symbol of rank. Mr. Blackmore has produced a very concise and compact
publication which is easy to read, and out of which salient information can be
quickly found. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Age of Mail

Chapter 2: Early Plate Armour
Chapter 3: Crossbows
Chapter 4: Gothic Armour
Chapter 5: Maximilian Armour
Chapter 6: War and Peace
Chapter 7: Greenwich Armour
Chapter 8: Staff Weapons
Chapter 9: Armour for Horse and Woman
Chapter 10: Decorated Armour
Chapter 11: The Decline of Armour
Chapter 12: Small-swords
Chapter 13: Eastern Arms and Armour
Mr. Blackmore often writes with humor (for example, when he deals with such
subjects as Henry VIII's armored codpiece and medieval chastity belts).
However, Blackmore never loses his credibility as a scholar. Mr. Blackmore is
a past president of the Arms and Armour Society and a Fellow of the Society of
Antiquaries of London.
18. Blair, Claude. European and American Arms circa 1100-1850. New
York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1962. **H, R, T, E**
No ISBN abailable. Mr. Blair, one of the world's most respected scholars of
arms and armor and formerly of the Tower of London Armouries and the
Department of Metalwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum, offers a very
comprehensive survey of cut and thrust weapons and early firearms, circa 1100-
1850. This is an excellent resource for weaponsmakers, fight directors,
directors, actors, and dramaturgs. The text is 134 pages in length, includes 1
color photograph of 12 weapons, and 650 black and white photographs of cut
and thrust weapons and early firearms. Also included are 194 line drawings of
pommels, swords, hilts, hangers, and sheaths; 30 additional drawings of proof,
artisan, and manufacturer marks; and finally, 28 illustrations of antique firing
mechanisms. Mr. Blair, always the thorough scholar, also includes an index, a
bibliography, and notes on the plates. In Mr. Blair's preface he informs us:
European and American Arms...[is intended as a] convenient guide

to the identification and dating of European and American arms
(excepting artillery) of the period c. 1100-1850 by providing a
large number of illustrations of representative examples...A short
survey of the development, decoration, and manufacture of
Books 49
weapons has also been included, but considerations of space have

prevented this from being more than a very general introduction to
the subj ect.
Mr. Blair defines the sword and early firearm not only by period but by type as
well. Table of Contents:
CHAPTER I: SWORDS AND DAGGERS

The Sword
The Medieval Sword, c. II DO-c. 1500-The Post-Medieval Sword-
The Post-Medieval Cruciform Sword-The Rapier and Its
Successors-Short-Swords-Swords with Curved Blades-The
Broadsword and the Backsword-The Regulation Sword
Daggers and Sheath-knives
Sheaths and Hangers
The Manufacture of Swords and Daggers
CHAPTER II: STAFF-WEAPONS
The Making of Staff-Weapons
CHAPTER III: PROJECTILE WEAPONS
The Sling-The Bow-The Crossbow
CHAPTER IV: PROJECTILE WEAPONS: Firearms and other Guns
Introduction of Firearms and Early Hand-cannon
Systems of ignition-Matchlock- The Wheel-lock-The Snaphance-
The Flintlock- The Percussion-lock
General Development of Long Guns
The Pistol
The Turn-off Pistol-The Pocket Pistol- Pistols with External
Mechanisms-The Dueling Pistol-The Scottish Pistol-Breech
Loading Firearms
Multi-shot and Repeating Firearms
Firearms with more than one Fixed Barrel
Revolvers-Magazine Repeaters
Spring-guns and Air-guns
Accessories
Accessories necessary for the Operation of the Gun-Accessories for
Maintaining Firearms
CHAPTER V: COMBINED WEAPONS
Weapons combined with other objects not in themselves weapons-
Combinations of Two or More Weapons
CHAPTER VI: THE DECORATION OF ARMS
Inlaid Decoration-Damascening-Incrustation with Gold and Silver-
Engraving and Etching- Goldschrnelz-Steel-chiselling- Gilding,
Silvering, Blueing and Browning- Inlaying of Wood
This is an outstanding resource book for those interested in recreating various

period weapons. The first 81 pages of the text comprise Mr. Blair's historical
survey; pages 82 through 122 are devoted to illustrations. A representative list

of daggers and sheath knives presented includes:
Analace-Ballock knife-Baselard-Bayonet-Bowie knife-

Cinquedea-Dirk-Dudgeon- Ear dagger-Hauswehr-
Holbein-Rondel-Landsknecht-Main Gauche-Misericorde-
Poniard-Quillon dagger-Sax-Schiavona-Scramasax-
Stiletto-Sword Breaker-Trousse de Chasse
Mr. Blair's examination of staff weapons is equally impressive:
Ahlspiess-Axe-Bardiche-Bec de Faucon-Bill-
BoarSpear-Burdonass-Brandistock-Catchpole-Chauve
Souris-Corseque-Dart-Fauchard-Fork-Gisarme-
Glaive-Godendag-Halberd-Hammer-Holy Water
Sprinkler-Javelin-Jeddart Staff-Lance-Lancegay-
Linstock-Lochaber Axe-Mace-Morning Star-Partisan-
Pike-Poleaxe-Pole Hammer-Sparth-Spetum-
Tornahawk-Vouge
Despite Mr. Blair's reference to his work as a survey, it certainly has both depth
and breadth. Of special interest to weaponsmakers will be the section on
"Combined Weapons." Here those involved in research will find such unique
weapons as an eighteenth century Hunting Sword Pistol, a sixteenth century
Italian Wheel-Lock Gun and Crossbow combination, a sixteenth century Italian
Wheel-Lock Gun and War-Hammer, a sixteenth century Spanish Axe and
Wheel-Lock Pistol, a late sixteenth century German Pistol-Dagger, a
seventeenth century Gun in the Form of a Sword, and an Italian seventeenth
century Carbine with Hammer Attachment. This publication is a "must have"
for the serious student of antique European and American arms. European and
American Arms stands out as a truly a superior effort of its kind.
19. Blair, Claude. European Armour. London: B. T. Batsford, Ltd., 1958.

**M**
No ISBN available. Mr. Blair, formerly of the Tower of London Armouries

and, at the time of printing, in the Department of Metalwork at the Victoria and
Albert Museum, has penned this comprehensive examination of the medieval
knight's armor beginning 1066 A.D. and terminating in the seventeenth century.
European Armour focuses exclusively on armor and will be of most use to those
seeking to reconstruct medieval armor for the stage and screen. The text is 248
pages in length, offers 66 black and white photographs of extant suits of armor
and/or suits pictured in period artwork, 234 line drawings of helmets, various
harnesses, portions of suits of armor, and shields. Also offered is a select
bibliography, references, and an index. In this publication Mr. Blair chooses to
focus exclusively on armor and purposely excludes medieval weapons.
Books 51
Annorers will find a great deal of verbal description on the various parts of the
medieval suit of annor, when and why improvements appeared, and how those
improvements were implemented. Mr. Blair traces the transition from mail to
plate and describes in some detail the several varieties of European Gothic
Annour. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Age of Mail, c. 1066-c. 1250

Chapter 2: The Introduction of Plate Annour, c. 1250-c.-1330
Chapter 3: Early Plate Annour, c. 1330-c. 1410
Chapter 4: The Great Period, c. 141O-c. 1500
Italian Annour-German Armour-Annour Outside Italy and Gennany
Chapter 5: The Sixteenth century, c. 1500-c. 1600
Chapter 6: The Decline, c. 1600-c. 1700
Chapter 7: Tournament Annour
Chapter 8: The Decoration of Annour
Chapter 9: The Shield
Chapter 10: Horse Annour
Chapter 11: The Making of Annour
Appendix: The Weight of Annour
Of special interest will be pages 195-229, which contain figures 67-300, which
are entitled "Details of Annour." Here the researcher will find line drawn
details of various arms and annor, including:
Helmets-Sallets-Collars-Pauldrons-Bascinets-Annets-
Gorgets-Legharness-Helms-Close-helmets-Gauntlets-
Sabatons-Kettle hats-Burgonets-Vambraces-Breastplates-
Morions-Zischagge- Spaudlers-Backplates- Shields-
Jousting annour- Fastenings
Unfortunately, the book does not offer the fight director much infonnation. In a
detailed fashion Mr. Blair describes his subject, its birth, its evolution, its
decoration, and finally, its demise.
20. Bosenquet, Henry T. A. The Naval Officer's Sword. London: Her

Majesty's Stationary Office, 1955. **R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Mr. Bosenquet offers a detailed examination of various

swords utilized by naval officers of several nations. The author chooses as his
centerpiece the naval swords and dirks in the British National Maritime
Museum, but also includes discussion on American and French weapons as well.
The text is 240 pages in length, offers 9 black and white photographic plates, 6
diagrams, 22 line drawn figures of swords and dirks, 6 Royal Ciphers and 3
Royal Crowns (marks), an index, and a list of authorities (bibliography). The
book begins with "An Introduction to the Sword", which serves as a brief history
of the sword in general. This section includes an attempt to define the sword in
terms of its civilian versus military use . Table of Contents:
PART ONE
Introduction to the Sword
Explanation of Terms
PART TWO
Naval Swords and Dirks in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Index to the Above
Presentation Swords of the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's
PART THREE
"Sword Cutler by Trade" by J. D. Aylward
Preferatory Note to the List of Sword Cutlers
Selected List of Sword-Smiths, Sword-Cutlers, Goldsmiths and Jewelers,
Gold and Silver Lacemen, Naval and Military Tailors, Outfitters and
Accoutrement Makers, 1670-1850 London.
Provincial Sword-Smiths and Sword Cutlers:
Birrningham-Chatham- Edinburgh-Plymouth and Devonport-
Portsmouth, Portsea, Landport, Southsea and Gosport
Bill Heads and Trade Cards
Serious students of the development of the sword and swordplay will certainly
recognize the name of 1. D. Aylward and his contribution in Part III., "Sword
Cutler by Trade." Mr. Aylward, author of Th e Small-Sword in England (see
annotation in this bibliography), included in that publication some rather
detailed appendices-some of which dealt with the trade of the sword cutler in
England during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Mr. Aylward
discusses the evolution of the blade from a flat to a triangular section, including
an examination of the Colichemarde and Hanger. Mr. Bosenquet traces the
influence of the French on both the British and American naval sword;
especially within the context of the French turning to the curved blade
immediately following the French Revolution. The index is set up according to
the following topics:
1. Admiralty
2. Names
3. Civilian Swords
4. Dirks
5. Donors
6. Hangers
7. Military Swords
8. Ships
9. Sword Smiths
The Naval Officer's Sword is most interesting and useful for its unique focus,
naval swords; a focus which imbues it with its personality and, ultimately,
defines its specific niche.
Books 53
21. Bowers, Fredson. Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy 1587-1642. Princeton,

New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1940; (reissued in 1966). **R**
No ISBN available. Fredson Bowers offers a comprehensive examination of the

Elizabethan revenge tragedy. Included is discussion of Elizabeth I's handling of
duelists during her reign, the tremendous increase in dueling during the reign of
James I, and his subsequent edict against dueling. Bower's book will be of use
to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, and actor-combatants. The book is 288
pages in length and offers an index. Mr. Bowers begins his study by examining
the concept of revenge as it would have applied to the Elizabethan. He
discusses several instances in which the pursuit of revenge might have been
deemed acceptable, if still reprehensible from the Christian perspective.
Included in this first chapter is also the recounting of several high profile
murders and duels of the period such as the well-known instance in which,
In 1607 the Lord Sanquire, who had followed James I from

Scotland, was practicing the foils with the fencing master Turner,
and had the misfortune to lose an eye in the bout. (29)
Apparently upon a visit to France the king, noticing the mutilation, commented
that he "was astonished that the giver of the wound was still living." Sanquire
was stung by the reproach, and upon his return to England, promptly hired two
assassins to kill Turner. He was then just as promptly executed for murder.
These are just two of several instances recounted regarding the giving and taking
of revenge. Saviolo, who was at the time, all the rage in terms of matters of
honor, is quoted several times...as is John Seldon. Table of Contents:
Preface
I. The Background of Revenge
II. The Background of the Tragedies
III. The Spanish Tragedy and The Dr-Hamlet
IV. The School ofKyd
V. Interlude: The Reign of the Villain
VI. The Disapproval of Revenge
VII. The Decadence of Revenge Tragedy
VIII. Conclusion
Bowers also discusses the "Code Duello," its Italian origins, the influence of
Machiavelli, and the English distrust of anything Italian. Apparently the typical
Elizabethan loved to see intriguing Italians on the stage and was quite titillated
by plots, machinations, and especially the methodically planned cold-blooded
murder. He also discusses the fact that the typical Londoner would have
attended public executions for entertainment and would have been far from
squeamish at the sight of blood on the stage. This book is a very thorough
examination of the context in which duels of honor and judicial duels appear in
the works of such playwrights as Shakespeare, Kyd, Toumer, Webster, and

others. It does not have a great deal to offer fight directors in terms of how these
combats were practically executed. Dozens of instances of revenge as acted out
in Elizabethan and Jacobean dramas are discussed and analyzed. Bowers does
an excellent job of helping us enter into the mind of the typical Elizabethan
theatre goer and introducing us to what that theatre goer would have expected of
revenge tragedy.
22. The British Code of Duel: A Reference to The Laws of Honour, and the
Character of Gentleman. London: Knight and Lacey, Paternoster Row,
1824; (reissued by the Richmond Publishing Co., Ltd., 1971). **E**
ISBN: 85546-157-8. Here is an excellent example of the flowery prose of the

early nineteenth century (1824) as utilized in expounding upon what constitutes
a gentleman and when a gentleman is justified in defending his honor. The book
will be of most value to the director and dramaturg interested in the social milieu
of the duel. The fight director may find the appendices (one of which follows a
disagreement of the day which led to pistols at dawn) of some interest.
Similarly, the fight director may find some of the punctilio, or pre-challenge and
challenge etiquette of note. Also examined are the proscribed duties of a
"second." However, the prose is somewhat convoluted and, at times, difficult to
follow. For a more succinct examination one might tum to John Lyde Wilson's
The Code of Honor; or Rules for the Government ofPrincipals and Seconds in
Duelling. The text is 85 pages in length, offers no illustrations, and is followed
up by 45 pages of appendices. The beginning of the text is essentially an
examination of why the duel was, despite numerous attempts to the contrary,
still a very viable institution as of 1824. The writer bases his support of the
practice on no less than a single word, honor. However, the author goes to great
pains to make it clear he feels that if true gentlemen were behaving in a true
chivalric manner, there would be far fewer duels. If one is willing to put up with
the excess verbiage, there are occasional jewels to be found. For example, pages
43-44 offer guidelines for the duel with the sword. The author deplores the
sword, and makes it very clear that,
...projectile weapons are consonant to the principle of the duel, as

relates to guarding against the false pride of strength or agility,
since the most delicate sense of honour, and the utmost rectitude of
mind, may be found often unaccompanied by these qualities. (34)
Heaven forbid one sword duelist be more proficient with the blade than the
other. It seems that pistols were, at this time, so untrustworthy, that the hand of
Providence was still readily acknowledged in the affair. Marksmanship was not
yet an acknowledged skill as technology had, apparently, not yet made that
possible. Pages 45-50 give even more detailed information on the duel with
pistol. The text, as a whole, is geared for the duel with pistol but the author does
not neglect the sword. And certainly much of the etiquette and guidelines for
Books 55
the duel, though practiced into the nineteenth century, had already been firmly
established in earlier periods.
23. Bryson, Frederick R. The Sixteenth Century Italian Duel. Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 1938. **R**
No ISBN available. Mr. Bryson, author of The Point of Honor In Sixteenth

Century Italy, offers a very scholarly examination of the origins, the code, and
the technique of the duel as practiced in Italy during the Renaissance. This is an
excellent resource for the fight director, the director, and the actor. There is
little here in terms of training and even less for sword or weaponsmakers as
there are no illustrations. For those who are especially interested in the preduel
formalities, or etiquette of the duel, this book will be a true source of delight.
The text is a dense 248 well-documented pages. The book has no illustrations
but includes a bibliography and index. The tone of the work is very scholarly
and the text is meticulously documented. The primary sources for actual
historical duels are names the reader will, after delving into the duel for any
significant amount of time, recognize : Brantome, Lignano, Albini, Maffei, and
others. These are men of letters who witnessed duels and later chronicled the
exploits of the duelists who placed their lives on the line for reputation or honor.
The somewhat academic tone of the book might put some readers off, but the
information contained here is quite substantial. Table of Contents:
PART I: THE TECHNIQUE OF THE DUEL

Chapter I: The Challenge
Chapter II: The Preparations
Chapter III: The Arms
Chapter IV: The Combat
Chapter V: The Results
PART II: THE STATUS OF THE DUEL
Chapter I: Reason
Chapter II: Law
Chapter III: Religion
Appendixes:
The Origin of the Duel-A Duel in Ancient Greece-A Proposed Duel
in the Thirteenth Century-The Duel Alia Macchia-Decision by
Lot-War-Controversies over Proposed Duels-A List of Arms-
Examples of Actual Duels-The Duel in Poetry-The Duel After the
Sixteenth Century-The Duel at the End of the Nineteenth Century
Here is a well-spring of information regarding how the challenge was delivered,

how the field of honor (the lists) were chosen and prepared, how the arms were
arrived at, and even how combatants were handicapped (in the early days of the
duel) in an attempt to ensure that neither combatant had the advantage. Also,
contained in the appendices one will find "Examples of Actual Duels." Here the
reader will discover not only how these duels were fought, but who supervised
them, how a victor was arrived at, and even how the corpse was disposed of
when the fight was "to the death." These stories and accounts are largely drawn
from Brantome and others who are readily found translated in Hutton's The
Sword and the Centuries or Baldick's The Duel. These books place as a priority
the recounting of actual duels, whereas Bryson's strengths lie elsewhere, while
endeavoring at least to give the reader some anecdotal examples.
24. Brzezinski, Richard and Richard Hook. The Army of Gustavus

Adolphus (1): Infantry. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing,
Ltd., 1991. **R, T**
ISBN: 0-85045-997-4. Mr. Brzezinski offers the narrative while Mr. Hook
furnishes the color illustrations in this book on the organizational reforms and
battles of the infantry of Gustavus Adolphus. This book will be of use to fight
directors, directors, dramaturgs, armorers, actors, costumers, and
weaponsmakers. The text is 48 pages in length, offers 33 black and white
photographs, 5 line drawn illustrations, 1 map, 8 color plates (illustrations). Mr.
Brzezinski traces the military exploits of Gustavus Adolphus and his attempts to
defend Protestantism during The Thirty Years War. He is credited (though the
historical evidence is somewhat problematic) with several military reforms,
including the conscription army, the doing away with bandoliers, and the
introduction of the paper cartridge. List of section titles:
Introduction
The Swedish Background
The Military Background
The Conscript Army
Conscription-The Provincial Regiments-The Human Cost
Mercenaries
The Coloured Regiments-The New Coloured Regiments- British
Mercenaries
Infantry Arms and Armour
Lightening of the Musket-Abolition of the Bandolier-Swinesfeathers-
The Pike and Pikemen's Armour-Infantry Swords
Infantry Uniforms and Clothing
Uniform Colours-The German Campaigns-Conclusions
These are perhaps some of the most lush plates which appear in the Men-at-
Arms Series. Mr. Hook's work is both aesthetically pleasing and brimming with
historical detail. Included are renderings of a Swedish peasant recruit, a
Swedish musketeer, a member of the Old Guard, a musketeer, a pikeman, a
musketeer from the King's Lifeguard company, British mercenaries, a pikeman
from Mackay's/Monroe's Scottish Regiment, and English musketeer, an Irish
and a Finnish musketeer. This small book is an excellent introduction to one of
Books 57
the more interesting and colorful factions involved in the Catholic-Protestant

conflict known as The Thirty Years War.
25. Brzezinski, Richard and Angus McBride. Polish Armies 1569-1696 (1).
Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1987. **R, T**
ISBN: 0-85045-763-x. Mr. Brzezinski offers the text and Mr. McBride the
illustrations in this book focusing on the indigenous elements of the Polish army
circa 1569-1696. The text will be of most use to fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, actors, costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 48
pages in length, offers 25 black and white photographs, 9 line drawn
illustrations, 1 map, 8 color plates (illustrations). According to Mr. Brzezinski:
Much of the material presented here is previously unpublished

even in Poland, and is based on research from primary sources,
archives and museums throughout Europe, and on the mountains of
Polish literature on the subject. (4)
This particular Osprey entry takes as its central focus those portions of the
Polish army that were comprised of Polish nationals. There was a substantial
portion of the army during this period which was made up of forces raised along
the foreign frontiers (especially Germany), but that is the topic of another
Osprey Men-at-Arms entry by Mr. Brzezinski entitled Polish Armies 1569-1696
(2): The Foreign Autorament. List of section titles:
Introduction
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth-Military Dress and Fashion-
Kings of Poland
Chronology
Organisation and Recruitment
The Polish Autorament
Cavalry
Hussars (Husaria)-The Lisowski Cossacks-Light Cavalry
Infantry
Early Polish Infantry-Haiduks-Wybraniecka Infantry
The Lithuanian Army
Pospolite Ruszenie (Levy of the Nobility)
Flags, Command Insignia and Field Signs
Flags-Insignia of Command-Field Signs
Those looking for information on the Polish Hussar's (lancers) will appreciate
this small book so rich in information and illustrations. Many of the black and
white photographs offered are reproductions of period artwork. However,
armorers will find several black and white photographs that exhibit extant
armor, helmets, and chain mail. Unfortunately, weaponsmakers will not fare as
well. They will have to rely almost totally on Mr. McBride's illustrations.
26. Bull, Stephen. An Historic Guide to Arms and Armor. New York: Facts
on File, 1991. **1, B, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-8160-2620-3. Mr. Bull has produced a truly stellar resource on arms
and armor for weaponsmakers, armorers, fight directors, directors, and
dramaturgs. Included in the text's 224 pages are over 265 photographs, 66 color
and black and white reproductions of artwork, an index, and bibliography.
Stephen Bull has done for arms and armor what Arthur Wise did for dueling
with his The Art and History of Personal Combat. There is the occasional
reproduction of Renaissance pike drills from period texts and artwork which
illustrates various famous battles, but the focus most definitely remains on the
weapon as opposed to examining how they were used in action. However, the
illustrations of various battles and confrontations contained in this text can offer
the fight director more information than might at first be anticipated. Table of
Contents:
1. The Greeks and the Romans

2. From the Dark Ages to the Crusades
3. The High Middle Ages
4. From the Renaissance to the Sun King
5. From "Brown Bess" To Maxim
6. Oriental and Tribal Arms and Armour
7. Sporting Arms and Armour
Here is contained a masterful blend of scholarship, art history, and photographic

reproductions of hundreds of pieces of arms and armor. The scope of the
publication is described in Mr. Bull's Introduction:
The present work is intended to provide the beginner with an

introduction to the subject and to give the more specialized reader
food for thought by setting arms in context in a handy one-volume
reference. The field is so vast that it has necessarily to be limited
in terms of both chronology and the types of weapon covered.
Anthony North (author of An Introduction to European Swords and contributor

to A Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapons) edits and offers the
foreword to this impressive piece of scholarship.
27. Burt, Payton H. Of Paces. North Hollywood, Ca.: By the author, 1993.
**R, T, E, H**
Books 59
No ISBN available. Mr. Burt, a Certified Instructor with the Society of

American Fight Directors, offers a "How-To" manual on footwork for theatrical
fencing. Of Paces is a distillation and adaptation of techniques found in
sixteenth century manuals by such Italian masters as Giacomo Di Grassi, Achille
Marozzo, and Rodolfo Capo Ferro. This small textbook will be of most use to
instructors of theatrical fencing, fight directors, and actor-combatants. It is 38
pages in length, offers 6 line drawn illustrations, 78 diagrams on footwork, and a
glossary of terms. Those wishing to obtain this unpublished manuscript may do
so by contacting Payson H. Burt directly. Contact information for Mr. Burt can
located on the SAFD web site at: www.SAFD.org.Inhisintroduction.Mr. Burt
explains how he and fellow SAFD instructor, Brad Waller, began to experiment
with "fighting in a circle" (common during the Renaissance, but discarded with
the ascendancy of the linear footwork associated with the small-sword and
modem competitive fencing) . They soon encountered various obstacles to
defining their terminology. This precipitated "going back to the old fight
manuals of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries." They soon
discovered each of the early masters had their own individual methodology.
Undaunted, they launched into an attempt to discover the "common ground"
among the masters. Mr. Burt's manual is essentially a textbook for teaching the
system that resulted from their in-depth study of the techniques published by the
early Italian masters. Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. The Star
2. The En garde
3. Linear Steps
a. Advance/Retreat
b. Passing
c. Lunging and Combinations
4. OffLine Steps
5. Variations on the Steps
6. Drilling
a. Changes in OffLine Steps When in a One Foot Stance
b. Use of the Star
7. The Half Passe
a. The First Half
b. The Second Half
c. Off Line Steps with a Half Passe
8. Size of the Steps
a. Linear Steps
b. OffLine Steps
Glossary ofTerrns
This is a very informative and useful text booklet. It is not only a distillation of
the work of the early Italian masters, but it offers a succinct and accessible
system for communicating with the actor-combatant about centering, forward
movement, retreating movement, on versus off-line movement, circular
movement, linear movement, angles of approach, angles of retreat, and distance.

Mr. Burt's use of a "star" (depicted in diagram form in the text) taped on the
floor, and the angles which result in respect to the "line of engagement," allow
him to attach specific names such as the "thwart" and the "slip" (terms derived
from the ancient fencing manuals) to define specific angles for advancing,
retreating, and traversing the center line. Of Paces is excellent supplemental
text for the instructor engaged in teaching broadsword, single rapier, rapier and
dagger, transitional rapier, and small-sword legwork.
28. Byam, Michelle. Arms and Armor. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.
**8, B, I, D, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-394-89622-x. Michelle Byam offers her entry in the Eyewitness Books
Series. This particular offering in the series surveys arms and armor from the
Stone Age through the nineteenth century. This is an excellent resource for the
weaponsmaker and fight director. The text is 64 pages in length with over 230
photographs (primarily in color), 110 reproductions of artwork and engravings,
and an index. Michelle Byam offers the text and Dave King offers the
photography in this photo essay examining "...the design, construction, and uses
of hand weapons from a Stone Age axe to the revolvers of the Wild West." The
focus of this survey of weapons through the ages is on its photographs. The
scope of weapons pictured is quite impressive, often including the unusual and
bizarre. Here the weaponsmaker and fight director will find dozens of high
quality color close-up photographs of such weapons as boomerangs, spears,
throwing knives, throwing axes, halberds, daggers, helmets of various periods,
armor and weapons of the Roman Legions and Greek Armies, Viking armor and
weaponry, European broadswords, the longbow and crossbow, plate and mail
armor, Persian and Indian armor, Japanese swords and armor, various firearms
from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and various bizarre hand
weapons. Table of Contents:
I. Prehistoric Weapons
II. Missile Weapons
III. The First Warriors
IV. A Roman Legionary
V. Weapons from the Dark Ages
VI. European Swords
VII. Crossbow versus Longbow
VIII. Axes, Daggers and Knives
IX. Plate and Mail Armor
X. A Suit of Armor
XI. Helmets
XII. Tilting Armor
XIII. An Indian Warrior (India)
XIV. Indian Weapons (India)
XV. A Japanese Samurai
Books 61
XVI. Early Firearms

XVII. Flintlock Firearms
XVIII. Dueling Swords
XIX. Dueling Pistols
xx. Attack by Highwaymen
XXI. Bizarre Hand Weapons
XXII. Grenadiers and Cavalry
XXIII. Keeping Law and Order
XXIV. The Percussion Revolver
XXV. Pistols
XXVI. Guns that Won the West (American)
XXVII. North American Indians
Ms. Byam's editorial comments are enlightening, informative, brief, and

entertaining. She complements without taking focus from Mr. King's
photographs. She draws from several resources so as to place the various
weapons into context historically. Illustrations are frequently reproduced from
famous artists such as Remington, Sidney Paget, Thomas Rowlandson, Robert
Cruikshank, George Cruikshank, and Jacques Callot. These illustrations
frequently reveal the weapon at work in a duel or on the battlefield. Many of the
illustrations (as opposed to Mr. King's photographs) can also be found in such
publications as Arthur Wise's The Art and History ofPersonal Combat-but just
as many appear to be unique to this publication.
29. Carlyle, Thomas. English and Other Critical Essays. London: J. M.

Dent and Sons, Ltd., 1915; (reprinted 1967). **R, T**
No ISBN available. Mr. Carlyle offers a chapter entitled "Two-Hundred and

Fifty Years Ago-Duelling." The book will be of interest to fight directors,
directors, actors, and dramaturgs. The text is 341 pages in length. The chapter
on dueling is 11 pages in length, offers no illustrations, bibliography, or index.
Mr. Carlyle offers a chapter that presents three armed encounters in the time of
James I of England. The first duel recounted took place between Gervase
Markham and John Holles in Sherwood Forest. Markham paid for his
comments in a duel in which Holles delivered a thrust through his body-a
thrust that everyone incorrectly thought to be a fatal one. Markham survived
and the matter was at an end. The second duel involved Sir Thomas Dutton and
Sir Hatton Cheek. It seems that Dutton took issue with the tone in which his
superior officer, Cheek, delivered some commands. Soon after Dutton resigned
his commission, went back to London, and proceeded to talk up the issue.
Eventually, Cheek presented Dutton with a challenge to meet him on the sands
at Calais. The reader will have to pursue this publication to discover the
outcome of this particularly vicious duel. "Two-Hundred and Fifty Years
Ago-Duelling" offers some very interesting details on how duels were
conducted during the time of James I of England. Mr. Carlyle is also the author
of Historical Sketches of Notable Persons and Events in the Reigns of James I
and Charles 1. In this earlier publication (1902) Mr. Carlyle chronicles the
fascinating affair of the "Sackville-Bruce Duel" (circa 1613). He does not go
into great detail in terms of fencing technique, but it does clearly present the
brutal nature of this supposedly civilized exercise. The fight director may wish
to read further of this fascinating and brutal encounter which included Bruce's
surgeon grasping the weapon of the downed duelist and attacking the seriously
wounded Sackville.
30. Cass, Eleanor Baldwin. The Book of Fencing. Boston: Lothrop, Lee
and Shepard, Co., 1930. **H, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. The Book ofFencing is a mixture of historical scholarship,

statistical reports, explanation of technique, approach to theatrical fencing,
suggestions for drills and exhibitions, class syllabus, and philosophical approach
to private coaching. This rather lengthy text will be of use to fight directors and
instructors of stage combat. The text is 380 pages in length, offers 45 black and
white photographs of techniques and luminaries of the fencing world (including
the Bertands and Ralph Faulkner, film choreographer and 1929 Pacific Coast
Sabre and Epee Champion), 34 line drawings, a reading list, and index. Mrs.
Cass has produced a highly engaging and informative publication. Here is
presented a fascinating look at state of the art American fencing circa 1930 by
one of the preeminent American figures in the sport. The publication is liberally
peppered with photographs inscribed to her, poems about fencing dedicated to
her, and other offerings by such luminaries as Leon (author of Cut and Thrust)
and Felix Bertand, Lucien Gaudin (1929 World Amateur Foil Champion), and
Dr. Graeme M. Hammond (President of the American Olympic Association,
1928). Table of Contents:
PART I: HISTORY OF THE SWORD

Chapter 1: Development of the Sword
Chapter 2: General Terms and Principles
Chapter 3: The Development of Swordplay
Chapter 4: The Duel.
PART II: THE SCIENCE OF FENCING
Chapter 5: The Foil
Chapter 6: Fencing Positions
Chapter 7: Class-Work
Chapter 8: The Salute According to Various Masters
Chapter 9: Drills and Exhibitions
Chapter 10: Private Lessons
Chapter 11: The Making of a Champion
Chapter 12: Customs and Phraseology
Chapter 13: The Epee
Chapter 14: The Sabre
Chapter 15: Olympic Rules
Chapter 16: Fencing Scene From Hamlet
Books 63
Chapter 17: Duel Arranged for Pantomime

Chapter 18: Social Phases
PART III. CONTEMPORARY ACTIVITIES
Chapter 19: Masters in Europe and America
Chapter 20: Sectional Activities
Chapter 21 : Captain's Report for American Olympic Team
Chapter 22: Participants in the Eighth Olympiad
Chapter 23 : The Corble Collection (An International collection of
publications and weapons owned by Archibald H. Corble; included are
publications in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish, and
Dutch)
Chapter 24: The Thompson Trophy (An International Competition between
England and America)
Chapter 25: Former Championships
Chapter 26: Olympic Champions
Chapter 27: Fencing Rules
Chapter 28: Fencing Clubs in Europe and America
Mrs. Cass's style is one which is easily accessible and without pretense in its
explication of technique. Those interested in teaching theatrical fencing will
find her descriptions helpful. Her outline of a year long class is an excellent
blueprint for establishing a syllabus. Similarly, her suggestions on private
lessons provide some simple combinations that teachers can adjust for the stage
combat class. The chapters on the history of the blade and dueling offer a
concise narrative covering virtually everything a teacher might require should
they determine to lecture on the duel and weapons of various periods. The
sections covering drills for exhibition are at times somewhat difficult to
decipher, but appear as if they might be entertaining to attempt. There is also a
chapter that describes several salutes which have been taught by prominent
masters since the early 1800s.
31. Cassidy, William. The Complete Book ofKnife Fighting. Boulder, Co.:
Paladin Press, 1975. **H, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-87364-029-2; LCCN: 75-25207. Mr. Cassidy offers some techniques

coupled with a survey on the history and development of knife fighting. The
book will be of use to fight directors and instructors involved in staging or
teaching knife fighting for the stage and screen. The book is 121 pages in
length, offers 77 black and white photographs, 14 line drawn illustrations, and a
bibliography. Mr. Cassidy begins by examining the contributions of such trail-
blazers as W. E. Fairbairn, A. 1. D. Biddle, Rex Applegate, and John Styers. He
then goes on to examine the development of several forms of the fighting knife.
The final portion of the book is devoted to knife fighting techniques. Table of
Contents:
Part I: The Techniques

Historical Development
The Renaissance of Knife Fighting
W. E. Fairbairn-A. J. D. Biddle-Rex Applegate-John Styers
The Rationale of Technique
The Eastern Science
Iai-jutsu and Kenjutsu-A Method of Practice
Part II: The Tools
Historical Development
Tools of the Trade
Knuckle Knives-The Mark I-The Mark III-Custom Knives-
Switchblades-Folding Knives-The Push Dirk-Boot and Sleeve
Knives-The Kukri and the Kris-The Tactical-Survivor
Concealment and Methods of Carry
Part III: The Tactics
By Way ofIntroduction
The Sneak Attack
Basic Instruction
Grip-Stance-Thrusting-Slashing-Mental Discipline
Tactical Movement
Random Observations
Style and Maneuver
A Comparison of Form
Defense
The techniques described will need to be safely adjusted for the stage or screen.
Mr. Cassidy offers some very interesting "moves," grips, modes of carrying a
concealed knife, and methods of defense against a knife attack (including use of
a convenient dead branch), and fencing technique applied to knife fighting.
32. Cassin-Scott, Jack. The Greek and Persian Wars 500-323 B.C. Men-at-
Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1977. **B**
ISBN: 0-85045-271-6. Mr. Cassin-Scott furnishes both text and illustrations for
this book on the various conflicts between the Greek states and Persia circa 500-
323 B.C. It will be of most use to fight directors, directors, drarnaturgs, actors,
costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 40 pages in length, offers
25 black and white photographs, 3 maps, 8 color plates (illustrations). Mr.
Cassin-Scott begins this introduction to Greece's war with Persia by discussing
the Ionian revolt, the defeat of the Ionians at Ephesus, and the subsequent
invasion ofthe Greek mainland. List of section titles:
The Ionian Revolt

Marathon
Thermopylae
Salamis
Plataea and Mycale
Books 65
The Peloponnesian War

Alexander the Great
Mr. Cassin-Scott's illustrations are of the high calibre that appears to be the
standard for the Men-at-Arms Series. Included in his color illustrations are a
Persian standard bearer, a Persian Immortal spearman, a Persian archer, two
Arab cavalrymen, a Greek light infantryman, a Greek heavy infantryman
(hoplite), a Greek slinger, a Persian cavalryman, a Greek archer, a Cretan archer,
a Phrygian heavy infantry mercenary, a Persian spearman, a Persian officer, a
Greek cavalryman, a Thessalian cavalryman, an armored infantry hoplite, and
several armored infantry. Many of these illustrations feature warriors in battle.
Fight directors, armorers, weaponsmakers, and especially costumers will
appreciate the detail in Mr. Cassin-Scott's illustrations. The text, complemented
by these illustrations, offers an excellent introduction to the Greek and Persian
Wars.
33. Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters of Fence. London: George

Shumway, Publisher, 1885; (3rd edition printed 1969). **M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 87387-030-1; LCCN: 73-89562. This publication, penned by Egerton

Castle-one of the nineteenth century's foremost authorities on the history of
fencing-is undoubtedly one of the best sources any student of swordplay or
personal combat could turn to regarding information on the evolution of dueling
and fencing. Here is an excellent general resource for fight directors,
swordmakers, actors, and directors. The 254 pages of text offer 141 illustrations
(including 6 black and white photographic plates of 108 swords and daggers), an
index, and a bibliography. The hundreds of illustrations included should be of
great interest to choreographers, as will be the descriptions of the various
masters' techniques of swordplay. Swordmakers will undoubtedly enjoy
examining the six black and white photographic plates of dozens of rapiers,
small-swords, daggers, broadswords, basket-hilted swords, and transition
rapiers. Mr. Castle's book is an examination of the great schools and masters of
fencing down through the centuries. He begins with a cursory examination of
combat in the Middle Ages but quickly moves on to his primary focus, the
Renaissance through the Age of Enlightenment (the sixteenth-eighteenth
centuries). Mr. Castle's study is primarily rooted in the extant texts and
illustrations from the various periods he chose to explore. One need only look at
the bibliography of this thorough study to see just how tenacious Mr. Castle's
scholarship is. Over 250 entries appear from the sixteenth, seventeenth, and
eighteenth centuries in Spanish, Italian, German, French, and English. Table of
Contents:
Introduction
The Modem Neapolitan School and the old Rapier-play- Object of the
work-Fencing in pictures, in historical novels, on the stage-Periods in
the history of Art: the "Sword," the "Rapier," and the "Small Sword"-
Modem foil-fencing-Broad principles of the Fencing Art
Chapter I
The art of individual fighting in the Middle Ages-Tournaments and
Schools ofFence-Sword dancers-Sword-men and gladiators-Sword
and buckler and "Swashbucklers"-Obnoxious nature of early fencing
schools-The chartered Corporation of Maisters of Fence under the
Tudors-Introduction of Rapier-play in England-National prejudice
against the new-fangled weapon-G. Silver's "Briefe sketche of three
Italian Teachers of Offence"-Ancient Teutonic schools of fence-The
"Marxbruder," the "Federfechter," and the "Luxbruder"-Ancient fencing
schools in Spain-Degrees in arms in the Corporation of Fencing-masters
in Spain-Early Italian schools of arms
Chapter II
Antonio Manciolino and Achille Marozzo-Classification of cuts-
Fanciful guards of the early Italian schools-Marozzo's progression-
Practice in the fencing room-Oath exacted from new pupils-Camillo
Agrippa's system-Numerical guards and Free use of the point-Giacomo
Di Grassi-Typical system of early rapier-lay
Chapter III
Early sixteenth century fencing schools in France and foreign masters-"La
noble science des joueurs d'espee"-Henri de Sainct Didier-Mania for
duelling under the Valoi-Angelo Viggiani-First definition of the lunge
Chapter IV
Geronimo Sanchez Carranza-The "Father of the Science of Arms in
Spain"-Don Luis Pacheco de Narvaez's progression-Early fourteenth
century fencing schools in Germany-The Schwerdt and the Dusack-
Joachim Meyer-Jacob Sutor-German fencing terms
Chapter V
''Vincentio Saviolo his Practice"-The Rapier alone-Rapier and dagger-
George Silver's "Paradoxes of Defence"
Chapter VI
Salvator Fabris-"Guardia" and "contrapostura"-Rules for engagement
amd disengagement
Chapter VII
The Cavalcabos of Bologna-Nicoletta Giganti-The "botta lunga"-
Ridolfo Capo Ferro
Chapter VIII
Early years of the "Academie d'Armes"-Italian and Spanish masters of
fence in France-Girard Thibaust d'Anvers-"Academie de l'Espee"-The
Mysterious Circle
Chapter IX
Franceso Alfieri-Allesandro Senese-Morsicato Pallavicini-The French
school of the seventeenth century-Le Perche du Coudray-Charles
Besnard-The French foil-Philibert de La Tousche- Jean Baptiste Le
Perche
Chapter X
Books 67
Liancour-"Academie d'Armes" in France- The "Confrerie de Saint

Michel" at Ghent-Labat-Girard
Chapter XI
Small-sword fencing and the French "salle d'armes"
-Guillaume Danet-The numerical nomenclature-Danet's theory-La
Boessiere-Dissolution of the "Compagnie des Maitres en fait d'Armes"
Chapter XII
The Art ofFence in Spain, in Italy, and in Germany during the eighteenth
century-The Modern Neapolitan School-The Schlager
Chapter XIII
The Art ofFence in England during the seventeenth century-Gladiators
and stage fights-Sir William Hope-The "Scots Fencing Master"-The
"Sword-man's Vade-Mecum"-The Society of Sword-men in Scotland-
"Vindication of the true Art of Defence"-Gladiator's stage fights-Noted
Prize-fighting Fencing masters-The Practice of the Back Sword-Single-
sticks
Chapter XIV
Angelo in Paris and in London-"L'Ecole des Armes "-Angelo's fencing
rooms-Andrew Lonnergan-Olivier-J. McArthur-Roworth-Practice
of the Broadsword and the Spadroon-Modern English Fencing Schools
Chapter XV
Ancient Swords compared with modern ones-The four periods of the
modern history of the Sword in Europe-Medieval Swords-The
"Rapier"-Component parts of a complete hilt: Guards and Counter-guards,
Quillons, Rings, Pas d'ane and Knuckle-bow-Various forms of blades: the
"Ricasso"-Typical Rapier hilts: bar, shell, and cup hilts-The
"Flamberg"-Transition Rapier-The "Colichemarde"-The Small
Sword-Various forms of Broadsword hilts- "Schiavone," "Claymores,"
and "Mortuary" Swords-Daggers-"Misericorde," "Main Gauche" and
"Stiletto"-Foils-Rebated Swords and Fleurets-Wasters and Single-
sticks
One need only look at the list of illustrations borrowed from the "masters'"
publications to comprehend what a true gold mine of information is here at
hand.
34. Chartrand, Rene and Francis Back. The French Army in the American
War of Independence. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing,
Ltd.,1991. **E**
ISBN: 1-83332-167-X. Mr. Chartrand furnishes the narrative while Mr. Back
offers the color illustrations in this introduction to the French military forces
aiding America in its war for independence from Britain. The book will be of
use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actor-combatants, costumers, and
photographs and 8 color plates (illustrations). The text begins by placing the
French army in America in context, as it had just been soundly defeated by the
British army in the Seven Year's War (the French and Indian War). List of
section titles:
Chronology
The Legacy of the Seven Year's War
Reforms of the Army-Reforms in the Navy-Reforms in the Colonial
Army
War with Britain
The West Indies-The United States- The East Indies-Other Areas
Uniforms
The Metropolitan Army-The 1779 Uniform-Royal-Artillery-Marines
and Bombardiers-Colonial Infantry and Artillery-Foreign Volunteers
Raised in Europe-West Indian Volunteer Corps-Indian Sepoys and
Volunteer Corps-Officers and Drummers-Tropical Dress-Alliance
Cockades-Conclusion-Bibliography
Mr. Back's illustrations are of the high calibre that seems to typify Osprey's
numerous publications on military history. Included in his color plates are
varying types of French soldiers in active service in America during the
Revolutionary War.
35. Chartrand, Rene and Francis Back. Louis XIV's Army. Men-aI-Arms
Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1988 (reprinted in 1989). **R,
T**
ISBN: 0-85045-850-1. Mr. Chartrand supplies the narrative while Mr. Back
pens the color illustrations for this introduction to the various regiments in the
armies of Louis XIV of France. The book will be of most use to fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, costumers, actor-combatants, and weaponsmakers. The
book is 48 pages in length, offers 43 black and white illustrations and 8 color
plates (illustrations). This age saw sweeping reforms take hold in the armies of
France. Included in these reforms was the resurrection of the Mousquetaires de
la Garde (Musketeers of the Guard), which had existed under Louis XIII but had
since been disbanded. D'Artagnan, one of the heroes of Dumas pere's The Three
Musketeers really did exist; he was Captain of the 1st Company from 1667 until
his death at the siege of Maestricht in 1673. List of section titles:
Chronology
The Era of Louis XIV
The Army of 1661
Reorganisation and Administration-Expansion and Manpower-
Command
Units, Uniforms and Weapons: Maison du Roi
Books 69
Gardes du Corps (Body Guards)-Gendarmes de la Garde (Men-at-Arms of

the Guard)-Chevaux-Legers de la Garde (Light Horse of the Guard)-
Mousquetaires de la Garde (Musketeers of the Guard)- Grenadiers a
Cheval de la Guard (Horse Grenadiers of the Guard)-Gardes Francaises
(French Guards)-Gardes Suisses (Swiss Guards)- Gendarmerie de France
(Men-at-Arms of France)
Line Infantry
Weapons and Tactics- Militia
Line Cavalry
Weapons and Uniforms-Hussars-Dragoons-Artillery
Colours and Standards
Bibliographic Note
Color plates include: pikemen, musketeers, Garde du Corps, a Grenadier a

Cheval, troopers, fusiliers, various dragoons, and several militiamen. This is an
excellent introduction to the equipment, uniforms, and weapons of the French
military during the seventeenth century.
36. Clements, John. Renaissance Swordmanship: The Illustrated Use of

Rapiers and Cut-and-Thrust Swords. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1997.
**H, R, T, M**
ISBN: 0-87364-919-2. Mr. Clements offers a "How-To" manual on sparring

with rapier, rapier and dagger, rapier and cloak, rapier and buckler, and cut-and-
thrust sword as well as other weapons common to the Renaissance. It should be
stressed that Mr. Clements is attempting to generate interest in rediscovering
Renaissance-style swordplay as hobby and martial exercise and not as a
theatrical art form. He has an openly stressed agenda which is an attempt to
strip Renaissance swordplay of the supposed baggage which has been attached
to it via the development of competitive fencing technique and the influence of
the "Hollywood" swashbukler movie as typified by the performances of Errol
Flynn, Basil Rathbone, Cornel Wilde, et a1. Although fight directors and
actor/combatants may find his book of some interest it must be stressed that it
offers no insight into working with a partner, only someone in an adversarial
capactiy. Mr. Clements has obvioulsy taken a great deal of time to become
familiar with many of the major "how-to" manuals produced during the
sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. He quotes from them and
makes mutitudious references to them. He does not, however, clearly articulate
the next step--which is how those historical manuals have led him to the
devleopment of the techniques he advocates. He expends a great deal of print
and illustrations on weapons of the period-and stresses how safety is most
important in theatrical swordplay-yet, curiously, does not discuss the
protective equipment which might allow paticipants to engage in the sort of
"sparring" which he advocates . Table of Contents:
Introduction
Author's Note
Chatper I: The Rapier
Chapter 2: The Small-Sword
Chapter 3: Cut-and-Thrust Swords
Illustrations: Weapons and Their Use
Epilogue
Advice to Readers
Bibliography
Mr. Clements book is most successful in it's discussion of the various weapons
utilized during the Renaissance and the evolution of weaponry and fighting
styles. He makes liberal use of line drawn illustrations, but technique is
discussed only in the most general of terms. For example, there is virtually no
discussion of specificity of targeting and how specific parries were developed to
protect against specific attacks to specific targets on the body. He frequently
disparages the bad habits that theatrical swordplay instills in those who would
seek to spar (sparring does have it's benefits for the theatrical fencer-as does
competitive fencing-as both instill in the participants a sense of what it is like
to attempt to make the touch without being hit, as well as a true sense of fencing
measure and just how quickly distance can be covered), but appears to have a
rather tenouous grasp on what theatrical swordplay attempts to accomplish.
What he describes is, indeed, poorly staged combat; combat in which the
combatants attack each others' swords. Well-staged combat has strongly
defined intent behind each cut and thrust and is generally executed on-line. The
participants simply work out of distance, making a hit impossible..,unless
distance has been purposely closed to facilitate a wound or kill. However, Mr.
Clements' frequently attempts to compare apples to oranges. With the
appearance of Dale Girard's Actor's On Guard, publications such as Mr.
Clements'-in which fight directors must make serious adjustments to either
sparring or competitive techniques-have been relegated to secondary
consideration.
37. Clephan, R. Coltman. The Tournament: Its Periods and Phases. New
York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, Co., 1919; (reprinted 1967). **M**
LCCN: 67-26125. Mr. Clephan has penned a very scholarly and comprehensive
study of the tournament and the joust, including an examination of the judicial
duel. This book will be of interest to the fight director, the director, the
dramaturg, the armorer, and the actor-combatant. The text is 195 pages in
length, offers 13 black and white photographs, 7 appendices, an index, and an
extensive international bibliography. Mr. Clephan, author of Defensive Armour,
Weapons and Engines of War, begins in the eleventh century and examines the
tournament (including the tournament, the melee, the joust), and all its
accompanying pomp and circumstance, from its beginnings to its nadir in the
Books 71
sixteenth century. He also discusses the duel "a outrance" (a refereed combat to
the death). Table of Contents:
Chapter I- discusses the rules of the tournament as well as the rules of the joust
circa 1066. It also explores the "Round Table" held in 1389, the use of the
quintain, and judicial duels properly classed with the tournament.
Chapter 2- discusses jousts of peace and jousts a outrance (to the death) . Also
covered in this chapter is discussion on body armour of the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries and penalties for breaking the rules. Of special interest
in this chapter is discussion on the gambeson and the transition to plate
armor.
Chapter 3-focuses on the fourteenth century and includes discussion on the
introduction of firearms and the Romances of Richard Coeur de Lion.
Chapter 4-covers the fifteenth century and the introduction of the tourney
milder and the strengthening of body armor. Also discussed is the less
costly armor made in Germany and the Emperor Maximilian's importing of
Italian smiths. It is during this century that Germany gradually becomes the
chief center of the industry.
Chapter 5-discusses reinforced "tilting armor" and describes the "lists" circa
1443. Also covered are "challenges" of the period, combat on foot, and
jousting at the tilt.
Chapter 6--discusses myths that surround the tournament as well as narrations
of chroniclers on the subject. It is during the early sixteenth century that the
tournament reaches its highest development. This chapter also discusses the
decline of the tournament and jousting with pointed lances.
Chapter 7-examines jousting in England, tournaments during the reign of
Hemy VIII, and Hemy's accomplishments as a jouster.
Chapter 8-discusses the introduction of the trial by combat into England by the
Normans and its curious interlinking with common law. Various methods of
dueling are discussed such as the duel with spiked shields, spiked clubs and
with shields, swords, and daggers. The "coup de Jarnac" is discussed as
well as an irregular duel in the lists at Sedan.
The topics listed above are far from exhaustive. Mr. Clephan makes excellent
use of primary sources and recounts episodes from several tournaments and
duels. The armorer will, no doubt, find the photographs of extant armor of
interest. The fight directors will appreciate the narrative and its accounts of
various armed encounters.
38. Coe, M., P. Connolly, A. Harding, V. Harris, D. J. La Rocca, A. North,

T. Richardson, C. Spring, and F. Wilkinson. Swords and Hilt Weapons.
New York: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1989. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 1-55584-290-9. The authors present a very impressive and handsomely

mounted piece of scholarship on both Eastern and Western swords, daggers, and
other hilted weapons throughout the centuries. The scope is from the flint
chipped blades of the Stone Age to the finest Damascus steel. The book will be
of most use to weaponsmakers (especially those producing swords and daggers),
fight directors, and dramaturgs. Costume designers may find the many portraits
from various periods of use. The text is 239 pages in length; offers more than
400 illustrations including hundreds of color photographs of swords, daggers,
illustrations from fighting manuals and artwork from various periods. Also
included is "Major Collections of Hilt Weapons," a bibliography by chapter, a
list of photographs and illustrations by chapter, and an index. Several of the
world's greatest authorities on the sword contribute to an impressive survey of
the sword and hilt weapons from several epochs and cultures. This superbly
illustrated and comprehensive book covers nearly 4,000 years of sword-making,
starting with the beginnings of the Stone Age cultures and going on to document
the sword, both as a practical tool and as a work of art, throughout history.
Though the emphasis is on the weapon, as opposed to how it was used, the fight
director will still find several references to various duels and encounters in the
lists and on the battlefield. Table of Contents (chapters ten through fifteen do
not have subheadings listed here, as those chapters do not properly fall within
the scope of this study):
Introduction (by Victor Harris)

1. Stone, Bronze and Iron (by Anthony Harding)
Early hilt weapons-The first metal weapons-The Aegean world-The
European dimension-The age of iron
2. Greece and Rome (by Peter Connolly)
Archaic and Classical Greece-Etruscans and Latins Roman expansion-
Imperial Rome
3. Barbarians and Christians (by Anthony North)
Saxons and Vikings- Elusive Byzantium-Ceremonial swords-Falchions
and wheel pommels-The twelfth and thirteenth centuries-Fragments
from the Crusades- The challenge of plate armour-Knives and daggers
4. The Renaissance Spirit (by Donald J. La Rocca)
From cutting to thrusting-Towards the developed hilt-The fifteenth
century- The sixteenth century-Ceremonial swords- Tournament
swords-Hunting swords-Daggers-Fencing-The decorative arts
5. From Rapier to Small-sword (by Anthony North)
Variations on the swept-hilt theme- Cup-hilt rapiers and other variants-
Light rapiers- Rapier blades-Small-sword hilts-Small-sword blades-
Duels and duellers-Small-sword ornaments
6. Seventeenth Century Europe (by Anthony North)
The demise of the cross-hilt-Basket hilts-Brass hilts and increasing
standardization- Curved swords-Hangers-Sculptural and exotic hilts-
Dirks and stilettos- The first bayonets-The sword trade
7. Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Europe (by Anthony North)
Eighteenth century military patterns-The cavalry sabre- Production at
Tula-Other eighteenthcentury hilts-The rise of Bonaparte-Makers'
marks- Presentation swords-The age of industry-Naval swords- Knives
and daggers- The fake business
Books 73
8. Combination Weapons (by Anthony North)

Blade and firearm combinations-Concealed weapons-Arms of the chase
9. American Swords and Knives (Frederick Wilkinson)
The colonial period-The Continental Army and independence-The early
nineteenth century-Bowie and his knife-Union and Confederacy-Into
the twentieth century
10. World Wars I and II (by Frederick Wilkinson)
II. Swords oflslam (by Anthony North)
12. Japanese Swords (by Victor Harris)
13. China and Central Asia (by Thorn Richardson)
14. India and Southeast Asia (by Frederick Wilkinson)
15. African Hilt Weapons (by Christopher Spring)
16. Pre-Conquest America (by Michael D. Coe)
North America-Mesoamerica-South America-The horse and the sword
on a new continent
Anthony North (Senior Research Assistant, Department of Metalwork, Victoria

and Albert Museum) offers much of the text on the medieval period, the later
Renaissance, and the eighteenth century; contributing a total of six out of the
book's sixteen chapters.
39. Cornish, Paul and Angus McBride. Henry VIII's Army. Men-aI-Arms
Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1987. **R**
ISBN: 0-85045-798-X. Mr. Cornish supplies the text while Mr. McBride offers
the color illustrations for this introduction to the standing armies of Hemy VIII
of England. The book will be of most interest to fight directors, directors,
drarnaturgs, actors, costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 48
illustrations and 8 color plates (illustrations). The era of Hemy VIII has been
somewhat neglected from a military history perspective. List of section titles:
Campaigns and Battles

Early Expeditions
The Battle of the Spurs-Flodden Field-War with France, 1522-23-A
Return to War-The 'Enterprise ofBoulogne'-The 'Camisade of
Boulogne'- 1545-1546
Recruitment and Organisation
Equipment
Infantry-Cavalry-Armour- Ordnance
Uniforms
Flags
Further Reading
The Plates
Mr. McBride's color plates are full of detail which the fight director, armorer,
costumer, and weaponsmaker will appreciate. Included in those plates are
several billmen, archers, knights in full armor, border horsemen, German
Landsknechts, a Yoemen of the Guard, various men-at-arms, a halberdier,
various pikemen and demi-Iancers, Irish auxiliary, a German cavalryman, and an
arquebusier. There are several pieces of artwork which illustrate various battles
and suits of armor. Photographs include various suits of armor and a shield fitted
with a breech-locking pistol.
40. Council, Norman. When Honour's at the Stake. New York: Barnes and
Noble, 1973. **R**
ISBN: 06-4912922 . Mr. Council, professor of English at the University of Utah,

makes a scholarly exploration of the various shapes of the concept of "honor" in
the plays of Shakespeare. The book will be of primary use to the director and
dramaturg. The fight director may find it useful in terms of gaining a more
concise understanding of the "Code of Honor" and how it motivated men to die
fighting rather than brook dishonor. The text is 165 pages in length and offers
an index. The fight director will not find much technique here, but will find a
great deal in terms of the duelist's psychology. Table of Contents:
1. Ideas of Honour in Shakespeare's England

2. Hemy IV: the Mirror up to Honour
3. Julius Caesar: the Honourable Brutus
4. Troilus and Cressida: Mad Idolatry
5. Hamlet: the Motives of Tragedy
6. Othello: an Honorable Murderer
7. King Lear: the Wages of Virtue
When Honour's at the Stake will be of interest to anyone who wishes to

understand how typical Elizabethans framed self-image in terms of honor and
gentlemanly behavior especially as presented within the context of
Shakespeare's plays.
41. Craven, Kurt. 101 Sucker Punches. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1989.
**H, U**
ISBN: 0-87364-503-0. Mr. Craven offers a very entertammg little book

designed to keep people from having to engage in any lengthy physical
altercation. His idea is to hit first, hit hard, and hit unexpectedly-in other
words, "sucker punch 'em." The book will be useful to fight directors and
instructors of unarmed stage combat. The book is 94 pages in length, offers 9
line drawn illustrations. Even though Mr. Craven takes a humorous approach to
his topic, he is very serious about his objective: to get you out of a tight situation
without having to get involved in a toe-to-toe fist fight. Many of the techniques
Books 75
advocated by Mr. Craven might be somewhat problematic in terms of live-

performance, but are definitely achievable on camera. The "sucker-punch" is
something which shows up on stage and screen more often than one might
expect. Mr. Craven essentially offers the fight director a ready-made "How-To"
manual on this sneaky art form. Table of Contents:
Chapter I: Classic Sucker Punches

Chapter 2: Bar Games and Bouncers
Chapter 3: Boxing and Wrestling
Chapter 4: Karate Tricks
Chapter 5: Holding and Hitting
Chapter 6: Fighting with Furniture
Chapter 7: Slapstick
Epilogue: The Hard Way
What follows is a sampling of techniques covered:
Your Shoe's Untied-The Nose Tweak-The Coughing Trick-The

"Let's Step Outside" Trick-The "Here Hold This" Trick-The Ed
Parker Nipple Pinch-The "Kiss My Ass" Trick-The "Let Me Take
Off My Jacket-So It Doesn't Get Ripped" Trick-The Drop the
Wallet Gag-The Sand in the Face Gag- The Thunder Road Trick-
The Grab Hair/Smash Face Against Table Attack
As is the case with all of the Paladin Press offerings, the challenge for the fight
director and unarmed combat instructor is in adjusting the described techniques
for the stage and screen. The adjusting process is frequently much easier for the
screen than for the stage but the dedicated and talented fight director can make
several of these techniques work onstage.
42. Crosnier, Roger. Fencing with the Foil. New York: A. S. Barnes and
Company, n.d. **R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Professor Crosnier, former National Coach for Great

Britain, offers the first of three books on fencing, one for each of the three
competitive weapons. Professor Crosnier retired from his position in 1954, and
shortly thereafter began the process of recording his teachings. The book will be
of most use to fight directors, instructors of swordplay for the stage, and actor-
combatants who have already been introduced to foil fencing. The text is 270
illustrations, and a glossary. Professor Crosnier was appointed by the Amateur
Fencing Association in 1949 to be the national coach and travelled throughout
England and Wales giving short instructional lessons in various cities. It is
primarily to provide a textbook of foil fencing for those who have attended his
courses that Professor Crosnier has written this book. Professor Crosnier uses
much of his foreword explaining that a very careful study was undergone before
determining which of the two primary schools, the French or the Italian, would
be the basis for a British school of fence. Ultimately, it was determined that the
French school was better suited to the British temperament. He also discusses at
length the need for a solid foil technique behind the study of epee and sabre.
Table of Contents:
PART ONE: FUNDAMENTAL POSITIONS AND MOVEMENTS

1. The Grip
2. The Stance
3. The Position of On-Guard
4. Gaining and Breaking Ground
5. The Fencing Measure
6. The Development and the Return to Guard
7. The Hit
8. The Fencing Positions. (Lines, Engaging, Covering, Absence of blade)
9. The Change of Engagement
10. The Fleche
PART TWO: SIMPLE ATTACKS
1. The Simple Attack
2. The Straight-thrust
3. The Disengagement
4. The Cut-over
5. The Counter-engagement
6. Simple Attacks in the Low Lines
PART THREE: ELEMENTARY DEFENCE
1. Elementary Defence
2. The Principle of Defence
3. The Simple Parry (Instinctive)
4. The Semi-circular Parry (Low)
5. The Circular Parry (Counter)
PART FOUR: SIMPLE RIPOSTES
1. The Simple Riposte
2. The Direct Riposte
3. The Indirect Ripostes
(a) The Riposte by Disengagement
(b) The Riposte by Cut-over
(c) The Riposte by Counter-disengagement
4. The Simple Ripostes in the Low Lines
5. General Observations
PART FIVE: COMPOUND ATTACKS
PART SIX: SUCCESSIVE PARRIES
PART SEVEN: COMPOUND RIPOSTES
PART EIGHT: COUNTER-RIPOSTES
PART NINE: COUNTER-OFFENSIVE MOVEMENTS
1. The Stop-hit
2. The Time-hit
PART TEN: PREPARATIONS OF ATTACK
Books 77
1. Attacks on the Blade

(a) The Beat
(b) The Pressure
(c) The Froissement
2. Takings of the Blade (Prises de Fer)
(a) The Engagement
(b) The Envelopment
(c) The Bind
(d) The Croise
3. Gaining and Breaking Ground
4. Combination of Preparations
5. The Coule (Graze)
6. Prises de Fer preceding Ripostes
7. Defence against Prises de Fer
PART ELEVEN
1. Attacks with a step forward
2. Defence with a step back
PART TWELVE: VARIETIES OF RENEWED ATTACK
1. The Remise
2. The Redoublement
3. The Reprise
PART THIRTEEN: COUNTER-TIME
PART FOURTEEN
1. The Trompement
2. The Derobement
3. Attacks on the Preparation
PART FIFTEEN: THE INDIVIDUAL LESSON
1. The Teaching Position
2. General Observations on the Lesson
PART SIXTEEN: FIGHTING
1. The Relationship of the Lesson to Fighting
2. The Choice of a Stroke
3. Speed and Cadence
4. The Left-handed Fencer
5. How to Deal with Certain Styles and Tactics
An Example of Progressive Lessons for Class Instruction
(Thirty Hours)
A Simple Guide to Fencing Terms
Instructors will appreciate the section of the text which essentially presents an
outline for thirty hours of foil instruction. Kay Gibson's illustrations are simple
yet effective. The photographs tend to be a combination of action-shots, taken
during various international bouts, and staged shots to illustrate whatever
technique the author is currently describing. Professor Crosnier is also author of
Fencing with the Epee, and he delves into "cut-work" in his Fencing with the
Sabre.
43. Demmin, Auguste. An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour (From

the Earliest Period to the Present Time). Translated by C. C. Black, M. A.,
London: George Bell and Sons, 1901. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Auguste Demmin presents an illustrated survey of arms and

armor from the Stone Age through 1900. This rather lengthy book of historical
narrative and line drawn illustrations will be of most use to weaponsmakers,
armorers, fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs. Actors and costume
designers may find it of passing interest. The text is 595 pages in length, offers
1,644 line drawn illustrations, an index, and bibliography. The text begins with
an abridged history of the development and evolution of arms and armor through
the centuries. The reader will find discussion on metals, smithing practices,
evolution of weapons, a brief examination of who used the weapon or armor,
and how it was worn, carried, and/or utilized. Table of Contents:
I. ABRIDGED HISTORY OF ANCIENT ARMS

II. ARMS OF PRE-HISTORIC TIMES AND OF THE STONE AGE
Arms in chipped flint-Arms of polished flint
III. ANCIENT ARMS OF THE BRONZE AND IRON AGE
Indian arms in bronze and iron-American arms-Assyrian arms, etc. -
Egyptian arms-Greek and Etruscan arms- Roman, Samnite, and Dacian
arms
IV. ARMS OF THE BRONZE AGE OF THE SO-CALLED BARBARIC
WESTERN NATIONS
Germanic arms in bronze-Kelto-Gallic, Gallic, and Lower-Britannic
arms-British arms in bronze-Scandinavian arms in bronze-Bronze
arms of various countries
V. ARMS OF THE IRON AGE BELONGING TO NORTHERN NATIONS
Germanic arms of the Iron Age-Scandinavian arms of the Iron Age-
Arms of the Iron Age of various nations
VI. ARMS OF THE CHRISTIAN MIDDLE AGES, OF THE
RENAISSANCE, AND OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH
CENTURIES
Complete equipments of the Middle Ages-Complete equipments of the
Renaissance-Complete equipments of the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries-Description of suits of armour: helmet-cuirasses-stake-
shield-coats-arm-guard-gauntlet-greaves and hose-spurs-horse
armour-saddle-stirrup--bridle-sword- dagger-poniard, etc.-lance
and pike-mace-morning star-flail-war-scythe-scythe-knife-
gisarme-voulge-war-hammer-war-hatchet-halberd-ranseur-
partizan-bayonet-spontoon-military fork-arms and utensils of war
and chase-siege weapons-war machines-sling-staff weapons-
blow-pipe-bows and arrows-cross-bow
VII. FIRE-ARMS
Books 79
Heavy artillery-the mortar- the cannon-portable fire-arms-the hand

cannon, hackbuss, arquebus, muskets, etc.-the pistol-accessories for
fire-arms
VIII. THE AIR-GUN
IX. THE ART OF THE ARMOURER AND ARQUEBUSIER.-
MONOGRAMS, INITIALS, AND NAMES OF ARMOURERS
X. ARMS, CROSSES, AND SIGNS OF THE FREE JUDGES
XI. ADVICE AND RECEIPTS FOR COLLECTORS OF ARMS
The sheer number of arms, armor, shields, and various accoutrements of battle
presented here is quite impressive. The book will help the reader to more
effectively locate specific eras, nationalities, and facilitate a basic understanding
of how the weapon (or piece of armor, shield, helmet, etc.) was produced and
used.
44. Dillon. Robert W., Jr. "Towards A Theatrical Hoplology: An Approach

to Staging, Performance, and Critical Theory for Weapons-Play in the
Theatre." Ph.D. diss., University of Missouri, Columbia, 1989. ** M, R, E,
H**
No ISBN available. Robert Dillon, Jr., of Southeast Missouri State University,

unveils the new science of "theatrical hoplology" in his Ph.D. dissertation. He
essentially applies what had traditionally been considered an anthropological
science to the art form of stage combat. This Ph.D. dissertation will be of most
use to fight directors, directors, actor-combatants, and dramaturgs. This
unpublished manuscript is 185 pages in length, offers 5 appendices, notes, and a
bibliography. Those interested in obtaining Dr. Dillon's manuscript may do so
by sending $40.00 to: Towards A Theatrical Hoplology, c/o Dr. Robert W.
Dillon, Jr., 1419 Blue Ridge, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 63701 (573-651-2491).
To quote from Dr. Dillon's abstract,
Hoplology is the study of human combative behavior divided into

three main foci; technological hoplology, functional hoplology,
and behavioral hoplology. The study combines these with script
analysis to form theatrical hoplology.
Dr. Dillon's study is primarily devoted to presenting various methodologies

possible when one combines the three foci listed above to script analysis. He
then takes his findings and applies them to three plays, George Farquhar's The
Beaux Strategem (1707) and William Shakespeare's Hamlet (1602) and Macbeth
(1606). Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction
The Perennial Problem
The Solution-A Theatrical Hoplology
Scope and Design of the Study
Chapter 2: The Rogues Thrown

The Theatrical Context
The Hoplological Context
The Fight
Conclusions
Chapter 3: Hamlet Rearmed
The Fight
Conclusions
Chapter 4: Macbeth's Bloody Tachi
The Fight
Conclusions
Chapter 5: Conclusion
Appendix A-The Rehearsal of Staged Fights
Appendix B-Weapons-makers
Appendix C-Addresses of Certified SAFD Fight Masters
Appendix D-Samples: Questionnaires and Responses of Fight Masters
Appendix E-Annotated Stage Combat Bibliography
Notes
Works Cited
Vita
Much of the fourth chapter's analysis of Macbeth is devoted to placing the play
within an Asian context, as the author is very interested in the Eastern martial
arts. Dillon has penned articles for such publications as Inside Karate, Black
Belt, and Kick Illustrated. Therefore, it should come as no great surprise that the
1985 production of Shogun Macbeth, directed by John Briggs, holds great
interest for Dr. Dillon, who felt inspired to make,
...an effort to stretch the embrace of theatrical hoplology around

both a continental, Renaissance-Medieval Macbeth and "samurai"
weaponry and martial techniques. (32)
This is a scholarly and fascinating study that any fight director will find both
informative and useful. Dr. Dillon offers great insight into gleaning information
from the script and how to couple that information to a specific fighting style to
create a viable and entertaining sequence of staged violence. Perhaps the most
valuable aspect of the document is that it offers the fight director a systematic
approach for creating the hoplological context for any fight in virtually any
period or style.
45. Donovan, Frank R. The Vikings. New York: Harper and Row, 1964.
**D, V**
Books 81
LCCN: 64-17106. Mr. Donovan offers a study of the Age of the Viking from
the end of the eighth century until the middle of the eleventh century. The book
will be of use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actor-combatants, and
illustrations, 44 color illustrations, 6 maps, an index, and a listing of further
references. Mr. Donovan begins by discussing the respect the Vikings had for
Charlemagne and the origin of the word "viking." Table of Contents:
I. Terror of the Empire

II. Raiders and Pirates
III. The Great Invasion
IV. Vikings of the East
V. Buried Plunder
VI. Explorers and Colonists
VII. Windland the Good
VIII. VIII: The End of the Vikings
Included in this informative text is an examination of the evolution of the Viking

war ship and how it was used to slip up rivers to attack unsuspecting
communities. Mr. Donovan makes excellent use of illustrations, many of which
depict Vikings in battle on land and at sea. There are several photographs of
extant Viking swords. Donovan examines several of the more colorful legends
regarding great Viking leaders and their prowess in battle.
46. Dufty, Arthur Richard. European Armour in the Tower of London.

London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1968. **M, R, T**
No ISBN available. Arthur Richard Dufty, Master of the Armouries (circa

1968) offers this photo essay on the dozens of suits of armor in the Tower of
London. This book could be of significant aid to those who are interested in
recreating medieval and renaissance armor. William Reid's introduction is the
only part of the text which is paginated (17 pages). The book includes 509
photographs and illustrations, a table of inventory and plate numbers, and an
index. In his preface Mr. Dufty informs us:
This PICTURE-BOOK of European armour is the first of a series

intended to illustrate selected pieces in the Armouries in Her
Majesty's Tower of London. It is neither a textbook nor a
catalogue, nor is it a substitute for either.
Aside from the introduction offered by William Reid, author of ArmsThrough

the Ages and The Lore of Arms, text is virtually nonexistent. There are brief
descriptions which name the original owner of the armor and the date it was
constructed, if that information is known. This publication offers 509 pictures
of tilting armor, foot-combat armor, helmets, spurs, gauntlets, cuirasses, bevors,
shields, pauldrons, vambraces, poleynes, chanfron (horse helmets) and virtually

any piece of a suit-of-armor you can imagine. There are ninety-two pictures of
various helmets alone; close helmets, great helms, barbuttes, kettle helmets,
bascinets, sallets, morions, cabacetes, armets, tilt helms, burgonets, etc. Most of
the pictures are black and white, but the detailing is excellent. There are several
examples of damascened helmets and cuirasses that are strikingly beautiful.
There are also several reproductions of antique paintings (some in color) which
picture armor from the periods covered. There are several examples of Henry
VIlIs armor and additional Gothic suits-of-armor (including a grotesque helmet
which is all that is left of a suit of armor which was a gift from Maximilian I to
Henry VIII). This text is an excellent resource for horse armor as well.
47. Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. New York:
The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1980. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-672-52050-8. Col. Dupuy offers a survey of the development of

warfare and weapons from the Stone Age to the 1980s of use to the fight
director, director, actor, dramaturg; perhaps marginally useful to
weaponsmakers as well. The book is 350 pages in length, no illustrations, 10
tables, an appendix (a distillation of the book), and an index. This book
examines the ideas, technology, and the drama and horror of battle. It is an
entertaining account of the most significant weapons human ingenuity has been
able to invent. Col. Dupuy does not focus on the combatant as an individual but
rather as a member of a fighting unit, e.g., the Greek phalanx, the Roman legion,
the Frank fyrd, the Viking raiding party, etc. All of the above are examined in
terms of weapons, tactics, strategies, and other relative strengths and
weaknesses. Table of Contents:
PART ONE: THE AGE OF MUSCLE

I. Pike, Bow, Sword, Shield, and Chariot
2000-500 B.C.
II. Phalanx and Sarissa 500-200 B.C.
III. Gladius, Pilum, and Legion 400 B.C.-A.D. 300
IV. Ancient Fortifications and Siegecraft 1000 B.C.- A.D. 300.
V. Stirrup and Lance: The Rise of Cavalry A.D . 300-500
VI. Squalid Butchery A.D. 500-1000
VII. The Islamic Explosion A.D. 630-1000
VIII. Byzantine Guile and Skill A.D. 630-1000
IX. The Crusades: Interaction of East and West 1100-1300
X. Whirlwind from Mongolia 1200-1300
XI. The Revival ofInfantry: English Longbow and Swiss Pike 1200-
1500
PART TWO: THE AGE OF GUNPOWDER
XII. Bombard, Hackbut, Petard, and Howitzer 1400-1600
XIII. New Fortifications and Siegecraft 1400-1700
XIV. Spanish Square and Spanish Galleon 1500-1600
Books 83
XV. Ship of the Line: Gunpowder Rules the Sea 1550-1800

XVI. Gustavus Adolphus: The Marriage of Infantry and Artillery 1600-
1700
XVII. Frederick and the Perfection of Gunpowder Tactics 1700-1780
XVIII. Napoleon and the Revolution in Warfare 1795-1815
PART THREE: THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
Part Three covers information outside the scope of this text..
APPENDIX: DISTILLATION
The second part of the book, "The Age of Gunpowder," focuses on the
Renaissance period and the weapons in use during this period. However, there
is much in this section having to do with cut and thrust oriented combat,
certainly enough to include listing the table of contents in detail. The first two
thirds of the book will be very useful for the teacher of stage combat who is
looking for source material on a lecture on the history and development on arms
and warfare. Col. Dupuy's style is accessible, entertaining, and full of historical
specifics. Col. Dupuy necessarily offers much on the individual combatant in
terms of weapomy and fighting techniques.
48. Edelman, Charles. Brawl Ridiculous: Swordfighting in Shakespeare's

Plays. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. **R**
ISBN: 0-7190-3507-4. Mr. Edelman speculates on how the fight scenes in

Shakespeare's plays might have been staged under original performance
conditions. The book is 218 pages in length including note, bibliography, and
index. Mr. Edelman is most concerned with how Shakespeare makes use of
combat dramaturgically--his imaginative use of fight scenes to illucidate theme,
plot, and character:
...1 have tried to show the remarkably innovative nature of

Shakespeare's stagecraft in placing such a large amount of fighting
on stage...how each fight must be carefully analysed for indications
of how, when staged appropriately, it can illuminate character and
thematic development of the plays....[and] give audiences what the
Elizabethans received-splendid displays of swordmanship. (89)
Mr. Edelman makes a strong argument in support of the fact that Shakespeare
inserted scenes of combat for poetic and dramatic reasons and not merely to
placate the less refined members of his audience. Table of Contents:
Introduction: Fencers in the Playhouse

Chapter One: Stage Combat Before Shakespeare
Chapter Two: The Actors Arms and Armour
Chapter Three: Elizabethan Neo-Medievalism
Chapter Four: I Henry VI
Chapter Five: The Wars of the Roses: 2 and 3 Henry VI, Richard III
Chapter Six: King John

Chapter Seven: The Henry VPlays
Chapter Eight: The Sieges of Troy and Corioles
Chapter Nine: Pre-Norman Britain: King Lear, Macbeth, Cymbeline
Chapter Ten: Rapier and Dagger: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet
Editions Cited
Notes
Index
Mr. Edelman analyzes many of Shakespeare's better known fight scenes in

terms of what weapomy and armor might have originally been utilized. He also
does an admirable job of analyzing the various fight scenes in terms of their
symbolic and thematic resonances. If the sort of speculation offered by Dover
Wilson in his series of letters to the London Times Literary Supplement
regarding the fencing match in Hamlet are to your taste-this book is for you.
49. Edge, David and John Miles Paddock. Arms and Armor ofthe Medieval
Knight: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages. New York:
Crescent Books, 1988. **D, M, R**
ISBN: 0-517-64468-1. Edge and Paddock have produced a very handsome and
stimulating piece of scholarship on the medieval knight from his relatively
barbaric beginnings to his chivalric zenith in the sixteenth century. This book
will undoubtedly be quite useful to fight directors, directors, actors, dramaturgs,
weaponsmakers, armorers, and costumers as well. The text is 192 pages in
length and offers over 150 color and 170 black and white photographs of
weapons, armor, and period works of art. Another significant addition is a
detailed glossary, with 7 pages of defined terms. Included in this glossary are a
number of line drawn illustrations of various medieval helmets. An index is also
supplied. This is a very comprehensive study of the social milieu, the weapons,
the armor, and the training of the medieval knight. The photographs are
strikingly detailed and serve as the centerpiece of the book. Of special interest
will be the numerous photographs and line drawn illustrations of dozens of
medieval helmets. Equally impressive is the number of reproductions of
weapons (staff weapons, swords, daggers, battle axes, maces, etc.), armor, and
art from the period. Table of Contents:
Introduction- The Origins of the Knight

1. The Eleventh Century-Adventurers to Aristocrats
2. The Twelfth Century-The Era of the Crusades
3. Paladins and Paynims-The Thirteenth-century
4. The Fourteenth Century-The Parfait Gentil Knight
5. Courtesy and Carnage-The Fifteenth-century
6. The Sixteenth Century- The Final Flowering
7. Tournaments- The Sport of Princes
Appendices
Books 85
Glossary
Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight is a highly illustrated survey on the
European knights, their weapons, and the often far from chivalrous wars and
battles they fought. Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight traces the knight's
evolution from his early days of chain mail and crude helmets to the elaborate
suits of full plate armor of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The authors
have compiled an impressive number of photographs of suits-of-armor and
weapons (all of excellent quality) from museums and collections all over
Europe. Additionally, the detailed information provided in the text
(conveniently structured according to century) relating to the various suits of
armor and weapons effectively complements the publication's photographs.
49a. Edmond, James, editor. Violence in Drama. See entry 110.
50. Fawcett, William (Adjutant General). Rules and Regulations for the
Sword Exercise ofthe Cavalry. London: Printed for the War Office and sold
by T. Egerton, Military Library, Whitehall, 1796; (reprinted by Museum
Restoration Service, Ottawa, Ontario, 1970). **H, E**
No ISBN available. Adjutant General William Fawcett publishes, by royal

order, the various sword exercises to be taught to the British cavalry. The text
will be useful to fight directors, directors, drarnaturgs, and actor combatants.
The book is 99 pages in length and offers 42 line drawn illustrations. There is
no bibliography or index offered. This book is comprised of exercises designed
to instruct members of the cavalry on how to use the cavalry sabre on foot and
on horseback. Table of Contents:
PART I.
General Principles of the several cuts
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -.- guards
- - - - - - - - of applying the point
- - - - - - - - of the cuts and guard against infantry
Drill on Foot
Position of the recruit, with the direction in which the six cuts are to be
applied
Sword knots
Drawing of Swords
Sloping of Swords
Returning of Swords
Prepare to guard
Guard
Cuts
Method of executing cut I.
- - - - - - - - -- II.
- - - -- - -- -- III.
- -- - - -- -- IV.
- -- - - - -- - - - V.
- - - - - - - - - VI.
The mode of executing the six cuts collectively
Modes of Parrying Cavalry
Left protect
Right protect
Horse near side protect
- - - off side protect
Bridle-arm protect
Sword-arm protect
St. George
Cut to the rear from the St. George
General Application of the Point, with the mode of
parrying and directing the cuts against Infantry.
Left give point
To the rear parry
Cut IV. from the parry
Front give point
Cut V. & VI. from the point
Right give point
Rear parry
Cut III. from the parry
Tellings Off in Battalion or Division
Mode of taking distance of files for Sword exercise
Proving distance of files
Sword exercise on foot, with explanatory notes
Sword Exercise Comprised in Six Divisions of Movements, with the Words
of Command.
First division of movements
Second division of movements
Third division of movements
Fourth division of movements
Fifth division of movements
Sixth division of movements
Forming the battalion after exercise
PART II.
Drill on Horseback
Distance of ranks and files on horseback
The Sword exercise when mounted
Sword drill moving in circle
Position of the dragoon on horseback
The Sword exercise performed in speed
Running at the ring
Application of the edge
Attack and defence
Books 87
PART III.
Method of instruction in classes
Directions to be observed with respect to the drills
PARTlY.
Review exercise
Six divisions performed in line
- - - - - - - -- - in speed
The attack in line
- -- -- in speed
Here is an excellent primary resource for the fight director to gain a more
complete understanding of how the cavalry functioned during the late eighteenth
century. There are dozens of line drawn illustrations which supplement the
explication offered on the various parries, guards, and cutting and thrusting
attacks utilized with the cavalry sabre.
51. Fosten, Bryan. Wellington's Infantry (1). Men-at-Arms Series. London:

Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1981. **E**
ISBN: 0-85045-395-X. Mr. Fosten continues his examination of Wellington's

forces by focusing on the infantry. This book will be of most use to fight
directors, directors, costumers, dramaturgs, and actor-combatants. The text is 40
pages in length, offers 39 black and white photographs, and 8 plates of color
illustrations. There is also a second Osprey entry detailing Wellington's infantry
appropriately titled Wellington's Infantry (2) and two additional publications
entitled Wellington's Light Cavalry and Wellington's Heavy Cavalry. This is a
marginal selection-as Wellington's Division effectively strides the cut-off date
for this bibliography, 1800, and go on to have its most significant impact at the
Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Mr. Fosten begins by discussing the expansion of
the infantry during the American Colonies war for independence. List of section
titles:
Composition of the Infantry

Commanders and Staff
The Duke of York's Reforms-Wellington (biography)
Establishment (strengths)
1809 Establishment- British Infantry in the Peninsula (Iberian)
Army Life
Recruiting- Age and Height-Pay-Barracks-Food-Bivouacs-
Tents-Women and Marriage
Organization
Weapons and Equipment
Muskets-Pikes-Swords-Pistols- Ammunition-the Cartridge Pouch-
the Belts- Haversacks- Canteens- Knapsacks
Movements and Drill
The March- Basic Drill
Regimental Distinctions
The fight director will undoubtedly find the section on "Movements and Drills"
of use, especially for film. The section on "Weapons and Equipment" also
offers information on such cut and thrust weapons as the pike and sword. The
fight director will find the illustrations of uniforms of use in determining the
range of motion which will be available to the actor-combatant. The drarnaturg
and director will find that the history, especially the biographical section on
Wellington himself, to be colorful and informative. The color plates mounted in
the center of the book are certainly a highlight. Here is an excellent source for
researching what everyday life was like for an infantryman in Wellington's
Division. There are a few illustrations of soldiers in action, but most of the
illustrations are studied poses designed to show off the uniform to its best
advantage. Wellington's Infantry is an excellent introductory resource on the
years shortly before and during Napoleon's campaigns through Waterloo.
52. Franco, Sammy. Street Lethal: Unarmed Urban Combat. Boulder, Co.:
Paladin Press, 1989. **H, U**
ISBN: 0-87364-517-0. Sammy Franco, author of Killer Instinct: Unarmed

Combat Street Survival, a fairly philosophical and theoretical work, offers a
manual that is much more technique oriented. This book will be of significant
aid to fight directors and teachers engaged in staging or teaching unarmed stage
combat for the stage and screen. The text is 181 pages in length and offers 255
black and white photographs of techniques in various stages of execution. In
Street Lethal the reader will find hundreds of techniques designed to be of aid to
the citizen who is caught in a potentially dangerous position on the streets. As is
the case with many other publications of this nature, Mr. Franco takes an Asian
martial art and adjusts it to the street. Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Mental Element-The Physical Element-The Spiritual Element
Chapter One: Physical Conditioning
Cardiovascular Strength- Muscular Strength- Calisthenics-Flexibility-
Low Level of Body Fat
Chapter Two: The Fighting Stance
The Boxer's Stance-The Wrestler's Stance-The Horse Stance-The Cat
Stance
Chapter Three: The Ranges of Unarmed Combat
Kicking Range- Punching Range-Grappling Range- Footwork
Chapter Four: The Offensive Structure
Kicking Range Tools-Vertical Kick-Knee/Shin Kick- Punching Range
Tools-Finger Jab--Lead Straight-Rear Cross-Lead Hook-Rear
Hook- Lead Uppercut- Rear Uppercut-Lead Shovel Hook-Rear Shovel
Hook- Grappling Range Tools-Elbow Strike- Vertical Elbow Strike-
Books 89
Horizontal Elbow Strike-Reverse Elbow Strike- Knee Strike-Vertical

Knee-Horizontal Knee-Double Thumb Gauge-Biting Tactics-Head
Butt-Foot Stomp- Compound Attacks: Shin Kick/Finger Jab/Rear
Hook-Push Kick/Rear Cross/Lead Uppercut- Hook Kick/Rear Cross/Foot
Stomp-Vertical Kick/Rear Cross/Lead Straight/Rear Uppercut-Knee
Kick/Horizontal Knee/Horizontal Elbow-Finger JabNertical Knee/Foot
Stomp-Lead Straight/Rear Cross/Rear Hook-Lead Straight/Rear
ShoveVLead Hook-Finger Jab/Rear Cross/Lead - Straight/Rear
Uppercut-Finger Jab/Rear Hook/Lead-Hook/Rear Uppercut/Lead
Uppercut-Low Feint/Finger Jab/Rear Cross/Horizontal Knee-Foot
StomplHead Butt/Vertical Knee-Horizontal ElbowNertical
ElbowNertical Knee-Double Thumb GaugeNertical KneeIHead Butt
Chapter Five: The Defensive Structure
Blocks: High Blocks- Medium Blocks-Low Blocks-Parries: Inward
Parry-Outward Parry- Downward Parry-Slipping-Slipping
Backward-Slipping Sideways (to the right)-Slipping Sideways (to the
left)-Slipping Downward-Defending Against Punches and Kicks-
Defense Against a Straight Lead- Defense Against a Rear Cross-Defense
Against a Right Hook-Defense Against a Left Hook-Defense Against a
Left Overhead Punch- Defense Against a Right Low Punch-Defense
Against a Shin Kick-Defense Against a Vertical Kick- Defense Against a
Front Thrust Kick-Defense Against a Foot Sweep-Defense Against a
Right Roundhouse Kick-Defense Against a Left Roundhouse Kick-
Defense Against a Side Kick-Defense Against a Right Crescent Kick-
Defense Against a Left Crescent Kick-Defense Against a Spinning
Backfist-Defense Against a Spinning Side Kick-Defending Against
Locks, Chokes, and Holds-Defending Against a Wrist Grab-Defending
Against a Throat Choke-Defending Against a Rear Arm Lock
Conclusion
As is the case with all publications of this nature from Paladin Press, the fight
director will have to carefully adjust these techniques for safe usage on the stage
and screen.
53. GambordelIa, Dr. Ted. Fight for Your Life: Secrets of Street Fighting.
Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1982. **H, U**
ISBN: 0-87364-251 -1. Dr. Gambordella offers his approach to staying alive on
the streets when faced with a dangerous situation. The text will be of use to
fight directors and instructors involved in the staging or teaching of unarmed
stage combat techniques. The text is 97 pages in length and offers 200 black
and white photographs of techniques in various stages of execution. Dr.
Gambordella informs us early on that he is a Christian and does not advocate the
use of violence except in self-defense. Nevertheless, even assuming that there
has been provocation, several of the techniques he teaches are very vicious and
brutal. Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. Fighting Techniques
2. Escapes and Counters
3. Close Fighting and Ground Fighting
4. Knife and Club Defenses
5. Defenses for a Woman
6. Multiple Attacks
7. Tips
Many of the techniques in this book may be easily adapted to stage and screen.
However, there is the occasional kick to the head which only a very experienced
karate stylist could perform. But then, we are not concerned with real street
fighting-only that it have the appearance of being so. There are also several
very interesting techniques offered for dealing with the assailant armed with
knife or cudgel.
54. Girard, Dale Anthony. Actors On Guard. New York: Routledge, 1997.
**H, R, T**
ISBN: 0-87830-057-0 (hb) and 0-87830-058-9 (pb). Undoubtedly one of the

most comprehensive and useful "How-To" books on the subject of rapier and
dagger for the stage and screen ever produced. This is most defintley a "must
have" publication for the serious fight director, teacher of stage combat, or the
dedicated actor-combatant. Directors, actors, and dramaturgs will also find the
historical context offered to be of significant aid in understanding the societal
rnileu in which rapier and dagger confrontations acually occurred. Mr. Girard is
one of only eleven Fight Masters certifeid by the Society of American Fight
Directors; an organization dedicated to the improvement of stage combat arts in
terms of both aesthetic and safety standards. He has taught at the National
Theatre Conservatory in Denver and is presently resident Fight Director for the
Yale School of Drama and the Yale School of Music and Opera. The book is a
dense 511 pages in length, and includes 40 photographic "plates" of illustrations
culled from a variety of antique souces such as the fight manuals of di Grassi,
Fabris, Alfieri, Saviolo, Swetnam, Marozzo, Capo Ferro, and Agrippa. It also
includes dozens of line drawn illustrations of a variety of rapier and dagger
techniqes, 4 appendices (including a glossary of combat terminology) , and a
bibliography. Mr. Girard has produced a text which is a deft blend of
scholarship and practical techniques for learning rapier and dagger for the stage
and screen. It is fascinating to observe how Mr. Girard's intimate knowldege of
the various publications produced by renowned Fight Masters of the sixteenth,
seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries has been forged into a variety of
techniques which he has adjusted to aid in producing safe, sane, and exciting
rapier and dagger sequences for the stage and screen. Table of Contents:
Contents
Preface
Books 91
Table of Plates
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Safety First: Practical Training Techniques for the Stage Combatant
2. The Sword and the Stage: An Introduction to the Theatrical Rapier
3. Stance and Footwork: Patterns for the Lower Body
4. Getting the Feel of Steel: Holding and Handling the Rapier
5. The Guards of the Single Rapier
6. The Parries of the Single Rapier
7. The Offensive Actions of the Single Rapier: Cut and Thrust
8. Crossing Swords: Offensive and Defensive Interaction
9. Further Techniques of the Theatrical Swashbuckler
10. Evasive Actions
11. Attacking the Blade: Beats, Pressures and Pris d'Fer
12. Deceptions and False Play: Simple and Compound
13. Attacks of the Rapier
14. Closes and Gripes: Techniques for Close Quarter Combat
15. Coming to the Point: Wounds and Kills with the Edge and Point
16. Adding athe Dagger
17. The Guards of the Rapier and Dagger
18. The Parries of the Rapier and Dagger
19. Offensive Actions of the Dagger
20. Setting the Fight: Two Routines of Staged Combat
21. Acting Tough! : Selling the Ilusion of Stage Conflict
22. Fighting Through the Production: Rehearsing and Running the Fight
Epilogue
Appendix A: Societies of Stage Combat
Appendix B: Swordcutlers & Suppliers of Theatrical Swords
Appendix C: Maintaing the Weapons
Appendix D: The Language of Swordplay-A Glossary
Bibliography
Mr. Girard has meticulously researched his topic. His book is a stellar example
of how a new corpus of scholarship on the stage combat arts is beginning to
emerge; one which is largely succeeding at lending a scholarly legitimacy to the
study of the combat arts. He frequently quotes from antique manuals of
swordplay in an effort to inform the reader from whence springs his inspiration
for the dizzying variety of techniques he describes in minute detail. Mr. Girard
also pays due attention to the acting of a staged fight, offering information for
applying generally accepted acting technique in an effort to bring out the
inherent dramatic or comic dynamics in a scene involving combat. Fight
directors, actors, and teachers will also appreciate the extensive glossary of stage
combat and swordplay terminology which Mr. Girard supplies as Appendix D-
The Language of Swordplay-a glossary. This is an excellently conceived and
well articualted "How To" manual; one which has been long needed and much
anticipated.
55. Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion: A Complete

Lexicon of Terms, Historical and Modern, Used in the Art ofStaged Conflict.
Published by the author, 1994, 3rd edition. **1, D, V, M, R, T, E, U**
No ISBN available. Mr. Girard, a Fight Master with the Society of American
Fight Directors, offers an impressive glossary containing terms utilized by fight
directors in the staging of armed and unarmed conflicts for the stage and screen.
This impressive piece of scholarship will be of most use to fight directors,
actor-combatants, directors, dramaturgs, and instructors of stage combat. The
manuscript is 250 pages in length and includes a list of cited texts and a
bibliography. Those interested in obtaining this unpublished manuscript may do
so by contacting Professor Giard via the Department of Theatre Arts at the
North Carolina School of the Arts. The author may also be contacted via email
via the addresses he supplies on the SAFD web site at: www.SAFD.org. A
nominal fee is involved. Mr. Girard, a recognized Fight Master (and author of
Actors On Guard) with the Society of American Fight Directors, has compiled
hundreds of terms related to modem and ancient cut and thrust weapons,
unarmed combat, stage combat, acting, theatre and cinema production, dramatic
literature, stunt arranging, and competitive and theatrical fencing. This highly
effective tool for the fight director spans the centuries from ancient Rome to the
present day. The terms come from a myriad number of sources, both modem
and ancient; encompassing both SAFD sanctioned terms and informal jargon
utilized by modem fight directors and stunt coordinators. The text is organized
alphabetically with two columns of terms and definitions per page. Two
examples follow:
Abate: To beat the edge or point of a blade back; to tum the edge,
to take off the edge, to blunt. A dulled, blunted or rebated blade.
[R3-V.v.35, H4/2-Li.117]
Breakaway: (Also Break-away) Props that are specially designed

to fall apart on impact, such as bottles, chairs, windows, etc. Used
in stage combat and stunts. [Singleton, 22].
The reader should note the information contained in the brackets at the end of
each term. In these brackets Mr. Girard places references to plays and
publication titles. In the first instance we are informed that the term is found in
Shakespeare's Richard III, Act V, scene v, line 35 and in Henry IV, Part 2, Act I,
scene i, line 117. In the second case, we are informed which resource Mr.
Girard utilized to define the term; in this instance, Ralph S. Singleton's
Filmmaker's Dictionary. Mr. Girard has produced a very utilitarian and
informative text. It will be especially useful to fight directors and actor-
combatants who need to quickly determine the meaning of an archaic weapons
or combat term discovered in the plays or novels of Shakespeare, Beaumont and
Fletcher, Congreve, Dekker, Dickens, Dryden, Farquhar, and others.
Books 93
56. Grancsay, Stephen. Arms and Armor. New York: The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, 1986. **B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-87099-338-02. This is a publication of greatest value to armorers,

weaponsmakers, fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs. One of the major
values of this publication will be in its photographs, illustrations, and pin point-
dating of costumes, armor, and weapons. For the armorer and swordmaker there
are hundreds of photographs of dozens of periods and styles of arms and armor
from all over the world. Arms and Armor is 541 pages in length, includes a
bibliography, 627 black and white photographs (of excellent quality), and 59
line drawn illustrations. Stephen V. Grancsay (1897-1980), was curator of arms
and armor at the Metropolitan Museum from 1929 until his retirement in 1963
and was America's authority in that field. This collection of 115 essays is,
indeed, a remarkable piece of scholarship. The tone of these essays is scholarly
and almost exclusively focuses on dating, provenance, and description of an
impressive array of arms and armor. The scope of the essays is also quite
overwhelming, touching on European, American, Japanese, Chinese, Persian,
Indian, and Malaysian weapons and armor-just to name a few. Included in
these essays are several that concentrate on ancient firearms-some going as far
back as 1586. The scope and value ofthis piece of scholarship is so impressive
it seems prudent to publish a list of the essays that fall within the scope of this
study. Below each entry will be the volume number, the date it originally
appeared in ''The Metropolitan Museum Art Bulletin," the inclusive pages, and
finally, the page on which the article begins in Arms and Armor. This will allow
those involved in research to pursue the article through "The Metropolitan
Museum of Art Bulletin" if unable to procure this anthology. List of essays:
2. "Fortuny as a Collector and Restorer of Ancient Arms and Armor." 16,

November 1921: 235-37, p.13.
3. "The William H. Riggs Library of Armor." 20, September 1925: 213-15 ,
p.16.
4. "A State Partisan of Maurice of Nassau." 23 , January 1928: 50-52, p. 17.
5. "Notes on European Chain Mail." 23, March 1928: 82-85, p. 20.
6. "Maximilian Armor." 23, April 1928: 100-103, p. 22.
8. "Enriched Breastplate and Volant Piece." 23, July 1928: 186-89, p. 28.
9. "An Enriched Shield-English or German?" 23 , August 1928: 198-200,
p.30.
12. "A Stained-Glass Saint Michael in Armor." 23, November 1928: 268-
71, p. 38.
13. "Swords from the Dresden Armory." 24, February 1929: 56-58, p. 41.
16. "An Embossed Parade Helmet." 24, August 1929: 209-10, p. 51.
18. "A Commemorative Sword of the Thirty Years" War." 25, January
1930: 8-10, p. 54.
21. "The Bashford Dean Memorial Collection." 25, April 1930: 86-94, p.
59.
25. "A Fifteenth Century Painted Shield." 26, January 1931 : 12-14, p. 71.
26. "A Gift of Three Scramasaxes." 26, February 1931: 40-41, p. 74.
29. "A Pate Defense of the Emperor Maximilian II." 26, May 1931: 125-
27, p. 80.
30. "A Stocking Knife Associated with James II of England." 26, June
1931: 146-47, p. 82.
31. I. "A Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor." 26, August
1931: 182-87,p.83.
31 . II. "The Exhibition of European Arms and Armor-Notes on Some
Ornamented Pieces." 26, September 1931: 203-209, p. 87.
33 . "The Caspar Whitney Collection of Daggers and Knives." 26, October
1931: 242-45, p. 91.
35. "An Exhibition of Forgeries." 27, February 1932: 46-48, p. 97.
39. "A Historical Horse Armor." 27, July 1932: 176-78, p. 104.
43. "Historical Arms and Armor." 28, March 1933: 50-57, p. Ill.
44. "An Early Short Sword." 28, August. 1933: 138-39, p. 116.
48. "A Sixteenth Century Parade Armor." 29, June 1934: 102-104, p. 122.
49. "The Jean Jacques Reubell Bequest; Small-swords." 29, July 1934:
115-18, p. 127.
49. "An Augsburg Helmet." 29, August 1934: 130-32, p. 130.
52. "The Genouilhac Armor." 29, November 1934: 190-91 , p. 134.
53. "A Shield of Henry II of France." 29, December 1934: 212-16, p. 136.
54. "Elements of Etched Armor." 30, February 1935: 35-36, p. 141.
55. "Bavarian Chased-Steel Mountings." 30, June 1935: 125-27, p. 142.
62. "An Element of the Armor of the Queen"s Champion." 31 , November
1936: 233-35, p. 159.
64. "An Early Sculptured Saddle." 32, April 1937: 92-94, p. 185.
65. "A Hapsburg Locking Gauntlet." 32, August 1937: 188-91, p. 188.
69. "A Gift of Enriched Military Maces." 33, February 1938: 37-39, p.
204.
70. "A Gift of Mexican "Conquistador" Stirrups." 33, March 1938: 73-76,
p.207.
71. "An Augsburg Backplate." 33, August 1938: 177-80, p. 209.
72. "A Maximilian Helmet and Gauntlet Retrieved." 33, December 1938:
268-71, p. 212.
73. "A New Armor Hall." 34, Jan. 1939: 15-19, p. 215.
74. "The Bequest of Giulia P. Morosini." 34, January 1939: 15-19, p.222.
75. "A Gift of Embossed Armor." 34, April 1939: 84-88, p. 227.
76. "A Helmet by Kunz Lochner." 43, May 1939: 114-16, p. 230.
77. "Armor with Etching Attributed to Daniel Hopfer." 34, August 1939:
190-92, p.232.
78. "A French Crusader's Sword Pommel." 34, September 1939: 211 -13, p.
237.
79. "A Young Prince's Enriched Armor." 34, November 1939: 260-63, p.
238.
80. "The Armor of Henry I de Montmorency." 34, December 1939: 284-
86, p.241.
81. "A Harness ofa King of France. 35, January 1940: 12-17, p.244.
Books 95
82. "Arms and Armor from the Theodore Offerman." 35, February 1940:
30-32, p. 249.
82. "A Damascened Eared Dagger by Diego de Caias." 35, August 1940:
160-61 , p.251.
83. "The Cloisters Exhibition of Medieval Arms and Armor." 35,
September 1940: 172-75, p.253.
84. "Elements of Armor Made for Christian I of Saxony." 35, October
1940: 203-204, p.256.
87. "A Medieval Sculptured Saddle." 36, March 1941 : 73-76, p. 267.
88. "A Pair of Spurs Bearing the Bourbon Motto." 36, August 1941: 170-
72, p. 270.
91. "A Helm for the Baston Course." 37, March 1942: 60-64, p. 279.
92. "A Renaissance Brigandine." 37, May 1942: 132-36, p. 282.
94. "The Sword of Ambrogio di Spinola." n. s. 5, May 1947: 235-39, p.
293.
97. "Knights in Armor." n. s. 6, February 1948: 178-88, p. 313 .
98. "Enriched Historical Arms."n. s. 7, December 1948: 108-109, p. 328.
99. "Irish Bronze-Age Weapons (250-1700 B.C.)." n. s. 7, March 1949:
181-85, p. 330.
100. "A Barbarian Chieftan's Helmet." n. s. 7, June 1949: 272-81, p. 335.
101. "A Parade Shield of Charles V." n. s. 7, December 1949: 122-32, p.
348.
102. "The Interrelationships of Costume and Armor." n. s. 7, February
1950: 176-88, p. 362.
103. "Museum Armor and a Van Dyck Portrait from Vienna." n. s. 7, May
1950: 270-73, p. 377.
104. "The Armor of Don Alvaro de Cabrera." n. s. 10, June 1952: 275-85,
p. 381.
105. "The Armor of Henry II of France from the Louvre." n. s. 11 , October
1952: 68-80, p.396.
106. "A Helmet Made for Philip II of Spain." n. s. 13, May 1955: 272-80,
p.411.
107. "The New Galleries of European Arms and Armor." n. s. 14, May
1956: 205-36, p. 421.
108. "A Miniature of the Earl of Cumberland in Armor. " n. s. 15, January
1957: 120-22, p. 439.
110. "Medieval Armor in a Prayer Book." n. s. 16, June 1958: 287-92, p.
463.
111. "A Viking Chieftan's Sword." n. s. 17, March 1959: 173-81 , p. 470.
112. "Royal Armorers-Antwerp of Paris?" n. s. 18, Summer 1959: 1-7, p.
493.
113. "Sculpture in Steel- A Milanese Renaissance Barbute." n. s. 21,
January 1963: 182-91 , p. 493.
115. "Lucio Piccinino--Master Armorer ofthe Renaissance." n. s. 22,
April 1964: 257-71 , p. 5 19.
Arms and Armor is a truly exceptional example of scholarship supplemented by

hundreds of photographs of actual antique armor and weapons.
57. Grant, Michael. Gladiators. New York: Delacorte Press, 1967. **1**
LCCN: 68-8635. Mr. Grant offers a comprehensive survey on the Roman

Gladiator. The book will be of use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, and
armorers. The text is 128 pages in length, offers 55 black and white
photographs, notes on further reading, and an index. Gladiators serves as a
survey of the ancient Roman institution of arena combat-man against man and
man against beast. Mr. Grant traces the violent history of the gladiators from
their rise during the third century B.C. to their eventual abolition at the end of
the fifth century A.D. Grant also offers some interesting information on the
Spartacus rebellion, the various types of gladiators, the schools in which they
trained, and the arenas in which they fought. He also discusses those peculiar
gladiatorial combats known as naumachiae, or sea fights . Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. Gladiators in Republican Rome
The First Gladiatorial Shows
Spartacus and After
2. The Gladiators' Profession
Who Were the Gladiators?
Imperial Shows and Schools
Organization throughout the Empire
3. Gladiators in Action
The Different Kinds of Gladiators
The Procedure of the Arena
The Arenas
The Sea Fights
4. The Gladiators and their Public
The Position of the Gladiators in Society
The Attitudes of Rulers and Spectators
The Attitudes of Writers
The Abolition of the Gladiators
Notes on Further Reading
Index
A very informative, yet brief, examination of this blood-thirsty form of

entertainment the Romans borrowed from the Etruscans. One might quibble
with Mr. Grant's use of the term "duelists" in reference to gladiatorial combats,
as these men-in most cases-were not fighting for honor, reputation, or in an
effort to determine God's will in Judicial Combat. In fact, these men, and in
some cases women, fought purely for the pleasure of the Emperor and the
spectators. This, however, is a minor issue when considered within the context
of the sheer amount of information Mr. Grant offers. There is another term
Books 97
which Mr. Grant makes frequent use of: "combatants." This term is certainly an
appropriate moniker in reference to the gladiators.
58. Gravett, Christopher. Hastings 1066: The Fall of Saxon England.

Campaign Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1992. **M**
ISBN: 1-85532-164-5. Mr. Gravett offers a detailed examination of the Battle

of Hastings (1066), which saw King Harold's forces fall before the armored
forces of Duke William at Stamford Bridge. The book will be very useful to
fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, costumers, and weaponsmakers. The text
is 96 pages in length, offers 71 black and white photographs, 8 color maps, and
10 color plates (illustrations of soldiers in battle). Mr. Gravett carefully
examines the fall of Saxon England into the hands of the Norman forces led by
Duke William, later known as "the Conqueror." This publication's true
emphasis lies on the Battle of Hastings. Table of Contents:
The Background to the Crisis of 1066

The Commanders
William, Duke of Normandy-Harold II of England
Opposing Armies
The Army of Duke William-The English Army
Plans and Preparations
The Invasion Plan of Duke William-Tostig's Raid-The Invasion Force
Gathers-Harold's Dilemma-The Norse Invasion-The Norman Invasion
The Battle
The Crisis-The Feigned Flights-The Final Assault- The Death of
Harold-The Norman Victory- The Malfosse Incident-Aftermath
The Battlefield Today
Chronology
A Guide to Further Reading
Wargaming the Battle of Hastings
The Campaign Series books tend to be longer than the Men-at-Arms books by
an average of fifty pages or so. The same high quality of scholarship and
artistry are evident throughout the book. The illustrations are in color and
frequently show the combatants engaged in action. The fight director, via the
color plates and the several photographs taken of the Bayeaux Tapestry, will
achieve a clearer understanding of the various weapons employed (e.g., many of
the English preferred the two-handed battle axe as opposed to the French
preference for the broadsword), what tactics were employed, the role of the
knight, the role of the infantryman/archer, and a concise reference to the
clothing (uniforms) and military accoutrements in use at the time. This
publication offers several photographs of extant swords, helmets, mail shirts,
axe heads, etc.-which are sure to please the weaponsmaker. Above all, this
text offers a detailed, blow by blow analysis of the battle many historians
consider to be the most famous in English history.
59. Gravett, Christopher and Richard and Christina Hook. Medieval Siege
Warfare. Elite Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1990. **M**
ISBN: 0-85045-947-8. Mr. Gravett supplies the text as Richard and Christina
Hook provide the color illustrations in this exploration of medieval siege
techniques. The text will be useful to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, set
designers, actors, costumers, and weaponsmakers. This brief text is 64 pages in
length, includes 8 black and white photographs, 20 line drawn illustrations, 22
black and white reproductions of medieval works of art, and 11 color plates
(illustrations of castles under siege, siege machinery, and soldiers). The Osprey
Elite Series is similar to the Men-at-Arms Series with the following exceptions:
the Elite Series offers a slightly expanded text and 12 color plates in contrast to
the usual 8 offered in the Men-at-Arms Series. List of section titles:
Introduction
Castles and Fortified Towns
The Crusades-The Castle at War- Castle Garrisons- Town Defense
Setting a Siege
Diplomacy-The Formalities of Siege Warfare-Laying a Siege-Raids,
Sorties and Relief Forces-Surprise and Treachery
Siege Techniques and Engines
Pyrotechnics-Escalade-Sap and Mine-Ram and Bore
Artillery
Cannon-The Decline of the Castle
Further Reading
The Plates (illustrations of castles under siege, siege machinery, and various
soldiers in action)
Richard and Christina Hooks supply eleven high quality color plates which
illustrate several castles under siege. Their work is typical of the excellent
calibre of illustration Osprey utilizes to produce their Men-at-Arms, Elite, and
Campaign Series. The focus of the illustrations (photographic and line drawn) is
on the castles and machinery utilized in the siege. Weaponsmaker will also find
a fair number of weapons illustrated and discussed at length in the text. Several
actual sieges are discussed in the narrative. Medieval Siege Warfare offers a
great deal of insight into the various techniques and machinery utilized in the
precarious business of taking a medieval castle from an unwilling occupant.
60. Harding, David, ed. Weapons: An International Encyclopedia from

5,000 B.C. to 2,000 A.D. London: Galley Press, 1984. **8, B, I, D, V, M, R,
T,E**
ISBN: 0-86136-773-1. Mr. Harding has edited an excellent text for those
looking for a cursory understanding of hundreds of weapons, their component
parts, where, when, and how they were used, and by whom. The text is 320
pages with over 2,500 illustrations. Choreographers, actors, and directors alike
Books 99
will appreciate its brevity and clarity of organization. This encyclopedia is the
"first book ever to attempt to bring together the full range of weapons from flint
axes to nuclear missiles." This is a "must have" publication for anyone
interested in the myriad weaponry mankind has utilized throughout the
centuries. Weapons: An International Encyclopedia expends less print on
historical narrative and more on technical description of each individual weapon
and its use. The text's illustrations are geared toward a pragmatic understanding
of the weapon. Weapons makers will find a modicum of artistic detail in these
illustrations. The point here is to promote a clarity of understanding in terms of
how the weapon functions. The illustrations offer concise breakdowns
(exploded views) of the weapon's parts, as well as a sketch of how the weapon
appears assembled. Internal diagrams with descriptions of moving and
mechanical parts are also presented, as are line drawn illustrations of various
soldiery and duelists using the weapons in action. For weapons makers
interested in detail, it might be suggested that actual photographs of the
surviving antique weapon be sought out, as there are none to be found here.
However, period woodcut prints are reproduced and we see actual examples
taken from the various historical periods in question. This is a monumental
contribution to its field. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Arming the Hand

Chapter 2: Hand-Thrown Missiles
Chapter 3: Mounted Missile-Throwers
Chapter 4: Positioned Weapons
Chapter 5: Bombs and Self-Propelled Missiles
Chapter 6: Chemical, Nuclear, and Biological Weapons
There is also a highly useful section which groups weapons according to

geographical region and an historical index which groups weapons by period
(Medieval, Renaissance, French Revolution, etc.). These indices could be very
useful for quickly determining which weapons were in use in various countries
during specific historical periods. The weapons appear in silhouette with
indexing numbers next to them. The numbers are listed at the top of the page
with the weapon's name next to each number. Next to each name appears a page
number in parentheses where the reader may find a more comprehensive
introduction to the weapon. This publication is a truly useful, time saving tool.
The editor has also included a section referred to as "Famous Names." This
section lists designers, inventors, scientists, arsenals, commercial companies,
and towns which have exerted significant influence in the world of weaponry.
61. Hardy, Robert. Longbow: A Social and Military History. New York:
Arco Publishing Co., Inc., 1976. **D, V, M**
ISBN: 0-668-04080-7. Longbow explores the weapon itself, the ancient archer,
and the weapon's ascendancy to its preeminent position in the English military
due to its success at the battles of Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt. The text is
216 pages, with 86 black and white photographs, 14 color photographs, 13 line
drawings, and 4 graphs. The book will be of most use to fight directors, actors,
directors, and dramaturgs. Here is an excellent source for anything having to do
with the longbow and its use in battle in the Middle Ages. Robert Hardy was a
respected actor of stage and film in England. He is also an avid archer with a
keen interest in the history of the longbow, not to be confused with its
mechanical brother the crossbow. Mr. Hardy digs quite deeply into what
archeological evidence exists to prove that the longbow was prolifically in use
throughout the world 8,000 years ago! How the armies were raised, their
weapons, their uniforms and armor, their training, their pay, how leave was
obtained, the weather, the terrain, and the role the longbow played in all of the
above is offered with an actor's keen sense of image and drama. He also offers
his opinions as to why the French never quite took to the longbow with the same
passion as the English. Hardy also takes up the War of the Roses and the
horrifying results of having both sides of the conflict armed with the longbow.
The longbow is also considered as a weapon for sport, but this is not this book's
focus. Included is a technical appendix written by Henry Blyth (Reading
University), Professor P. L. Platt (Imperial College of Science and Technology),
and Peter Jones (Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment)
that explores range, penetration, and the general physics of the longbow and its
"grey goose shaft." Table of Contents:
1. The Beginnings
2. The Longbow in Britain
3. From Edward I in Wales to Edward III in France-the Longbow
Comes of Age
4. The Archer at Sea, in A River, and On the Downs at Crecy-en-
Ponthiew
5. The Men of the Bow
6. The Long Road to Agincourt
7. From Joan of Arc to Roger Ascham
8. Playing Bows and Arrows
9. The American Way
10. The Weapon of the Hunt
Appendices include:
The Design and Materials of the Bow (Blyth)
The Arrow (Platt)
The Target (Jones)
A very useful publication for those involved in producing anything from a Robin
Hood play to the Battle of Agincourt, or literally anything requiring the
longbow.
62. Harrington, Peter. Culloden 1746. Campaign Series. London: Osprey

Publishing, Ltd., 1991. **E**
Books 101
ISBN: 1-85532-158-0. Mr. Harrington offers a comprehensive examination of

the incidents leading up to and including the battle of Culloden. It was in this
battle which Charles Edward Stuart and his Jacobite forces made their final
effort to defeat the English forces of the Duke of Cumberland in the hope of
marching on England and placing the "Young Pretender" on the throne. This
entry from the Osprey Campaign series will be of most interest to fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, costumers, actor-combatants, and weaponsmakers. The
text is 96 pages in length, offers 58 black and white reproductions of period
artwork, 8 maps and diagrams, and 10 color illustrations. Harrington begins his
book by offering the reader information necessary for placing the battle at
Culloden in historical context. Table of Contents:
Background to the "Forty-Five"

Opening Movements-The Battle of Prestonpans-The Invasion of
England-The Campaign of Falkirk
The Opposing Commanders
Charles Edward Stuart, the "Young Pretender"-William Augustus, Duke
of Cumberland
The Opposing Armies
The Royal Army: Infantry-The Royal Army: Cavalry-The Royal Army:
Artillery-The Allied Contingent-The Jacobite Army-The Irish and
French Contingents
Cullodon: The Approach March
The Opening Cannonade-The Highlander' Charge-The Cavalry Attacks
on the Flanks-The Pursuit
The Aftermath of the Battle
The Battlefield Today
Chronology
Wargaming the "Forty-Five"
This small book offers dozens of illustrations. The fight director will especially
appreciate the "action shots." Color plates are offered by such artists as G. A.
Embleton (one of his plates is borrowed from The Jacobite Rebellions 1689-
1745, see the annotation in this bibliography), and R. R. McIan (who illustrated
Clans ofthe Scottish Highlands, also annotated in this bibliography). Costumers
will find a great deal of useful material. Unfortunately, weaponsmakers will not
find any photographs of extant weapomy. They will have to rely solely on the
various illustrations.
63. Haythornwaite, Philip and Bryan Fosten. Frederick the Great's Army
(1): Cavalry. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1991.
**E**
ISBN: 1-85532-134-3. Mr. Haythomwaite provides the narrative and Mr.

Fosten the color illustrations in this first of three entries to explore the Prussian
Army of Frederick the Great. The first entry covers the cavalry, the second
discusses the infantry, and the third examines the Specialist troops of Frederick
the Great. The book will be of interest to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs,
actors, costumers, and weaponsmakers . The text is 48 pages in length, offers 33
black and white illustrations, 11 line drawn illustrations, 8 color plates
(illustrations), and a list of sources. Mr. Haythomwaite begins his text by
waxing eloquent regarding the accomplishments of the Prussian army under
Frederick II. In his introduction he discusses, at some length, the reforms which
resulted in the Prussian military machine becoming the envy of Europe. List of
section titles:
Introduction
Men and Mounts-Tactics-The Charge-Skirmishing-Regimental Titles
Heavy Cavalry
Cuirassiers-Regimental Details- 1st-13th Cuirassiers-Dragoons-1 st-
12th Dragoons
Hussars
1st-10th Hussars-Bosniaken
Standards
Included are color illustrations of several Cuirassiers from various regiments, a

Standard Bearer, a Trumpeter, several Cuirassier Troopers, various Dragoons, a
Drummer from the Fifth Dragoons, several Hussars, and an officer of the
Bosniaks in a winter uniform. There are also several illustrations depicting
cavalry charges and battle scenes.
64. Hayward, J. F. Swords and Daggers. London: Her Majesty's

Stationary Office, 1963. **R, T, E**
ISBN: 11-290077-1. Here is a publication of substantial aid to those who build

swords for the stage and screen. Broadsword, Saxon sword, rapiers of all
notable hilt styles and periods, hangers, hunting swords, and small-swords of
exquisite detail are faithfully represented by photographs. There are 57 pages in
the book which includes 46 black and white photographic plates, and 11 line
drawn designs for sword hilts. J. F. Hayward offers us an insightful glance at
the collection of swords and daggers housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum
as of 1970. Out of the 57 pages that make up what he refers to as this "booklet,"
only II are text; the remaining 46 pages are very competently produced black
and white photographs of the weapons discussed in the text. There is much here
regarding the region where a blade was made and, when possible, something
about the craftsman who made the blade or hilt-or the forger who plagiarized
the bladesmith's mark or hilt-maker's style. Much of the intricate detail
fashioned into the hilts of these handsomely mounted weapons would be lost
onstage. Nevertheless, the detail is there for the swordmaker to access should
Books 103
the occasion arise where it was necessary to produce such a weapon-perhaps

for a close-up in a motion picture.
65. Heath, Ian and Angus McBride. Byzantine Armies 886-1118. Men-at-
Arms. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1979. **D, M**
ISBN: 0-85045-306-2. Mr. Heath provides the narrative and Mr. McBride the
color illustrations for this work on the armies of Byzantium during the Dark
Ages until the early Middle Ages. The book will be of most use to fight
directors, directors, dramaturgs, actors, costumers, armorers, and
photographs, 6 line drawn illustrations, 1 map, and 8 color plates (illustrations).
Mr. Heath begins his narrative by discussing the Byzantine's political acumen
and their uncanny ability to negotiate treaties, to threaten, and to bribe their
adversaries. List of section titles:
Introduction
Organization
Pay-Equipment- Armour- Shields- Weapons
The Tagmata
The Theme System
Mercenaries
The Terrible Day: Manzikert 1071
The Post-Manzikert Period
McBride's illustrations offer renderings of Skutatos (light infantryman, eleventh-

twelfth centuries), Skutatos (c. 950), Peltastos (c. 975), Skutatos (tenth century),
an unarmored infantryman, Psilos (tenth century), kataphractos (cavalry-tenth
century), klibanophoros (heavy cavalry-c. 970), the Emperor in parade armour
(c. 1017), Russ mercenaries, Varangian guardsmen, a Patzinak mercenary, and
several other Byzantine warriors. All of these illustrations offer a great deal of
information for the fight director, costumer, armorer, and weaponsmaker. Many
of the illustrations, and much of the text, reflect the Eastern influence present in
the Byzantine culture.
66. Hindley, Geoffrey. Medieval Warfare. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons,

1971. **M**
LCCN: 70-147285. Mr. Hindley offers an addition to the Putnam Pictorial

Sources Series. This particular entry takes as its focus warfare from the collapse
of the Western Roman Empire through A.D . 1500. The book will be of use to
fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, armorers, weaponsmakers, costumers, and
actor-combatants. The text is 128 pages in length, offers over 260 black and
white and color photographs, a further reading list, and an index. Mr. Hindley
offers a sweeping, if cursory, account of the development of warfare A.D. 600 to

A.D. 1500. He begins by examining the Byzantine military, its similarities to
that of Western Rome, and its differences due to the adopting of certain Eastern
technologies, weapons, and tactics. Table of Contents:
1. The Heirs of Rome

2. The Materials of War
3. Lords in War and Peace
4. Soldiers and Chevaliers
5. Warriors of God
There is a fair amount of information on armor, weapons, the supremacy of the

mounted knight, the use of siege machinery, the knight in sea battles, and
copious examples of artwork from the period. There are several a number of
battle scenes depicted in antique artwork and artwork from the modem period.
The weaponsmaker will appreciate the several photographs of extant weapons
from the era such as war hammers, maces, swords, halberds, poleaxes, etc. The
impact of the bow on medieval warfare is also discussed. There is also some
discussion offered on the introduction of the stirrup and the impact it had on
mounted combat.
67. Hobbs, William. Fight Direction for Stage and Screen. Portsmouth,
N.H: Heinemann, 1995. **H, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-7136-4022-7. William Hobbs, who many consider to be the finest fight
arranger in the world in Western European styles, offers some insight to staging
fights for the theatre and cinema. This is an excellent book for the competent
actor-combatant who wants an articulated introduction to staging fights, or for
the director who wishes to more completely understand what exactly it is the
fight director does. The fight director will appreciate his thoughts on theory and
how to design the fight before one decides upon the specific "strokes." The text
is 143 pages in length, with 106 illustrations, 74 drawings, 32 black and white
production photographs, 6 diagrams, 44 notation symbols, and a foreword by Sir
Laurence Olivier. This book is a revision of an earlier text penned by Hobbs,
Stage Combat: The Action to the Word (1980). It will be most valuable to the
choreographer and the director. Hobbs began his career as a competitive fencer
in Australia and has since gone on to choreograph fights for many of the world's
most prestigious theatre companies and film directors. His many exemplary
credits are too numerous to list, but include: ten years as resident Fight Director
at the National Theatre of Great Britain under the artistic direction of Sir
Laurence Olivier; Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers and The Four
Musketeers; Robin and Marian, once again in collaboration with Richard Lester;
Ridley Scott's The Duelists; John Boorman's Excalibur; Richard Donner's
Ladyhawke; and more recently, the film Dangerous Liaisons. His book does not
deal at aU with competitive fencing technique, detailed historical perspective,
exercises, or drills. However, it does have a section that briefly touches on
Books 105
sword attacks and parries. Some combat teachers have complained that Hobbs's
book is too cavalier in its presentation of techniques in the chapter entitled
"Sword Strokes, Some Basic Movements and Their Execution." If Hobbs does
not dwell on this chapter it could be that he assumes a basic level of expertise
and is gearing his book to the more experienced combatant/choreographer. His
book is most effective on the theoretical/philosophical level, where Hobbs
attempts to encourage fight directors to put more thought into their fights and
not simply string a series of cuts, thrusts, and parries together. Table of
Contents:
Chapter I : Background
Chapter 2: Analysis and Construction
Chapter 3: Movement and Patterns
Chapter 4: Fight Orchestration
Chapter 5: The Element of Surprise: or, the Search for the Unusual
Chapter 6: Safety Precautions and Method of Rehearsing
Chapter 7: Sword Strokes, Some Basic Movements and Their Execution
Chapter 8: Battle Scenes and Mass Fights
Chapter 9: Non-Realistic Fights
Chapter 10: Historical Accuracy
Chapter II: Unarmed Combat
Chapter 12: Fight Notation
Chapter 13: Acting Intention and Acted Intention
Chapter 14: Swords-A Brief History
Chapter 15: General Information
Chapter 16: Fight Cliches: or the Art of Coarse Fighting
For Hobbs fans there are several photographs from theatrical and cinematic
productions with which he has been involved. Hobbs's sense of humor is
evident throughout, but perhaps no more so than in his chapter entitled "Fight
Cliches: or the art of coarse fighting." Mr. Hobbs also offers his personal
system of symbols for the notating of fights. Most fight directors, however, tend
to utilize a system that is somewhat less cryptic than Mr. Hobbs's.
68. Hogg, Ian V. and John H. Batchelor. Armies of the American

Revolution. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1975. **E**
ISBN: 0-13-046573-9. Mr. Hogg's book offers several hand drawn color
illustrations of cut and thrust weapons utilized during the Revolutionary War.
Mr. Batchelor supplies approximately 125 illustrations in black and white and in
color. These renderings are generally accurate, if somewhat lacking in detail.
Swordmakers might consider looking elsewhere for photographic detail, but
there are some fine illustrations that depict close-ups of several sword hilts from
the period. Costumers will probably appreciate the several uniforms that are
faithfully rendered in addition to the weapons. Ian V. Hogg, a former Master
Gunner of the British Army, offers an informed description of the men and
weapons engaged in the American war for independence. Hogg examines the
methods of construction of their rifles, muskets, artillery, small arms, and
swords. The chapter on edged weapons discusses the several swords, bayonets,
and pole arms usedin this conflict; how the bayonet was used to discourage
cavalry charges; and how-when necessary-it could be used in one-on-one
combat. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Soldiers

Chapter 2: Muskets and Rifles
Chapter 3: Pistols
Chapter 4: Edged Weapons
Chapter 5: Artillery
Chapter 6: Ammunition
The authors also discuss and illustrate several nonstandard issue weapons used
by American soldiers, such as tomahawks and hatchets.
69. Holden, Matthew. The Legions of Rome. East Sussex, England:

Wayland Publishers, Limited, 1973. **B,I**
ISBN: 85340-191-8. Matthew Holden offers a publication of use to the director

and actor who are attempting to learn about the legions of Rome quickly and are
not in need of scholarly detail. This small book, only 96 pages in length, is very
light on text but offers over 61 illustrations taken from art of the period, stone
carvings, statues, artwork from subsequent periods, surviving architecture, and
original illustrations. Holden also offers an index and list of suggested readings.
The Legions of Rome is an informative look at the legions of the Roman
Republic and Empire periods. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Beginnings of Rome

Chapter 2: The Roman Empire
Chapter 3: The Legions at Peace
Chapter 4: The Legions at War
Chapter 5: The Decline of Rome
One of the pleasantries of the book is its presentation of the Roman soldier as a
human being-homesick, scared, bored, tired, and often far from his native soil.
The book follows one young recruit as he experiences his training with weapons
(sword and spear), and remains with him as he marches off to and experiences
his first battle. At the end of the text the reader will find a "Table of Dates,"
which points out pertinent dates in the evolution of Roman civilization. The
reader will find the glossary particularly useful, especially when dealing with the
Latin names of weapons, equipment, battle formations, ranks of command, etc.
mentioned throughout the text.
Books 107
70. Holmes, M. R. Arms and Armour in Tudor and Stuart London. London:
Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1957. **M, R**
ISBN: 11-290062-3. Mr. Holmes presents several photographic plates of cut

and thrust weapons from the English Renaissance housed at the London
Museum. These photographs are accompanied by brief essays on swordmakers
such as the Greenwich Armoury and the Hounslow Sword Company. This book
will be of most use to weaponsmakers, fight directors, directors, and actor-
combatants. This brief photo-essay is 40 pages in length, offers 32 black and
white photographs and 18 line drawn illustrations, and descriptive paragraphs
about each weapon or piece of armor in the publication. Mr. Holmes presents
some handsomely mounted black and white photographs of 33 daggers, swords,
bucklers, helmets, cuirasses, rapiers, hangers, two-handed swords, armorers
marks, chain-mail, and a complete suit of armor. Table of Contents:
Arms and Armour in London

The Greenwich Armoury
The Armourers' Company
The Sword and its Development
The Plates
The Hounslow Sword Factory
Dagger
Mr. Holmes begins by discussing Henry VIII's interest in building up his

armory; the king's realization that his domestic bladesmiths were not producing
a viable product. His importation of German and Dutch bladesmiths led to the
beginning the Greenwich Armoury.
71. Hrisoulas, Jim. The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to

Perfection. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1987. **H, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-87364-430-1. Master Bladesmith, Jim Hrisoulas, puts the secrets of his
success in print. The book will be of most use to weaponsmakers engaged in
producing knives and daggers for the stage. The text is 179 pages in length,
offers 58 black and white photographs, over 100 line drawn illustrations, 2
appendices and bibliography. Jim Hrisoulas is one of the truly great knife and
swordmakers this country has produced. His craftsmanship is world renowned
due to the high quality of the blades he produces and the level of artistry in his
handle, sheath, and scrimshawing (handle etching) technique. Table of
Contents:
Chapter I: The Workshop and Tools of the Trade

Chapter 2: Steels to Use
Chapter 3: Fire and Forge
Chapter 4: Forging Blades
Chapter 5: Rough Grinding
Chapter 6: Heat-Treating
Chapter 7: Final Grinding
Chapter 8: Fittings
Chapter 9: Grip Materials
Chapter 10: Grip Making
Chapter 11: Polish and Finish
Chapter 12: Sharpening
Chapter 13: Leatherwork
Chapter 14: Scrimshaw
Chapter 15: Sword Making
Chapter 16: Damascus Steel
Chapter 17: Heat-Treating Damascus Steel
Chapter 18: Damascus Patterns
Chapter 19: Cable Blades
Chapter 20: The Japanese Blade
Chapter 21 : Japanese Heat-Treating and Polishing
Appendix A: Compounds
Appendix B: Weights and Measures
Bibliography
Those who wish to construct and maintain knives and daggers for the stage and
screen will find a great deal of useful material in this information packed
publication. Mr. Hrisoulas is a prolific writer in his field. His newest offering is
The Pattern-Welded Blade: Artistry in Iron .
72. Hunt, M. Briggs and Norman Miller. Beginning Wrestling. Sports

Skills Series. Belmont, Ca.: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1970.
**H, U**
LCCN: 74-115824. This small book is surprisingly full of takedowns,

breakdowns, rides, reverses, escapes, and pinning combinations. The book will
be of most use to the fight director or instructor of stage combat involved in
staging or teaching unarmed stage combat techniques. The text is 57 pages in
length, offers 205 black and white photographs of various techniques in various
stages of development, 3 diagrams, a glossary, and a bibliography. As with any
book of this nature, the techniques contained within it are geared for the formal
situation of a competitive wrestling match. However, with a little imagination
the clever fight director can adjust many of these moves so as to be useful in the
creation ofa less formal "street-fight" for the stage or screen. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Values
Chapter 2: History
Chapter 3: Equipment
Chapter 4: Techniques of Participation
The Warm-Up
Basic Positions
Books 109
Open Stance Position-The Closed Stance- Referee's Position on the

Mat
Basic Holds
Breakdowns-Rides-Pinning-Combinations-Reverses and
Escapes-Takedowns-Counters to Foot Rides-Come Outs from
Pinning Situations-Go Behinds from the Head-to-Head Position on
the Mat- Counters Against Leg Dives- Counters Against a Standing
Headlock
Chapter 5: Rules
Chapter 6: Training Program
Chapter 7: Glossary
Chapter 8: Self-Testing and Evaluation
Chapter 9: Bibliography
The format of this informative little book dictates that the over 200 photographs
are somewhat small. Notwithstanding the lack of size in the illustrations, this is
a very useful text that is quite full of techniques just waiting to be adapted to
stage and screen.
73. Hutton, Alfred. The Sword and the Centuries, Or Old Sword Days and
Old Sword Ways. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1901
(second edition: 1973; third edition: 1980). **D, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-8048-0943-7, LCCN: 72-130411. For those fight directors, directors,

and actor-combatants who have been seeking out a publication which will give
them detailed accounts of actual duels, duelists, the weapons they used, and how
they used them. Hutton's book is 367 ages in length and includes 48 black and
white illustrations (many are reprints from ancient fencing publications). This
informative and entertaining book is a reprint of Hutton's 1901 edition originally
published by Grant Richards, London. Hutton has succeeded in compiling
several stories and anecdotes of "combats a courtesie" and "combats a outrance"
from the Middle Ages through the tum of the twentieth century. Mr. Hutton
gleans from the best chroniclers of the times. Hutton does an admirable job of
while serving as narrator, translator, and editor; and does so with no little sense
of humor along the way. He introduces us to the sword in the Age of Chivalry,
describing the weapon in detail and then whisks us off to experience several
accounts in which this weapon was actually used. Table of Contents:
BOOK I: THE AGE OF CHIVALRY

Chapter 1: How the Lord of Ternant and the Spanish Esquire Galiot de
Balthasin Fought on Foot and on Horseback for Knightly Honour
Chapter 2: How the Good Knight Jacques de Lalain and the English Esquire
Thomas Que Fought with the Great Axe
Chapter 3: How Two Tailors fought to the Death with Shield and Cudgel
Chapter 4: How the Good Knight Sans Peur et sans Reproache Fought in
the Lists with the Estoc Against the Spaniard Sotomaior, and Slew Him
Chapter 5: How the Baron d'Aguerre fought with the Lord of Fendilles with
the Bastard Sword, and what came of it
Chapter 6: The Two-Handed Sword
Chapter 7: Of the Sword and Buckler, and How the Sieur de Jarnac Fought
in the Lists with the Lord of Chastaigneraie and How He slew Him
Chapter 8: The Ancient Method and Usage of Duels before the King
BOOK II: THE PERIOD OF THE RAPIER
Chapter 1: The Rapier and its Auxilliaries
Chapter 2: Of Certain of the Evils which arose from the Vow of Henri II.
Chapter 3: How the Admirable Crichton Fought with an Italian Bravo at
Single Rapier and Slew Him, and How Afterwards He was Slain with
Unfair Advantage
Chapter 4: Of Chivalrous Amenities Among the Rapier Men
Chapter 5: Of the Dagger
Chapter 6: The Merrie Pranke of Long Meg of Westminster, and How She
Vanquished a Spanish Knight with her Sword and Buckler
Chapter 7: Of the Two Swords, or the "The Case of Rapiers"
Chapter 8: Of Further Inconvenients which Ensued from the Rash Vow of
Henri II of France Touching what Resulted from the Duel of the
Mignons
Chapter 9: George Silver, Gentleman
Chapter 10: The Reign of Richelieu
Chapter 11 : The Sword of Justice
BOOK III: THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION
Chapter 1: The Flamberge and the Early Small Sword
Chapter 2: The "Colichemarde"
Chapter 3: The Small Sword, and Three Famous Fencers
BOOK IV: THE PRIZE-PLAYERS AND THE PRIZE-FIGHTERS
Chapter 1: The Prizes and their Players
Chapter 2: The "Gladiating" Prize-fighter
Chapter 3: The Broadsword
BOOK V: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Chapter 1: The Duelling Sword
Chapter 2: The Sabre
Chapter 3: Cudgelling-Backswording-Singlestick.
There is no credit given to the illustrator. However, the illustrations are not the
primary concern of this publication. It is in the colorful recounting of the actual
duels where Hutton's book truly shines. If the reader is interested in narrative
accounts of actual combats, a more informative and entertaining resource than
this will be difficult to find.
74. Jeffreys, Steven. A Medieval Siege. London: Wayland Publishers, Inc.,

1973. **M**
Books 111
No ISBN available. In this entry in the Sentinel Book Series, Mr. Jeffreys offers
a brief examination of the art of siege warfare in the Middle Ages. This book
will be of use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actor-combatants,
armorers, and weaponsmakers. The book is 96 pages in length, offers over 70
black and white and color illustrations, a table of dates, a glossary, further
reading list, a glossary, and an index. This book will be of use to the fight
director or director who wants to gain a general understanding of the topic
without going into a great deal of detail. Table of Contents:
XIX. Targets of Siege Warfare

Why Castles?-Castles in War-Building a Castle-Castle
Design-The Siege of Chateau Gaillard-The Duties of the
Castellan-Besieged by Infidels-Krak des Chevaliers-Morale in
the Siege-The Finding of the Holy Lance
Xx. Armaments and Tactics
Slings and Batteries-Siege Towers-The Siege of Tower-
Counter-attack-An Inventor Under Siege-Greek Fire-
Gunpowder-InfantryWeapons-Mining-
Chivalry Underground-Drifting Victory
XXI. The Laws of the Siege
The Rights of a King-Unconditional Surrender-Siege
Formalities-The Rights of a Soldier
XXII. Cities Under Siege
Citizens at War-The Siege of Rouen-Terrors of the Siege-The
Burghers of Calais-Pageantry and Chivalry-The Horrors of
Defeat-Treachery and Discontent-Warrior of God-The Siege
of Orleans-Constantinople-The Fall of Constantinople-The
End of an Era
Table of Dates
Glossary
Further Reading
Of some interest will be the dozens of detailed illustrations featuring antique

artwork from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. These illustrations feature
citizens and soldiers in the throes of siege and battle.
75. Keegan, John. The Face of Battle. New York: Dorset Press, 1976.
**D, V, M**
ISBN: 0-88029-083-8. In The Face of Battle, Mr. Keegan offers an extensive

examination of three battles: Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme. This book
will be of most use to fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs in its ability to
weave history, strategy, and first person narrative into a cohesive whole. The
book is an articulate 355 pages in length, includes four black and white
photographs, five black and white reproductions of famous battle paintings, a
bibliography, and an index. Mr. Keegan served as a political analyst for the
United States Embassy in London from 1958 to 1960, and has been Senior
Lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. The
following astute observation appears on the dust-cover regarding Mr. Keegan's
tome:
In this major and wholly original contribution to military history,

John Keegan reverses the usual convention of writing about war in
terms of generals and nations in conflict, which tend to leave the
common soldier as cipher. Instead he focuses on what a set battle
is like for the man in the thick of it-his fears, his wounds and
their treatment, the mechanics of being taken prisoner, the nature
of leadership at the junior level, the role of compulsion in getting
men to stand their ground, the intrusions of cruelty and
compassion, the very din and blood.
The Face of Battle offers fascinating glimpse into the mind of the common
soldier as he attempts to walk the fine line between duty and self-preservation.
Once one perserveres beyond the introductory material on the nature of
recording military history, there is a wealth of material about the strategy of
battle, the psychology of the individual soldier, as well as factual information
regarding how the three battles chosen for analysis actually unfolded and
concluded. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Old, Unhappy, Far-off Things

A Little Learning
The Usefullness of Military History
The Deficiencies of Military History
The 'Battle of Piece'
'Killing No Murder?'
The Narrative Tradition
Verdict or Truth?
Chapter 2: Agincourt, October 25 th , 1415
The Campaign
The Battle
Archers versus Infantry and Cavalry
Cavarly versus Infantry
The Killing of the Prisioners
The Wounded
The Will to Combat
Chapter 3: Waterloo, June 18 th , 1815
The Campaign
The Personal Angle of Vision
The Physical Circumstances of Battle
Categories of Combat
Single Combat
Cavalry versus Cavalry
Cavarly versus Artillery
Books 113
Cavarly versus Infantry

Artillery versus Infantry
Infantry versus Infantry
Disintegration
Aftermath
The Wounded
Chapter 4: The Somme, July 1't, 1916
The Battlefield
The Plan
The Preparations
The Army
The Tactics
The Bombardment
The Final Preliminaries
The Battle
Infantry versus Infantry
The View from across No-man's-land
The Wounded
The Will to Combat
Commemoration
Chapter 5: The Future of Battle
The Moving Battlefield
The Nature of Battle
The Trend of Battle
The Inhuman Face of War
The Abolition of Battle
Bibliography
Index
Three of the engagements discussed in The Face ofBattle fall outside the scope
of this bibliography. The only battle discussed which actually occured before
1800 was the Battle of Agincourt, 1415 . However, the insights offered on
Napoleon and Wellington's stand-off at Waterloo, in 1815, presents much
valuable information in terms of cut and thrust battle technique utilized during
the eighteenth well as the nineteenth century; sabre, bayonet, and lance-to
name a few. SAFD Fight Master J. Allen Suddeth highly recommends this
scholarly analysis of three major battles and how the common soldier faces his
fears, duty, and the enemy.
76. Kiernan, V. G. The Duel in European History; Honour and the Reign of
Aristocracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. **M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-19-822566-0. Kiernan's book is probably most useful to fight directors,

directors, drarnaturgs, and actors who want a better understanding of how
dueling fit into the social structure of the societies which sanctioned it as an
institution. The Duel in European History is 348 pages in length and contains a
bibliography, an index, and 14 black and white photographs and photographic

reproductions of woodcuts, illustrations, etc. It will be of most aid to those
seeking a more complete understanding of the psychology of the duelist within
the greater social milieu. There are many references to actual historical duels.
However, these references tend to be cursory and the fight director will gain
little in terms of dueling technique from examining them. This book is a well-
documented scholarly exploration of the evolution of the duel from its medieval
beginnings to its demise in the early twentieth century. It also examines public
opinion regarding the duel during various historical periods and nations via
legislation, religious sermons, diaries, contemporary chronicles, and the musings
of literary figures that wrote of the duel contemporaneous with its practice.
Kiernan compares several social structures at work in various European
countries (and their colonies) and how dueling reflected the social underpinnings
of those societies. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Problem of the Duel

Chapter 2: Ancient and Primitive Analogies
Chapter 3: Europe of the Knights
Chapter 4: Emergence of the Modem Duel
Chapter 5: The Spread of the Duel
Chapter 6: Grudges and Grievances
Chapter 7: Procedure and Etiquette
Chapter 8: The Psychology of Honour
Chapter 9: Honour and Enlightenment
Chapter 10: Decline and Rebirth
Chapter 11: Britain: The Final Decades
Chapter 12: Walter Scott and Honour
Chapter 13: Later British Writers
Chapter 14: Western Europe: The Hundred Last Years
Chapter 15: Under Old Monarchies
Chapter 16: Europe Overseas
Chapter 17: Epilogue
Retrospect
Kiernan also examines the aristocratic concept of honor and its relationship to
the various "punctilios" or "codes" (including the Chivalric Code and the Code
Duello) and contemporary dueling etiquette. This is a very scholarly text which
contains a wealth of information. The Duel in European History offers a
bibliography which is an excellent resource for additional publications on
dueling. All entries dealing specifically with duels are preceded by asterisks.
77. Kist, J. B. Jacob de Gheyn: The Exercise ofArms; A Commentary. New

York: McGraw-Hili Book Company, 1971. **R**
ISBN: 07-016237-9 (McGraw-Hill); 90-6087-271-1 (De Tydstroom); LCCN:

77-146168. Mr. Kist offers a very informative commentary on the military
Books 115
exercises of Jacob de Gheyn. The book will be of interest to fight directors,

directors, dramaturgs, costume designers, armorers, weaponsmakers, and actor-
combatants. The commentary is 47 pages in length, offers 80 black and white
photographic plates, and a bibliography. This commentary includes a copy of de
Gheyn's Exercise of Arms. Eighty-five of de Gheyn's plates deal with the
loading and firing of the matchlock. The rest of the 32 plates present a pike drill
broken down into its component parts and commands. The reprint of de Gheyn's
book which accompanies the commentary is printed in Dutch, making Kist's
translation of the commands and his commentary that much more valuable.
This would be an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in recreating a
pike company for historical reenactments, Renaissance faires, etc.
78. Koch, H. W. History of Warfare. New York: Gallery Books, 1981.

**B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-8317-4492-8. History of Warfare is a comprehensive and scholarly

examination of warfare from the Roman Empire through the Nuclear Age. Two
of Dr. Koch's other books-Medieval Warfare, and The Rise ofModern Warfare
deal with much of the same material covered in this publication. This book will
be of most use to the dramaturg, the director, the fight director, the costumer, the
weaponsmaker, and the actor. The text is 373 pages in length, offers nearly
1,000 illustrations (black and white and color photographs, reproductions of
woodcuts, prints, portraits, paintings of battle scenes, maps, etc.), and an index.
Dr. Koch is a well known expert on military history who has lectured at such
prestigious institutions as the University of York and the University of Munich.
Not only is his scholarship extensive and impressive in its scope, but the
hundreds of illustrations which appear make it a pleasurable book to look at.
History of Warfare offers hundreds of reprints of beautiful period portraits,
paintings of famous warriors, and artistic renditions of famous battle scenes.
List of section titles:
Introduction
The Roman Empire and the Rise of the Barbarians
The Challenge from the East
The European Response: Feudalism
England and the Feudal Military System
The Social and Military Aspects of Knighthood
The Crusades
The Teutonic Order
Transformation of Warfare
The Condottieri and Mercenary Corps
Professionalism
Renaissance Trends
The Beginnings of Modem Warfare
The English Experience
Army and Absolutism in France
The Rise of Prussia

The New Sparta
The Climax of Absolutist Warfare
Warfare in the New World
The "General Will"
The New Age: Napoleon
The New Age: The German Reaction
Clausewitz and Total War
Army and Society: France
Army and Society: Britain
Army and Society: Germany
The Forgotten Wars
World War I
World War II
The Nuclear Age
History of Warfare is an impressive resource, dense with information and

illustrations which artfully supplement the narrative. Fight directors will enjoy
examining the composition of the combat present in the artwork. The director
and dramaturg will enjoy the historical narrative.
79. Lacombe, M. P. Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Translated by Charles Boutell. London: Reeves and Turner, 1905.
**S, B, I, D, M, R, T**
No ISBN available. Charles Boutell, author of English Heraldry, offers his

translation from the French of M. P. Lacombe's original-to which Boutell adds
an additional chapter on arms and armor in England. The book will be of most
use to fight directors, armorers, weaponsmakers, directors, actors, and
dramaturgs. The text is 296 pages in length, offers 71 line drawn illustrations,
22 black and white photographs, an appendix, and notes. This is a substantial
piece of scholarship which begins with the Stone Age and examines arms and
armor from virtually every major period in Western European warfare through
the seventeenth century. However, it should be mentioned that the Vikings are
conspicuously missing from the study and the text stops short of examining
eighteenth century weapons such as the small-sword and the dueling pistol.
Table of Contents:
Chapter I: The Weapons of the Stone Age

Chapter II: The Arms and Armour of the Bronze Age
Section I-Arms and Armour of the Assyrians
Section II-Arms and Armour of the Gauls
Section III-Arms and Armour of the Greeks of the Heroic Ages
Chapter III
Section I-Arms and Armour of the Greeks and Persians
Section II-Arms and Armour of the Etruscans
Books 117
Chapter IV: Arms and Armour of the Romans

Section I-Defensive Armour
Section II-Offensive Weapons
Chapter V: The Decoration of Ancient Arms and Armour
Chapter VI
Section I-Weapons of Savage Races
Section II-Arms and Armour of the Franks of the Era of Clovis-A.D.
481-511
Section III-Arms and Armour of the Franks of the Era of Charlemagne-
A.D. 768-814
Chapter VII: Arms and Armour of the Middle Ages, Part I.
Chapter VIII: Arms and Armour of the Middle Ages, Part II.
Chapter IX: Arms and Armour of the Transition Era-Sixteenth and
Seventeenth Centuries.
Chapter X: Arms and Armour in England
Chapter XI: Modem Arms:
Part I-Artillery
Part II-Small Arms
Appendix: Remarkable Examples of Arms and Armour
M. P. Lacombe (and defacto, Mr. Boutell) make use of many ancient sources
such as sections from Homer's Iliad in his examination of the hoplite and
phalanx of ancient Greece. He also turns to such ancient historians as Polybius
and Vegitius in his discussion of the weapons, armor, and the legions of ancient
Rome. This is a work which stands on its substantive narrative as opposed to its
illustrations. It should also be noted that although the focus of the text is on
arms and armor the fight director will also find numerous references to fighting
tactics and combat technique.
80. Lane, Richard. Swashbuckling: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Art ofStage

Combat and Theatrical Swordplay. New York, NY: Limelight Editions,
1999. **H, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-87910-091-5. Richard Lane, is an Society of American Fight Directors

Certified Teacher and Fight Director. He also serves as the Executive Director
of The Academy of the Sword in San Franciso, California. Mr. Lane is an
accomplished teacher, fight director, and author. In addition to Swashbuckling,
Mr. Lane co-authored In Search of the Woman Warrior: Four Mythical
Archetypes for Modern Women with Jay Wurts and Marrion Zimmer Bradley.
This How-To manual features a forward by the late Oscar F. Kolombotovich,
former Fencing Master: Metropolitan Opera, New York; U.S. Miltary Academy,
West Point, New York; former U.S. Team World Championship; and the former
Executive Secrtary of the Historical Fencing Society. Mr. Kolobotovich offers
up the following praise,
No longer is it possible to mount a production... where the

combatants flail the air and on cue, fall down and expire .. .The
public is too aware, too exposed to swashbucklers on the
screen...Now the bible is available; the commandments have been
inscribed and brought down from the mountain. Read this, pay
heed and you will avoid sin and suffering. (Foreword)
Mr. Lane has provided an excellent primary text for the student engaged in
taking a course under the tuteledge of a qualified instructor. The book is 329
pages in length, offers 292 black and white photographs, 8 illustrations, 3
templates (Fight Captain's Report, Daily Fight Report, and Fight Director's
Report Form), glossary, bibliography, and various appendices. This book will
be an excellent resource for the fight director, teacher of stage combat, actor-
combatant, and director. Table of Contents:
Part 1: Combat and Theatre

1. "They Fight"
2. Your Role as Actor-Combatant
3. Getting to Know Your Sword
4. Getting Ready for Swordplay
Part II: Stage Fighting Technique and Basic Swordplay
5. Stretching and Warming Up
6. Staging Unarmed Combat
7. Swordfighting Footwork
8. Defensive Rapier Forms
9. Attack Rapier Forms
10. A Solo Rapier Form
11 . Swaschbuckling with Broadswords
Part III: The Compleat Swashbuckler
12. Working with Fight Directors
13. Swashbuckling and a Theatrical Career
Appendices
Sample Fight Forms
Glossary of Stage Combat and Swordfighting Terms
Bibliography
Further Reading
Instructional and Educational Videos
SAFD Certified Teachers, Colleges, and Others Offering Stage Combat
Training
The Stage Combat Mailing List
Weapons, Props, and Costume Suppliers
In Swashbuckling, Mr. Lane provides a solid and stalwart introduction to the

study of theatrical swordplay techniques. In his Introduction Mr. Lane offers a
subsection entitled "Can You Really Learn Stage Combat from a Book?" In this
brief subsection Mr. Lane is most careful to warn his reader,
Books 119
Only an experienced instructor can tell you how well you are
performing a given technique and help you separate unconscious
bad habits from good muscle memory....However, a book like this
can go a long way toward parparing you for such instruction, and
then help you remember and perfrct the techniques you've learned,
even if they differ slightly from those presented here. (p.7)
Armed with this proviso the reader will, indeed, gain a great deal from a careful
study of this text in conjunction with taking a course under the tuteldege of a
qualified instructor of stage combat. In addition to dozens of detailed
descriptions of various attacks and parries, Mr. Lane engages the reader in some
very thoughtful discussion on the the nature of violence, violence as utilized on
the stage, illusion versus reality, general rules for fighting on stage, physical
fitness, types of blades, parts of blades, focusing your energy, footwork,
working with a fight director, warm-ups, and historical swordplay. The book
focuses primarily on swordplay (specifically single rapier, rapier and dagger,
and broadsword) but also makes a cursory nod in the direction of unarmed
combat techniques as well. Swashbuckling is an excellent resource for both the
teacher and student of theatreical combat.
81. Latham, Sid. Knifecraft. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books,

1978.
**H, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-8117-0927-2. Bladesmith Sid Latham offers a book sure to be of use to

those involved in making knives and daggers for the stage and screen.
However, it should be stated that the techniques presented in this publication are
intended to result in excellently crafted "sharps" as opposed to "blunted" stage
weapons. The text is 240 pages in length, offers 245 black and white and
colored photographs, an index, and a list of knifemakers and suppliers. Sid
Latham is a photojournalist who worked for both Life magazine and as a war
correspondent for International News Service. As of 1978 Mr. Latham was
freelancing and dividing his time between photography, writing, and
knifemaking. Mr. Latham has gathered information from what are undoubtedly
some of the great knifemaking artisans of the world into one book. Each of the
artists shares techniques and practices from their particular specialty. As is
generally the case, much of the detail lavished on these weapons would be
useless onstage. On the other hand, this sort of detail is entirely appropriate for
film work. Knifecraft is intended to supplement the education of knifemakers.
Table of Contents:
1. Knives and Their Makers: A Brief Background

2. What is a Knife
3. Choosing the Right Steel
4. All about Handles
5. Knife Concept and Design
6. Safety in the Shop

7. Jack Barnett: The Stick-Handle Knife and the Boot Knife
8. George Herron: The Folder and the Tapered-Tang Hunting Knife
9. Lloyd Hale: The Bowie Knife
10. Bill Moran: The Master of Damascus
11 . Knife Decor
12. Sheath Making
13. Knife Sharpening
14. Knifemaking and Suppliers
Knifecraft is an excellent photo-essay offering detailed photographs and

narrative on virtually every aspect of knife and sheathmaking.
82. MacYoung, Marc "Anima!." Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right: Surviving
on the Wild Side ofthe Street. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1991. **H, U**
ISBN: 0-87364-611-8. Streetfighter Marc "Animal" MacYoung offers some

very specific techniques to back up the philosophy he put forth in Cheap Shots,
Ambushes, and Other Lessons. This book will stimulate the imagination of fight
directors and instructors of unarmed stage combat while offering dozens of
specific techniques. The text is 148 pages in length and includes 33 line drawn
illustrations and diagrams. "Animal" offers his thoughts on blow genres,
avoiding blows, and where to do the most damage when striking. Table of
Contents:
Introduction
Chapter One: Blows
Setups-Rattlers-Maimers-Nighty Nite Bunny Rabbits-Hand
Positions-Striking Surfaces-Fist Positions- Punches (Leopard, Dragon,
Hanging Punch, Palm Strike, Phoenix, Karate Chop)-Other Strikes (Elbow
Shots, Knee Strikes)
Chapter Two: Shedding
Chapter Three: The Noggin
Above the Ear-The Base of the Skull-The Face-The Schnozz-The
Eyes-The Ears-The Jaw-The Mouth
Chapter Four: The Throat and Neck
The Throat-The Neck
Chapter Five: The Body
The Shoulders-The Chest and Back-The Balls
Chapter Six: The Limbs
The Arms-The Legs-Afterward
Mr. MacYoung, using a fair amount of data on anatomy and physiology, lets the
reader in on the best places to strike for effect, what that effect is, and what
precipitates that effect. He offers several different vulnerable target areas,
several types of punches, differing fist positions, and various joint locks. The
Books 121
fight director would need to be extremely careful about utilizing throat strikes
and joint locks, especially onstage. Noncontact blows to the throat on film are
more easily executed. Experienced fight directors working with experienced
fighters might make use of these moves once they have been carefully adapted
for use on the stage or screen. The reader should also be prepared for Mr.
MacYoung's colorful street vocabulary.
83. MacYoung, Marc "Animal." Knives, Knife Fighting, and Related

Hassles: How to Survive a Real Knife Fight. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press,
1990. **H, S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-87364-544-8. Here is still another offering by the prolific street-fighter

cum author, Marc "Animal" MacYoung. In this publication he examines various
knife fighting grips, stances, defenses, attacks, dirty-tricks, etc. This book goes
much further into specific techniques than his earlier effort, Cheap Shots,
Ambushes, and Other Lessons. This book will be very useful for fight directors
and stage combat instructors involved in staging or teaching knife fighting for
the stage and screen. It may also be of use for actors wishing to gain a better
understanding of the psychology of the street fighter. The text is 117 pages in
length, offering 55 black and white photographs, 3 pages of line drawn
illustrations, no index, and no bibliography. Mr. MacYoung offers a very
informative text on a very nasty subject. If one couples Knives, Knife Fighting
and Other Related Hassles with Mr. MacYoung's instructional videos, Surviving
A Street Knife Fight and Winning A Street Knife Fight, one has a fairly
comprehensive introduction to this dangerous art form. Table of Contents:
Chapter One: Knives and Related Hassles

Chapter Two: Nuts and Bolts
Chapter Three: Mental Homework
Chapter Four: Mobility and Balance
Chapter Five: Guard
Chapter Six: Grip, Heft, and Balance
Chapter Seven: Stance
Chapter Eight: Quickdraw
Chapter Nine: Draws
Chapter Ten: Fighting
Chapter Eleven: Combat
Afterword
Several of the techniques offered here could be utilized in several different

historical periods. The fight director/instructor will readily gain a great deal of
practical knowledge from Mr. MacYoung in terms of grips, draws, sheaths,
targeting, etc.-great preparation for staging the knife fights in that next gang or
prison film. As always, Paladin Press deals with the real thing: real knife
fighting and real violence. The fight director will need to adjust nearly all of
these techniques for use on the stage and screen.
84. Manley, Albert. Complete Fencing. Garden City, New York:

Doubleday and Company, 1979. **H, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-385-12075-3, LCCN is: 76-56319. Mr. Manley has authored a very
comprehensive "How-To" manual on beginning and intermediate foil, epee, and
sabre technique. The book will be of use to fight directors and stage combat
instructors engaged in teaching theatrical fencing. The book is 305 pages in
length, includes 120 black and white photographs, 15 line drawings, 4 diagrams,
a glossary, a selected reading list, a list of equipment suppliers, and an index.
Mr. Manley was Fencing Master at Reed College in Portland, Oregon and as of
1979 had been a coach for over 15 years. Complete Fencing, is one of the most
comprehensive and up-to-date guides available on all three styles of modem
fencing: foil, epee, and sabre. Manley discusses grips, stances, movements, and
strategies necessary for competitive success at the beginning, intermediate, and
advanced levels. Fight directors and stage combat instructors will appreciate the
sheer number of techniques offered in his book. Table of Contents:
Part One: Beginning and Ongoing

1. Generally Speaking
2. Training
3. The Fencing Club
Part Two: Foil
4. Rules and Theory
5. Basic Sequence
6. Disengaging Sequence
7. Beating Sequence
8. Combinations and Continuations
9. The Left-Hander
10. Officiating
11. Teaching Foil
Part Three: The Advanced Weapons
12. Training for Epee and Sabre
13. Epee Rules, Theory, and Officiating
14. Epee Attacking
15. Epee Counterattacking
16. Teaching Epee
17. Sabre Rules, Theory, and Officiating
18. Simple Attacking in Sabre
19. Parry-riposting in Sabre
20. Sabre Combinations
21. Teaching Sabre
Appendices
A. Selected Readings
B. Equipment Suppliers
Books 123
C. Glossary
Index
Mr. Manley explores certain topics other fencing texts tend to avoid, such as
facing the left-handed opponent. He also offers some interesting drills designed
to increase centering and balance in legwork. He is also quite adept at
presenting combinations for drilling parry/riposte, contra-parry/riposte, and lists
of optional ripostes off of the appropriate parry. As tends to be the case with
still photographs depicting stages of action, they often present some difficulty
when connected to their verbal descriptions. Readers must "fill in the blanks,"
so to speak, as they go from photograph to photograph. As always, the
techniques taught in this text must be adapted so as to be safely executed on the
stage or in film.
85. Marshall, Henry. Stage Swordplay or "So you want to be Errol Flynn?"
Tarrytown, New York: Marymount College, 1977. **H, D, V, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Distinguished fight director-instructor, Henry Marshall,

offers a text on various styles of theatrical swordplay. This concise and
informative publication is a superb resource for teachers, fight directors, and
actor-combatants. Stage Swordplay is 98 pages in length, contains no
illustrations, no index, and 1 diagram. This "How-To" manual is one of the few
competent publications currently available on theatrical cut and thrust weapons
and is primarily pedagogical in its approach. Marshall, formerly Master-At-
Arms to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, England, also taught a
course in stage combat in London for Marymount College of Tarrytown, New
York. The late Mr. Marshall is universally acknowledged as one of the true
luminaries in his field. This small publication is dubbed "A Manual ofDramatic
Armed Combat for Actors" by the author and is intended to supplement his stage
combat courses. Mr. Marshall' s pedagogical style and some of his techniques
may differ slightly from those of the Society of American Fight Directors, but it
is certain that he is a master teacher and on sure ground.Table of Contents:
1. Footwork
2. Small Sword-Basics
3. Small Sword-Sequences and Fights
4. Advanced Small-sword
5. Sabre and Cutlass
6. Rapier
7. Broadsword
8. Sword and Buckler
9. Sword and Shield
10. Quarterstaff
II. Rapier and Dagger
This small booklet would be an excellent addition to any fight director's library.
Mr. Marshall does not use the standard competitive "lines," "attacks," and "parry
numbers," but his book is still relatively easy to follow once the reader and
becomes familiar with his system. He also offers the occasional routine
(choreographed fight) in each of the various styles, so as to expose the student to
drills which, if practiced diligently, can lead to proficiency. Mr. Marshall's
philosophy includes introducing the student to point work before moving on to
cutting techniques. Apparently Mr. Marshall feels that if the student acquires
the control necessary to execute point work well, cutting should follow easily
enough. It is therefore no great surprise when one discovers much of the early
portion of his book dedicated to the small-sword and its intricate point oriented
style. It is also worth noting that Mr. Marshall was mentor to current RADA
Master-at-Arrns Richard Ryan who as served as Sword Master on such major
motion pictures as Wolfgang Petersen's TROY (2004) and Doug Lefler's The
Last Legion (2006).
86. Martinez, J. D. Combat Mime: A Non-Violent Approach to Stage

Violence. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, Publishers, 1982. **U, H**
ISBN: 0-88229-730-9 (cloth), 0-88229-809-7 (paper). This is a book that

undoubtedly will continue to be a standard text in the field of unarmed combat
for the stage. This "How-To" book will be of use to teachers, fight directors,
directors, and actor-combatants. The text is 213 pages in length, includes 268
line drawings, 2 diagrams, and an index. Joseph Martinez is a professor at
Washington and Lee University where he teaches both armed and unarmed
combat for the stage. In 1995 he was honored with an invitation to present a
demonstration of armed combat for the stage at the newly completed Globe
Theatre in London. Martinez has been involved with the Society of American
Fight Directors since its inception and is acknowledged by that organization as a
"Fight Master Emeritus.". The SAFD's policy statement makes it clear that in
that organization's estimation, safety and high aesthetic standards are of
paramount importance when staging combat:
The Society of American Fight Directors is the only national

organization which has developed recognized standards for levels
of skill in the combat arts...comrnitted to the highest standards of
safety in the theatrical, film, and television industries.
Combat Mime is steeped in SAFD philosophy. Martinez's book is also an

excellent example of the "How-To" manual, as it presents no less than 88
unarmed stage combat techniques. It is imaginative, informative, easy to
assimilate, and above all, eminently practical. Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. Preparatory Partner Games
2. Techniques and Illusions
Books 125
3. Choreography
4. Special Effects
5. First Aid
Martinez begins with exercises designed to prepare the student for the physical
and mental rigors of stage combat. Section Two: "Technique and Illustrations,"
is a gold mine of information for the student who is attempting to understand
and execute unarmed combat. Martinez very carefully explains each of the 88
techniques covered in his text step-by-step. Caren Caraway supports his
explanations with illustrations that are concise, complementary, and easy to
follow. Techniques include:
Rolling-Falling-Breakfalls-Scratching-Slapping-
Punching-Kicking-Kneeing-Stomping-Throwing-
Shoving-Pushing-Knee Attacks-Elbow Attacks
Martinez also makes helpful hints in the areas of music, lighting, dramatic
theory, sets, costumes, special effects, rehearsal process, and fight notation.
Interestingly enough, Martinez himself is the first to counsel actors and directors
not to utilize his text solely on its own, but as supplementation to instruction by
a qualified instructor of stage combat. Martinez also offers an excellent book on
staging the fights contained in Shakespeare's plays within the context of the
weapons available during the Elizabethan period, The Swords of Shakespeare.
In this second book, rather than concerning himself primarily with pedagogy, he
concentrates more on performance and offers sample choreography for virtually
every fight contained in Shakespeare's plays.
87. Martinez, J. D. The Swords of Shakespeare: An Illustrated Guide to

Stage Combat Choreography in the Plays of Shakespeare. Jefferson, N.C.:
McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, 1996. **H, B, V, D, M, R, T**
ISBN: 0-89950-959-2. This anxiously awaited compliment to Combat Mime

offers "sample" choreography to virtually every fight-scene appearing in the
dramatic works of William Shakepeare. This "How-To" book will be of most
use to fight directors, actors, and directors. The book is 280 pages (of double-
columned text) in length, offers 473 line drawn figures in various positions of
armed conflict, a glossary of terms, 2 appendices, a bibliogrpahy, and an index.
Please see the above annotation of Combat Mime for additional information on
Mr. Martinez. In his Introduction, Mr. Martinez states:
The Swords of Shakespeare is intended to be used as a guide for

anyone interested in how the armed conflicts in the plays of
Shakespeare are presented upon the stage. This book links the
training of the ancient Masters of Defence with modem techniques
used by professional combat choreographers... Sample
choreography, fully illustrated, is offered as an example of what
can be done by actors and actresses who have been adequately

trained by a Certified Teacher of Fighte Master of teh Society of
American Fight Directors. (pp. 1-2)
Mr. Martinez has produced a fascinating book which is a facile blend of martial
history, modem fencing technique, and stage fighting technique-all searnlessly
blended into a cohesive whole via his dramatic imagination. He offers, quite
literally, a hypothetical stage fight-completely choreographed on the page,
including illustrations- for every fight found in Shakepeare's plays. He
choreographs these fights making use of the weapons which would have been
available to fight directors when Shakespeare penned his plays:
Scottish basket-hilted broadsword-single-handed sword and

shield-hand-and-a-half "bastard" sword-gauntlet "studded with
spikes"-broadsword and dagger-quarterstaff-sword and
buckler-rapier and poniard-rapier and lantern-single rapier-
transition rapier-16th c. Single-edged broadsword-rapier and
dagger-"bellow" or "cudgel"--single edged "hunting sword"-
knife
This excellent resource for the fight director offers the following Table of
Contents:
Introduction
Principles of Stage Fight Choreography
(Ancient History vs. Modem Practice)
Safety and Training
A Brief History of Elizabethan Swordplay
The Choreography:
Henry IV, Part I
Douglas vs. Blunt
Douglas vs. King Henry
Douglas vs. Prince Henry
Hotspur vs. Prince Henry
Henry IV, Part 2
Falstaffvs. Pistol
Henry VI, Partl
Charles vs. Joan De Pucelle
Talbot vs. Joan De Pucelle
Henry VI, Part 2
Homer vs. Peter
Cade vs. Iden
Clifford vs. York
Richard vs. Somerset
Henry VI, Part 3
Richard vs. Clifford
Richard III
Books 127
Richard vs. Richmond

Romeo and Juliet
Benvolio vs. Tybalt
Mercutio vs. Tybalt
Romeo vs. Tybalt
Paris vs. Romeo
Hamlet
Hamlet vs. Laertes
Troilus and Cressida
Ajax vs. Hector
Troilus vs. Diomedes
Toilus vs. Ajax and Diomedes
Achilles vs. Hector
Menelaus vs. Paris
Othello
Montano vs. Cassio
King Lear
Cornwall and Regan vs. Servant
Kent vs. Edmund
Oswald vs. Edgar
Edgar vs. Edmund
Macbeth
Macbeth vs. Young Siward
Macbeth vs. Macduff
Coriolanus
Coriolanus vs. Aufidius
Cymbeline
Cloten vs. Guiderius
Jochimo vs. Posthumus
The Two Noble Kinsmen
Palamon vs. Arcite
Glossary
Appendix I: The Society of American Fight Directors
Appendix II: Suppliers of Stage Weapons
Bibliography
Index
In The Swords of Shakespeare, Mr. Martinez has supplied fight directors with
valuable insight into the mind of an extremely proficient and talented fight
choreographer-himself. He presents what he views as the most pertinent
questions to be asked and answered when approaching a fight in Shakespeare's
plays and then offers a series of hypothetical fights as examples of how one
might approach staging such fights. Although this book qualifies as a "How-
To" book, one must not think that by reading such a book they become qualified
to stage fights. In fact, Mr. Martinez offers the following caveate:
Despite the uncomplicated natuare of this choreography, it would

be unwise for anyone to attempt to recreate these suggested stage
fights without the guidance of a qualified SAFD Fight Master or
Certified Teacher. Ther are many hidden dangers when learnign
and performaing a stage fight. To ensure an adequate level of
saftey for the performers, it is best to rely upon the experience of a
professional. (28)
An excellent resource for the trained fight director or those looking to gain
insight into the concerns of the fight director engaged in staging fights for
Shakespearean productions within an Elizabethan context.
88. Martone, John. Handbook ofSelf-Defense. New York: Areo Publishing

Company, Inc., 1955. **H, U**
ISBN: 668-00744-3, LCCN: 55-6878. Mr. Martone offers this "How-To"

manual designed for law enforcement officers. The book will definitely be of
use to fight directors staging unarmed combat and instructors of stage combat
teaching the same. The text is 111 pages in length, includes 115 black and white
photographs of techniques in various stages of execution, and a list of 24
"Precautions to Exercise" conceived with law enforcement officers in mind.
Here are dozens of tested techniques used in unarmed defense by various law
enforcement agencies around the country. Mr. Martone covers restraining
holds, the uses and abuses of the police club, punches, blocks, and conditioning
exercises as well. Mr. Martone has been Director of Physical Training for the
United States Secret Service and Training Instructor for the U.S. Army Counter
Intelligence Corps. His style is somewhat terse yet very accessible. Table of
Contents:
Chapter I: Physical Conditioning

Chapter II: Unarmed Defense
Chapter III: Offensive Procedures
Chapter IV: Defensive Procedures
Chapter V: Pistol Disarming
Chapter VI: Defense Against Knife, Blackjack, Sharp Instruments
Chapter VII: Preliminary Search of Prisoners
Chapter VIII: Securing of Prisoners
Chapter IX: Police Club (Its Uses and Abuses)
PRECAUTIONS TO EXERCISE
Fight directors looking for techniques for the stage and screen frequently
bemoan the fact that most publications tend to lean toward Asian martial arts
techniques. Handbook of Self-Defense, most decidedly, smacks of America.
Even the standard karate "chop" is anglicized and referred to as the "hatchet
blow." The book offers such techniques as arm locks, wrist locks, hatchet
blows, chokes, evasions, defense against kicks, defense against revolvers,
Books 129
defense against knife attacks (downward stroke, upward thrust, and a defense
from the ground), defense against club attacks, and club blows.
89. May, Robin and G. A. Embleton. The British Army in North America.
Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1974. **E**
ISBN: 0-85045-195-7. Robin May supplies the text while G. A. Embleton

offers the color illustrations for this introduction to the British Army and its
conflict with the North American Colonies in their struggle for independence.
This book will be of most use to fight directors, directors, drarnaturgs, actors,
costumers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 40 pages in length, offers 30 black
and white illustrations, and 8 color plates (illustrations). An excellent
introduction to the British forces on the North American continent involved in
fighting American Colonial forces. List of section titles:
Introduction
Raising an Army
Location of the Army in 1775-Recruiting-The Prices of Commissions in
1776
The Redcoat's War
A Diary of the American Revolution
The Regiments Which Served
Some Food Facts-Army Administration
The Royal Warrant of 1768 for Infantry Clothing,
Colours & c.
Colours-Drums-Bells of Arms-Camp Colours-Uniform of Officers-
Epaulettes-Waistcoats-Swords and Sword and Sword-Knots-Hats-
Sashes and Gorgets-Caps, Fuzils, and Pouches, for Grenadier Officers-
Espontoons-Gaiters-Sergeants' Coats-Sergeant's Sashes-Corporal's
Coats-Grenadiers Coats-Private Men's Coats-Lappels, Sleeves, and
Pockets-Shoulder Belts and Waist Belts-Drummers' and Fifers' Coats-
Drummers' and Fifers' Caps-Grenadiers' Caps-Hats of the Whole-Caps
for the Officers and Men of Regiments ofFuzileers-Swords-Gaiters-
Pioneers
Mr. Embleton's plates offer the fight director, costumer, and weaponsmaker
detailed color illustrations of everal different "Redcoat" divisions involved in the
American war for independence. There are several black and white photographs
of soldiers in uniform (period artwork), a sword hilt, and several hats of the
period. May and Embleton have also produced an additional Osprey entry,
Wolfe's Army, which examines the army of General James Wolfe during the
French and Indian War.
90. Mayes, Jim. How To Make Your Own Knives. New York: Everest
House Publishers, 1978. **H, S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-89696-146-X, LCCN: 78-57407. Mr. Mayes offers a very accessible

and easy to follow book on knife-making. The book will be of most use to
weaponsrnakers involved in the production of knives and daggers for the stage
and screen. The text is 191 pages in length, offers 140 black and white
photographs, 37 line drawn illustrations, and 3 appendices. The dozens of
photographs break down the steps which Mr. Mayes describes. Table of
Contents:
Foreword
Chapter 1. A Brief History of Knives and Knife-Making
Chapter 2. Knife Nomenclature: What to Call That Thingamabob
Chapter 3. Understanding Metallurgy: The Steel-Maker's Art
Chapter 4. Setting Up Your Workbench
Chapter 5. Getting Started: Where There's a Will, There's a Knife
Chapter 6. Blade Design: Sizes, Shapes, and Grinds
Chapter 7. The Blade: Getting What You Want in a Handmade Knife
Chapter 8. Heat Treatment: Giving Your Blade Its Character
Chapter 9. The Tang: Its Purpose and Design
Chapter 10. Hilts and Pommels: How to Make Them
Chapter 11. The Handle: An Expression of Your Individuality
Chapter 12. Epoxy and How to Use It
Chapter 13. Using Pins and Cutler's Rivets
Chapter 14. Finishing Your Knife: Sanding, Buffing, and Polishing
Chapter 15. The Sheath: How to Design and Make It
Chapter 16. Knife Care: Honing and Other Thoughts
Appendix:
Glossary of Knife-Making Terms
Where to Order What You Need
Knife-Making Supplies and Services
How To Make Your Own Knives is fairly comprehensive in its scope. There are
no fancy innovations or technical break-throughs offered here, simply tried and
true techniques which work.
91. McCallum, Paul. A Practical Self-Defense Guide for Women.

Whitehall, Virginia: Betterway Publications, Inc.,1991. **H, U**
ISBN: 1-55870-203-2. Mr. McCallum offers a compilation of various self-

defense techniques developed with women in mind. The book will be useful to
the fight director and instructor of unarmed stage combat qualified to adjust the
moves offered in the book so as to be suitable for use on the stage and screen.
There are some very interesting "specialty moves" offered in this pictorial
"How-To" manual. The book is 200 pages in length, offers 89 black and white
Books 131
photographs of techniques executed by models, and an index. According to the

back cover, Mr. McCallum is the holder of a black belt in Karate and has been a
martial arts instructor for years. Some of the techniques in the book are vicious
in appearance. Many of the photographs depict breaking legs, breaking knees,
punching, kicking, grabbing the groin, karate chopping to the throat, elbowing to
the face and solar plexus, turning an attacker's knife on himself, stabbing an
attacker in the stomach, slashing the attacker's face with a hidden knife, using an
umbrella to stab to the throat, and many other equally useful techniques
designed to deter or immobilize an attacker. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. Learning Self-Defense

Chapter 2. Tactics
Chapter 3. Stretching
Chapter 4. Basic Kicks
Chapter 5. Basic Hand Moves
Chapter 6. In the Street
Chapter 7. When Someone Grabs You
Chapter 8. In Close Quarters
Chapter 9. Sitting Down
Chapter 10. Against a Weapon
Chapter 11. Using Weapons
Chapter 12. Guns
Chapter 13 . Advanced Techniques
Chapter 14. The Aftermath
Chapter 15 . How to Pick a Martial Arts School
There is little doubt that many of the techniques offered in this book are karate
related. However, they are presented in a format that smacks more of the streets
of America than the dojo. The reader virtually never sees a model in a ghee.
Frequently they are dressed in street clothes and pictured in an appropriately
"street-like" environment. Instructors will appreciate the detailed portion of the
book dedicated to stretching and warming up. Choreographers will appreciate
some of the more unique techniques and combinations offered, including a
section on how to deal with multiple simultaneous attackers. This book is
relatively new (1991) and appears to have been significantly influenced by the
wave of violence that is currently plaguing our society. It meets violence head
on. There is no mercy shown to the "bad guys" in this book. If the
choreographer is looking for some brutal and, in some cases, lethal self-defense
techniques, this is an excellent resource . As always, the techniques offered in
the publication must be carefully altered for use on the stage.
92. Mclan, R. R. and James Logan. The Clans of the Scottish Highlands.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980. **D, V, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. McIan and Logan offer a handsome book which will
undoubtedly be a great resource for costume designers. The book is actually
subtitled "The Costumes of the Clans." However, Mr. McIan, in rendering the
clothing of the 74 traceable Scottish clans, has frequently chosen to depict them
in the heat of battle (e.g., the various Jacobite rebellions), hunting, or other
martial activities. In its 206 pages it offers 74 color illustrated plates of figures
(male and female) dressed in traditional Scottish kilts and plaids. The inside
cover offers a map of Scotland with clan names printed in the regions where the
clan originates. There are also two color illustrated plates of various armorial
bearings of the clans. Mclan's renderings are similar in detail to those offered in
the Osprey Men-at-Arms Series. The emphasis is on the costume, but several
arms and weapons find their way into the illustrations. Each illustrated plate is
accompanied by text offered by James Logan, author of Scottish Gael and Celtic
Manners. Each of Logan's essays examines the origin of the clan's name, major
figures in the clan's history, and occasionally, a significant battle or
confrontation which involved members of that clan. The Table of Contents lists
too many clan names (and derivatives) to list here. A sampling of Clan names:
Buchanan-Cameron-Cumin-Drummond-Ferguson-Fraser-
Gordon-Kennedy-Mac Arthur-Mac Bean-Mac Duff-Mac
Leod-Mac Millan-Mac Pherson-Mac Rae-Murray-Robertson-
Ross-Sinclair-Stewart-Sutherland-Urquhart
The book is published in an over-sized format with large illustrations.
93. Miller, Douglas and G. A. Embleton. The Landsknechts. Men-at-Arms

ISBN: 0-85405-258-9. Mr. Miller pens the text and Mr. Embleton furnishes
the color illustrations for this introduction to the mercenary forces of Germany
known as the "Landsknechts." This book will be of most use to fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, actors, costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The
text is 40 pages in length, offers 33 black and white illustrations, 2 maps, 8 color
plates (illustrations), and a bibliography. Mr. Miller begins the book with a
discussion of Maximilian I and his need to raise forces to uphold his claim to the
Burgundian legacy of the Netherlands, and for controlling his future territories
to the east. Maximilian modeled his soldiers after the Swiss and is often thought
of as the father of the Landsknechts. List of section titles:
Introduction
Organisation
Tactics and Formation
Weapons
Artillery and Equipment
The Battle of Ravenna
Creazzo and Novara-Marignano--Bicocca and Pavia-Italian Campaigns
1526-29-Campaigns of 1536-54-Conclusion
Books 133
Mr. Embleton's color illustrations will be a great source of inspiration to

costumers, armorers, weaponsmakers, and fight directors. Included in these
plates are renderings of an Imperial herald, Georg von Frundsberg, Goetz von
Berlichingen, the Emperor Maximilian I, a Landsknecht captain, a standard
bearer, an arquebusier, a pikeman, a Locotenent (c. 1545), a drummer, a
doppelsoldner of the Black Legion, and various company banners and flags.
There are numerous detailed sketches of battle scenes depicting the German
Landsknechts in action with halberd and pike. Miller and Embleton have also
produced an additional Men-at-Arms entry entitled The Swiss at War 1300-
1500.
94. Morseberger, Robert. Swordplay and the Elizabethan and Jacobean

Stage. Salzburg, Austria: Institut Fur Englische Sprache Und Literatur,
Universitat Salzburg, 1974. **R, T**
No ISBN available. Mr. Morseberger offers what appears to be a revised

version of his doctoral dissertation examining swordplay during the age of
Elizabeth I and James I of England and its importance on and off the stage of
that period. Swordplay and the Elizabethan and Jacobean Stage is an excellent
resource for the fight director, director, actor-combatant, and dramaturg. The
language Morseberger uses in his publication is very accessible. The book is
129 pages in length and offers a substantial bibliography of books, serials,
pamphlets, and newspaper articles. Mr. Morseberger makes a thorough
examination of personal combat during Shakespeare's day. He places special
emphasis on the famous controversy between the indigenous cut and thrust style
versus the new thrusting techniques advocated by Italian masters (such as
Bonnetti, Saviolo, and Jeronimo) who had recently set up shop in London. He
then examines how personal combat was portrayed on the stage at that time. In
support of his assertion that Shakespeare's audience would have been
accustomed to a high degree of artistry and realism in their stage fights, Mr.
Morseberger delves into the violence of the age and how it necessitated the
carrying of weapons. He also turns to numerous references to fencing in the
plays of Shakespeare, Beaumont and Fletcher, Ben Johnson, John Webster, and
others. Table of Contents:
Chapter I: Of the Background and Development of the Use of Arms

Chapter II: Of the Opposition to the New Schools of Fence and Satires upon
Them
Chapter III: Of Duelling and Honorable Quarrels
Chapter IV: Of Fencing Matches in the Theatres
Chapter V: Of the Swordplay of Actors and of Techniques of Elizabethan Fence
Chapter VI: Of the Performance of Stage Fights
Chapter VII: Of the Duel in Hamlet
Chapter VIII: Of the Importance of Swordplay in Plot and Characterization
Chapter IX: Of Opposition and Reaction to Swordplay
This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in pursuing the styles of

swordplay in vogue during Shakespeare's day; the level of the knowledge of
Shakespeare's audience regarding stage swordplay; how the authorities felt
about dueling-both in England and France-; how the "honorable quarrel" and
the Italian "Code Duello" made its way onto the English stage and how it was
presented, both seriously and in parody; how swordplay was presented on the
Elizabethan/Jacobean stage; and how swordplay was used as a legitimate device
for furthering character and plot in the drama of the age. Mr. Morseberger
offers an excellent examination of the fencing contest in Hamlet and how it has
been staged by various actors and directors through the centuries. Several of
these accounts are also found in Sprague's Shakespeare and the Actors (1944).
Included in his discussion of this critical scene is an examination of costuming,
stage directions in the various folios and quartos of the play, the choice of
weapons, the all important "exchanging of the weapons," Hamlet's wounding,
and Claudius's death at Hamlet's hand. The scholarly nature of this publication
is never in doubt but the tone and style are very accessible, and there is a great
deal of useful information.
95. Neumann, George C. Swords and Blades of the American Revolution.

Texarkana, Texas.: Rebel Publishing Company, 1991. **E**
ISBN: 0-9605666-9-4 (hardcover); 1-880655-00-4 (softbound), LCCN: 91-

066957. Mr. Neumann and illustrator, George C. Woodbridge, have produced a
comprehensive illustrated examination of cut and thrust weapons in use during
the American Revolution. The book will be of significant use to
weaponsmakers researching cut and thrust weapons of the Revolutionary period
in an effort to reproduce weapons for the stage and screen. Fight directors,
costumers, directors, and dramaturgs will also find useful information, though
not in the same depth. The text is 288 pages in length, offers 1,680 black and
white photographs of various cut and thrust weapons, 51 line drawn illustrations
of soldiers, weapons, and uniform accoutrements, an index, and a bibliography.
The centerpiece of this book is the nearly seventeen hundred photographs of
hundreds of rapiers, small-sword, hangers, bayonets, sabres, spadroons,
spontoons, halberds, pikes, daggers, knives, hatchets, and tomahawks. Table of
Contents:
Chapter 1: Blades in the Early Colonies

Contemporary European Tactics (1600-1700)
Colonial Warfare
Colonial Bladed Weapons (1607-1700)
Chapter 2: Cold Steel on the Battlefield
Linear Warfare
...Finally at Valley Forge
Weapon Importance
Chapter 3: Lines of Bayonets-The Ultimate Weapon!
Books 135
Muskets Become Pikes

The Socket Bayonet Emerges
Delayed Acceptance in America
American Bayonet Procurement
Bayonet Identification
English-French-German-Dutch-American-"Types'" of Bayonets
Chapter 4: The Flashing Sword: Draw Me Not Without Reason Sheath Me Not
Without Honor!
American Sword Sources-World-Wide Blade Production-Making the
Sword-Extensive Sword Variety-Basic Sword Patterns-The Military
Hanger-Hunting Swords and Cuttoes-Short Sabres and Spadroons-
Small Swords-Basket-Hilted Swords-Horseman Swords-Naval
Cutlasses
Chapter 5: Stately Polearms, A Lingering of Prior Centuries
The Halberd (Halbert)-The Spontoon (Espontoon)- The Pike (Spear,
French Spear, Boarding Pike)-The Linstock
Chapter 6: Knives and Daggers: Carve, Skin, Stab, and Scalp
Three Basic Knife Categories-Early Atlantic Colonies 1607-1700-The
American Colonies 1700-1783-The Belt Knife- The Dagger-The
Scottish Dirk-Pocket Knives
Chapter 7: The Belt and Camp Axe: To Clear the Land and Defend It!
Definitions-Sources of Manufacture-Methods of Manufacture- Axe
Development in America- The Axe in the American Revolution-Principal
Axe Patterns-Round Poll-Square Poll or American Axe-Pipe
Tomahawk-Spiked Axe-Hammer Poll Axe-The Halberd (battle axe)
Glossary of Terms
Nomenclature Summary
Fight directors will not find a great deal of detail on how the various weapons
were used. It is the weaponsmaker who will most benefit from the hundreds of
photographs of various swords of the period. Many of the weapons pictured and
discussed go back to the seventeenth century. Costume designers will
undoubtedly enjoy his illustrations (all in black and white) for their presentation
of various sword carriers, frogs,cut and thrust weapons, and soldiers/militiamen
of the period.
96. Newark, Tim. The Barbarians. New York: The Blandford Press, 1985.
**1, D, V, M**
ISBN: 0-7137-2042-5. Tim Newark supplies the text and Angus McBride the
color illustrations for this book that examines the various barbarian tribes of
Europe's Dark and early Middle Ages. The book will be of aid to fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, actors, and costume designers. Armorers and
weaponsmakers will also find the illustrations and photographs of swords,
shields, spears, and early armor useful. The text is 144 pages in length, includes
16 color illustrations by McBride, 67 black and white photographs (sculptures,
weapons, and nineteenth century drawings and paintings), a bibliography, and

an index. The Barbarians has the look and feel of the Osprey Men-At-Arms
series. This is hardly surprising, as illustrator Angus McBride has contributed
significantly to that series of books. Newark's text is accessible and tends to
dwell on various campaigns and battles waged by or on the various barbarian
tribes of the late Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, and the early Middle Ages.
Angus McBride offers sixteen color plates in the center of the text. Table of
Contents:
1. The Most Terrible of All (The Huns and Eastern Germans: The Fourth
to Fifth Centuries)
2. Fear in the Forest (The Western Germans: The First to Fourth
Centuries)
3. Business as Usual (The Visigoths and Vandals: The Fifth Century)
4. The Empire Fights Back (The Ostrogoths and Franks: The Sixth
Century)
5. The Force of God (The Moors and Arabs: The Seventh and Eighth
Centuries)
6. The Wolves of Wodan (The Danes and Swedes: The Ninth and Tenth
Centuries)
7. The Relentless Plainsmen (The Avars, Magyars, and Mongols: The
Sixth to Thirteenth Centuries)
Mr. Newark offers a close examination of the various barbarian tribes of the
Dark Ages in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Iberian
peninsula, and Asia Minor. There is also useful information presented on the
Moors and Arabs, and their campaigns into Eastern and Southern Europe.
McBride's illustrations of warriors in action are a great supplement to Newark's
descriptions of various major and minor engagements from the period. Newark
is also the author of Celtic Warriors 400 B.C.-1600 A.D. and Medieval
Warlords.
97. Nicolle, David and G. A. Embleton. Italian Medieval Armies. Men-at-

Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1983. **M**
ISBN: 0-85045-477-8. Dr. Nicolle writes the text and Mr. Embleton offers the
color illustrations in this book on Italian Medieval military forces, both state
organized and the mercenary forces of the condottieri. The book will be of most
use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, costumers, actors, armorers, and
photographs, 7 line drawn illustrations, 4 maps, and 8 color plates (illustrations).
Mercenaries were a common feature throughout most of Europe during the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Nowhere did such a sophisticated system of
hiring, payment, and organization of mercenaries develop as it did in Italy. Here
is the age of Machiavelli and all of the petty intrigues and politics which gave
Books 137
Shakespeare so much grist for his mill. It is also the age in which national, or
state run, armies began to be organized. List of section titles:
Introduction
Medieval Mercenaries
The Companies-English Adventurers
The Great Captains
Sforzeschi and Bracceschi
State Armies
Cavalry and Infantry in a Renaissance Army
Good War-Bad War
Campaigns
Lucca (1329-30)-Parabiago (1340)-Castagnaro (1387)-Alessandria
(1391)-S. Egideo (1416)-Maclodio (1427)-S. Romano (1432)-
Fornovo (1495)
Mr. Embleton's color illustrations of various Italian knights and men-at-arms

exhibit a great deal of detail useful to fight directors, costumers, armorers, and
weaponsmakers and effectively complement the text provided by Dr. Nicolle.
There are a few photographs of extant suits of armor and helmets (hounskull),
but the weaponsmaker will not fare as well as the armorer as there are no
photographs of extant weapons.
98. Nicolle, David and Angus McBride. The Age of Charlemagne. Men-al-
Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1984. **D, M**
ISBN: 0-85045-042-X. Dr. Nicolle pens the text and Mr. McBride offers the
color illustrations in this introduction to the armies and exploits of Charlemagne.
This book will be most useful to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actors,
costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 40 pages in length,
includes 15 black and white photographs, 12 line drawn illustrations, 2 maps, 2
diagrams, and 8 color plates (illustrations). Dr. Nicolle begins his narrative by
tracing the emergence of Charlemagne and his progeny. He then goes on to
discuss the Carolingian army, its training, its equipment, and its influence in the
establishing offeudalism in Western Europe. List of section titles:
Introduction
The Carolingian Dynasty
The Carolingian Army 750-850 A.D.
The Franks-Equipment, Training and Morale-Offensive Strategy and
Frontier Defence-Allies and Subordinate Peoples
The Failure of the Carolingian System 850-950 A.D.
The Revival of Europe 950-1000 A.D.
Arms, Armour and Fortification 950-1000 A.D.
Further Reading
Included are illustrations depicting various Gascon cavalrymen, Austrasian

mounted infantrymen, Lombard "Gasindius" cavalrymen, Carolingian heavy
cavalrymen, Armoican cavalrymen, Frankish infantrymen, Avar Horsemen,
Western Slav tribesmen, Saxon infantry, French cavalry, various Carolingian
noblemen, Italian infantry, North African infantry, German infantry and
cavalrymen, and Magyar cavalrymen. These illustrations are all accompanied
by descriptive passages which offer insight into the costuming, armor, weapons,
and fighting tactics utilized. David Nicolle and Angus McBride have also
joined forces to produce several additional Osprey Men-at-Arms titles such as
Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars, El Cid and the Reconquista, Hungary and
the Fall ofEastern Europe 1000-1568, The Normans, Saladin and the Saracens,
and French Medieval Armies.
99. Nicolle, David and Angus McBride. Rome's Enemies (4): The Desert
Frontier. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1991.
**1**
ISBN: 1-85532-166-1. Dr. Nicolle provides the written narrative and Mr.
McBride provides the color illustrations in this Men-at-Arms Series entry on the
various armies Rome faced in North Africa and the Middle East. For a more
comprehensive list of David Nicolle and Angus McBride's Osprey publications
the reader should refer to the annotation on The Age of Charlemagne. This book
will be of most use to fight directors, directors, drarnaturgs, costumers, actors,
armorers, and weaponsrnakers. The text is 48 pages in length, offers 37 black
and white illustrations, 4 line drawn illustrations, 2 maps, 8 color plates
(illustrations), and a list for further reading. Dr. Nicolle examines the various
Desert armies which troubled the Eastern and Western Roman Empire beginning
in the third century A.D. List of section titles:
The Desert Frontier

Chronology
North Africa
Southern Arabia
Central Arabia
Central Arabian Armies
Syria
Armies of the Syrian Frontier
Mesopotamia
Armies of the Mesopotamian Frontier
Further Reading
Included in these plates are a Numidian prince, a Berber horseman, a Garamante

warrior, several Meroitic warriors, a Blemmye warrior, various Judaean and
Books 139
Arabian warriors, Queen Zenobia of Palmyrene and a Palmyrene guardsman,

various Arabian and Ethiopian warriors, a Clibanarius from Ahwaz, a Tanukhid
auxiliary, and a Lakhrnid elite cavalryman. Most of the photographs tend to be
of statuettes, wall reliefs, and mosaics from the period.
100. Norman, A. V. B. A History of War and Weapons, 449-1660: English

Warfare from the Anglo-Saxons to Cromwell. New York: Thomas Y.
Crowell Company, 1966. **B, I, D, V, M, R, T**
LCCN: 66-22527. A History of War and Weapons, 449-1660 focuses on

English warfare in the Dark and Middle Ages. The book will be of most use to
directors, fight directors, and dramaturgs. The book is 224 pages long and
includes 224 drawings, 20 diagrams, an index, and an appendix: "The Making of
An Armor." A. V. B. Norman was, at the time of printing, assistant to the
Director of the Wallace Collection of arms and armor in London. Along with A
History of War and Weapons, 449-1660, he has also produced a sibling
publication, Arms and Armour. Don Pottinger, the illustrator, at the time of
printing had collaborated on and illustrated five major historical publications.
At first glance, A History of War and Weapons appears to be a survey of limited
substance. This book is of value to theatre dramaturgs, historians, and
practitioners. Still, others will undoubtedly find the use of the symbols in the
margins quite useful. They allow one to scan quickly for whatever information
is needed in the various areas that serve as the structural framework for the
book. The book begins with the Saxon invasion of England and ends with the
Restoration of Charles II. In the intervening years there were many famous
English battles that are narrated in a brisk yet informative fashion. Those
interested in the various battles that transpire in Shakespeare's history plays may
find this portion of the survey of interest. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Invaders (Saxons and Normans; the Battle of Hastings)

Chapter 2: Chivalry
Chapter 3: The Twelfth Century
Chapter 4: The Thirteenth Century
Chapter 5: The Fourteenth Century
Chapter 6: The Fifteenth Century
Chapter 7: The First Half of the Sixteenth Century
Chapter 8: The Second Half of the Sixteenth Century
Chapter 9: Seventeenth Century Up to 1660
Each chapter deals effectively with how soldiers were drafted, trained, paid, and
armed. Also explored are how they fought, stormed castles, and how those
castles were built and destroyed. Dozens of arms and harnesses or armor are
drawn in detail, with various parts labeled clearly for examination. There is also
the occasional drawing depicting a soldier in armor with weapon in the heat of
battle.
101. Norman, A. V. B. The Rapier and Small Sword, 1460-1820. New York:
Arno Press, 1980. **R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-405-13089-9, LCCN: 80-7674. The swordmaker will find this text a
wealth of information for the construction and detailing of rapiers and small-
swords. The director, actor, fight director and dramaturg will also find the
discussion of the weapon's place in society of interest. This is an exhaustive
study that is meticulous in its scholarship. The text is 464 pages long and
includes 2 color plates (one of rapiers and the other of small-swords), 33 black
and white photographs of 158 sword hilts, 7 indices, varied appendices, and a
select bibliography. Mr. Norman draws liberally from such primary sources as
George Silver and other masters of the Renaissance and succeeding generations
of the sword. This publication is considered by many to be the definitive study
of the rapier and small-sword from the rapier's birth in the fifteenth century,
through its transition into the deadly small-sword of the eighteenth century. The
text actually follows the small-sword until 1820, at which point the small-sword
essentially became the "court sword", more a decorative piece of jewelry to be
worn at court, official functions of state, and on grand occasions. The text is
offered in six parts:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Hilts, Inner Guards and Pommels
Part 3: Daggers
Part 4: Accessories
Part 5: Designers and Makers
Part 6: Decoration
Each Part contains its own detailing, such as:
Terminology of the Hilt-The Carrying of the Sword in Civilian

Dress-Hilts-Inner Guards-Pommels-Sword Belts-
Scabbards and Sheaths-Damascening-The Decoration of Small-
swords-and many more topics.
Mr. Norman frequently turns to paintings of the period to date hilts and just as
frequently readers will find themselves wading through references to paintings,
painters, museums, and catalogue numbers. All of this makes it clear that Mr.
Norman's scholarship is impeccable; however, it rarely makes for compelling
reading. The bulk of the text is devoted to typology (the typing of hundreds of
hilts, guards, and pommels). He types no less than 113 different hilts, each type
sketched out in a basic line drawing and assigned a number. Information
included covers such minutiae as when the hilt was popular, if it appears in
paintings of the period, and if the hilt type is extant. Most of the information is
geared to the collector and connoisseur and will be of less interest to the theatre
artist, except for the swordmaker. Mr. Norman, in association with G. M.
Wilson, has also produced Treasures from the Tower of London. This
Books 141
impressively illustrated publication examines the history of the Armouries of

London and the arms and armor contained therein.
102. North, Anthony. European Swords. London: Her Majesty's

Stationary Office, 1982. **R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-11-290378-9. This small book is an excellent resource for the

swordmaker, albeit the detail on these weapons is far beyond that which would
be required for stage work. The publication is 48 pages in length and includes
30 color photographs, 17 black and white photographs, and a further reading
bibliography. Films, due to the demands of the "close-up," frequently require
the sort of artistry and detail that appear on many of these weapons. Some of
the weapons which appear include:
Basket-hilts
Hunting swords
Hangers
Rapiers
The jewel-like quality of the small-swords takes the breath away. Anthony
North is Research Assistant, Department of Metalwork, Victoria and Albert
Museum. After a cursory discussion dealing with the medieval sword, he moves
on to the central focus of his book, the European rapier and small-sword.
North's text is brief and informative, but it is the photographs that are of most
value in this publication.
103. Oakeshott, R. Ewart. European Weapons and Armour. North

Hollywood, Ca.: Beinfeld Publishing, Inc., 1980. **V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-917714-27-x. R. Ewart Oakeshott offers a survey of European

weapons from the medieval and Renaissance periods. This publication is an
excellent source for photographs and drawings of weapons that are post-
Renaissance to the end of the eighteenth century. Oakeshott's commentary will
allow designers and directors to carefully choose their weaponry and know that
they are being historically accurate. The various photographs (over 100), will be
of aid to armorers and weaponsmakers. There is not a great deal here to assist
the choreographer or actor-combatant. The text is 288 pages in length, includes
a bibliography, an index, a time chart, 104 black and white photographs, 114
line drawings, and 2 appendices. The chapter on staff-weapons does discuss
some of the tactics used in prominent battles of the period. This leads to a
cursory understanding of how halberds, pikes, and bills were actually used in the
heat of battle. However, the rest of the book is confined to a more basic
description of how the various weapons were utilized. Mr. Oakeshott, with this
publication, picks up where his previous study, The Archaeology of Weapons,
left off covering the end of the fifteenth century through the end of the
eighteenth. This is a monumental effort, and one that has been labored over
with intelligence, style, imagination, and a sense of humor. Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter One: The Developing Power of the Handgun
Chapter Two: Staff Weapons
Chapter Three: Mace, War-Hammer and Horseman's Axe
Chapter Four: Armour 1400-1525
Chapter Five: Helmets: 1400-1525
Chapter Six: Sword of the Sixteenth Century
Chapter Seven: The Two-Handed Sword
Chapter Eight: The Curved and Single Edged Swords of the Sixteenth Century
Chapter Nine: Sword and Rapier in the Seventeenth Century
Chapter Ten: The Military Sword of the Seventeenth Century
Chapter Eleven: Armour in Decline
Chapter Twelve: Helmets in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century
Chapter Thirteen: The Dagger: 1500-1650
Chapter Fourteen: The Small-sword
Conclusion
Appendix One: Tournament Armour
Appendix Two: American Swords in the Nineteenth Century
A "Time Chart" compares yearly dates with related heads of state, important
persons of the day, artists, craftsmen of arms and armour, writers, and
musicians. Directors and designers will find this chart a valuable quick
reference tool in aiding their research in music, fashion, art, architecture, etc.
The detailed line drawn illustrations help to clarify the evolution of a hilt, or
poleann, etc. In some cases, the illustrations have a way of focusing on the
essentials for comparison whereas a photograph might include details which
could distract the eye from the true point of contrast. Of special interest is
Chapter Nine: "Sword and Rapier in the Seventeenth Century." In this chapter
the evolution of the Swept-hilt rapier, problems of dating hilt types, shell guards,
the Pappenheimer hilt, the Loop-hilt, the English hilt, the Dish-hilt rapier or
Flamberge, the Cavalier hilt, the Spanish Cup hilt, and the Bilbo hilt are
discussed, compared, and contrasted. Perhaps, nowhere else in this book are
Oakeshott's sharp eye and incisive descriptions appreciated so much as in this
period where so many rapier styles evolved simultaneously (and contiguously).
As one region borrowed unabashedly from another, a sense of nationalism
became increasingly difficult to determine. Mr. Oakeshott effortlessly guides
the reader through the several styles, where they originated, inclusive dates, and
major influences on the development of the style. Mr. Oakeshott is a prolific
author who has produced such additional titles as A Knight and his Armor, The
Archaeology a/Weapons, and The Sword in the Age a/Chivalry.
Books 143
104. Oxenstierna, Count Eric. The Norsemen. Translated Catherine

Hutter. Greenwich, Conn.:New York Graphic Society Publishers, Ltd.,
1959. **D, V, M**
LCCN: 65-16464. Count Oxenstierna offers a comprehensive look at what he

considers to be the much maligned Viking. The book is heavy on historical
narrative and will, therefore, probably be of most use to the dramaturg and
director. However, there are several brief accounts of Viking raids and armed
encounters. Fight directors will find these sections, especially concentrated in
chapters three and four (First Raids, First Settlements and The Roving Vikings,
respectively) of some interest for their descriptions of the Vikings in battle. The
text is 320 pages in length, includes 152 black and white photographs, a
bibliography, and an index. Count Oxenstierna maintains that a predominantly
occidental point of view regarding the Viking has led to a diminished
appreciation of their accomplishments which he attempts to set right with his
publication. Count Oxenstierna is very fastidious in his offering of what was, at
the time, the most current archaeological information available (circa 1959) on
Viking culture. Table of Contents:
1. The Vikings-Heroes or Raiders?

2. Barter and Trade
3. First Raids-First Settlements (A.D. 793-830)
4. The Roving Vikings (A.D. 830-850)
5. Was Russia Founded by the Swedes?
6. What the Vikings Brought Home from the Orient
7. We Know No Master-All of Us are Equal
8. The King Ships
9. "And the Men Spoke of How Commanding the Woman Was."
10. The Festivals of the Vikings
11 . Written History Begins
12. The Discovery of America
13. From Vinland to Baghdad
14. The Viking Heritage
Pictures are offered of gold and silver rings, broaches, spear heads, swords,
recovered dragon ships, prow heads (dragon heads), jewelry, furniture, eating
utensils, rune stones, and dozens of other artifacts. The pictures offered of
swords and spears are of weapons greatly distressed due to the ravages of time
and are, therefore, of marginal use. An in depth examination (very sympathetic)
of the raiders who were the terror of Britain and France.
105. Palfy-Alpar, Julius. Sword and Masque. Philadelphia: F. A.

Davis Co., 1967. **H, D, V, M, R, T, E, U**
LCCN: 67-19032. This book will be of most use to the teacher of stage combat
and the fight director. The text is 248 pages in length and includes 57 black and
white photographs, 16 diagrams, a bibliography, index, and appendices. Maistro

Palfy-Alpar offers a very eclectic work moving from the origins of the duel to
detailed descriptions of competitive fencing techniques to theatrical swordplay.
Palfy-Alpar is a former competitive fencer and coach who has gravitated toward
the theatre. Descriptions of weapons, manners, fencing terminology, movement,
fencing psychology, training, and theatrical fencing are included in this wide-
ranging text. Where Palfy-Alpar's book excels is in its descriptions,
illustrations, and exercises for the competitive fencer. The number of blade and
movement techniques covered is quite impressive. Included are several drilling
exercises designed for the instructor to implement in the class/salle. These
exercises could be very helpful to the theatrical fencing instructor looking for
drills, although adjustments are definitely necessary. Table of Contents:
Autobiography
Section I: History of Fencing
Early Fencing-Early Middle Ages-Fifteenth Century-Sixteenth
Century-Seventeenth Century-Eighteenth Century-Nineteenth
Century-Twentieth Century-The Swordsmith's Craft-The Sword-
Special Terms Used in the Description of the Weapons-Dimensions of the
Weapons-Costumes-Salutations-Manners-Historical Perspective
Section II: Theory and General Advice
Analysis of Movement-Reflex Testing and Selective Responses-
Psychology of Fencing-Training-Physical Condition-Competition-
Diet-Manners
Section III: Competitive Fencing
General Background-The Teaching of Fencing-Weapons-Styles-
Equipment and Its Proper Use-Preparatory and Other Exercises
Chapter 1: The Foil
The Grip-Positions of the Body-Foot Movements-The Target-
The Salute-The Positions of the Weapon-Fundamental Movements
and Definitions-Simple Actions-Defense-Compound Attacks-
Composite Parries-Compound Ripostes-Renewed Attacks-Actions
in Time-The False Attacks-Disarmament-Free Play-Electrical
Fencing
Chapter 2: The Epee
The On Guard Position-The Footwork-The Hit-The Parries and
Ripostes-Other Actions
Chapter 3: The Saber
The Grip-Position of the Body-Foot Movements-The Moulinets-
The Target-The Salute-The Positions of the Saber-Simple
Actions-Compound Actions-Compound Parries-Compound
Ripostes-Dual Feints-Renewed Attacks-Actions in Time (Tempo)
Section IV: Theatrical Fencing
Introduction-Ancient Combat-Middle Ages-Early Modem Period-
Modem Period-Exercises Useful for Stage Movements-The Fencing
Scene in Hamlet-Moliere's Don Juan-Romeo and Juliet-King Lear
Appendices
Books 145
Palfy-Alpar's choreography is, for the most part, a transferral of competitive

fencing techniques to the stage. Alpar does not discuss in any real depth what
adjustments are necessary to safely transfer competitive techniques to the
theatre. Near the end of the book he briefly touches on unarmed fighting
techniques such as rolls, falls, lifts, carries, and throws. The appendices include
Olympic and World Championship Medal records through 1964.
106. Payne-Gallway, Sir Ralph. The Crossbow. New York:

Bramhall House, 1958. **D, V, M, R**
No ISBN available. Mr. Payne-Gallway's book will be of most use to fight

directors, actors, and dramaturgs-especially if engaged in producing outdoor
drama in which bolts could be loosed without danger to actor or audience. The
text is 328 pages in length, includes 245 line drawn illustrations, 2 appendices,
and an index. Payne-Gallway has presented this publication on "the history,
mechanism, and manipulation of the crossbow; medieval and modem, military
and sporting." He offers this publication because he insists that although the
longbow has been treated exhaustively, the crossbow has not. Here is a very
detailed examination of the crossbow from its inception, through its military use
in the Middle Ages, and, ultimately, through its relegation to a weapon used in
sport and hunting. The various manifestations of the crossbow and how it was
used are illustrated quite clearly with literally hundreds of line drawings. The
crossbow cocked by hand, the crossbow cocked by cranequin, the crossbow
cocked by the "goat's foot" lever, cocked by "screw and handle," by the "belt
and claw," by the cord and pulley," and by the "little windlass" are all covered in
some depth. Also discussed are the various bolts, darts, and arrows that the bow
uses; dimensions, raw materials, manufacturing process of shaft and head are all
presented in great detail. Even the crossbow that fired bullets (stones and lead
balls) is presented for perusal. An added bonus is two appendices that appear at
the end of the book: "The Crossbow and Ancient Projectile Engines" and
"Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Medieval and Later Times." Those
interested in Catapults, Balistas, and Trebuchets will find the first of these
appendices of particular interest. The book is offered in four parts:
I. The History of the Crossbow, with Notes Comparative On the

Longbow, Shortbow, and Handgun
II. The Construction and Management of Crossbows: Medieval
III. The Construction and Management of Crossbows: Modem
IV. A Treatise on the Siege Engines Used in Ancient and Medieval Times
for Discharging Great Stones and Arrows.
This weapon rarely is seen on the stage but appears in film quite frequently. The
crossbow was a prominent weapon and of standard issue during the medieval
period. If you are involved in producing a play set in this period and are
concerned with historical accuracy, it is difficult to avoid this weapon. Even if it

is not actually fired onstage, it should probably be represented on the stage.
107. Peterson, Harold L. Daggers and Fighting Knives ofthe Western World
(from the Stone Age till 1900). New York: Walker and Company, 1968.
**8, B, I, D, M, R, T, E**
LCCN: 67-23087. Mr. Peterson, one of the world's leading experts on the knife
and dagger, offers this historical survey on daggers and fighting knives from
pre-history through 1900. The book will be of most use to those engaged in
recreating knives and daggers for the stage and screen. There is also historical
information which will be of use to the fight director, director, and drarnaturg.
The text is 90 pages in length, offers 108 black and white photographs of knives
and daggers, a bibliography, and an index. Mr. Peterson, author of such
impressive works as American Knives and American Swords, 1775-1945 (see
annotations in this bibliography), offers a much needed supplement in the area
of fighting knives and daggers. Table of Contents:
Chapter One: Origins of the Dagger and Fighting Knife

Chapter Two: Medieval Daggers
Ronde1 Daggers-Base1ards-Quillon Daggers-Ballock Knives (Kidney
Daggers)-Eared Daggers-Daggers Popularly Called Cinquedeas-
Peasant Knives (Hauswehren)-Wood Knife (Trousse de Chasse;
Weidpraxe)
Chapter Three: The Sixteenth Century
Ballock Knives-Swiss Daggers-Quillon Daggers-Landsknecht Daggers
Chapter Four: The Seventeenth Century
Left-hand Daggers-Stilettos-English Daggers-Ballock Daggers-
Bayonets
Chapter Five: The Eighteenth Century
Scottish Dirk-Mediterranean Dirks and Peasant Knives-American
Scalping or Rifleman's Knives
Chapter Six: The Nineteenth Century
Folding Knives-Bowie Knives-American Daggers-Naval Dirks
This publication is especially helpful for its several examples of Stone Age
knives and daggers. Equally useful is Mr. Peterson's insightful textual analysis
of weapons from that same age.
108. Pitman, Brian. Fencing: Techniques of Foil, Epee and Sabre.

Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press, 1988. **H, R, T,
E**
ISBN: 1-85223-152-1. This book will be of most use to the stage combat
instructor who is teaching theatrical fencing. The text is 144 pages in length and
Books 147
includes 100 black and white photographs, 1 reproduction of an Angelo print, 12

line drawings, 1 diagram, a glossary, and an index. This publication is a very
comprehensive and detailed study of the techniques that must be mastered to
excel at foil, epee, and sabre fencing. This publication is highly recommended
due to its concise descriptions of techniques combined with clear photographs in
support of the descriptions. As always, the utility of any of the techniques
offered in a publication geared for sport fencing must be examined in terms of
their safety on the stage. All sport fencing pedagogy takes for granted that the
opponent's safety is insured by virtue of the protective equipment the
participants wear. Unfortunately, actors are not allowed the same luxury. Brian
Pitman has over 30 years' experience as both coach and competitor. He began
his career in the Royal Navy and later went on to represent the British Academy
of Fencing on three occasions in the world championships. Mr. Pitman has also
served as National Coach at all three weapons to the Amateur Fencing
Association. At the time of printing Mr. Pitman was Vice-President of the
British Academy of Fencing. Pitman's book serves as a guide for introducing
the fencer to basic through advanced skills. The text is offered in four parts:
PART ONE: ALL WEAPONS

Chapter 1: The History of Fencing
Chapter 2: Aims of the Game
Chapter 3: Basic Skills
PART TWO: THE FOIL
Chapter 4: Conventions
Chapter 5: How to Hold the Foil
Chapter 6: The Hit
Chapter 7: Simple Attacks
Chapter 8: Defence
Chapter 9: The Riposte
Chapter 10: Compound Attacks
Chapter 11: Successive Parries
Chapter 12: Counter-Ripostes
Chapter 13: Preparations
PART THREE: THE EPEE
Chapter 14: Characteristics of Epee Fencing
Chapter 15: Offensive Actions
Chapter 16: Defensive Actions
Chapter 17: Ripostes
Chapter 18: Compound Attacks and Ripostes
Chapter 19: Counter-Attacks
Chapter 20: Takings of the Blade
Chapter 21: Defence Against Takings of the Blade
Chapter 22: Renewals of Attack
Chapter 23 : Observations of Epee Tactics
PART FOUR: THE SABRE
Chapter 24: Characteristics of Sabre Fencing
Chapter 25 : Cuts
Chapter 26: Simple Attacks

Chapter 27: Defence
Chapter 28: Ripostes
Chapter 29: Footwork as Preparations
Chapter 30: Elementary Tactics
Chapter 31: Compound Attacks
Chapter 32: Successive Parries
Chapter 33: Preparations of Attack
Chapter 34: Counter-Attacks
Chapter 35: Observations on Sabre Tactics
Appendix: The Piste and the Conduct of the Bout
Mr. Pitman utilizes a similar format/structure for each chapter. The weapon is
introduced by way of its target, grip, basic attacks, parries, and tactics and
strategies. As he introduces each technique he supplies suggested combinations
so as to practice the technique. He also supplies what he calls a "checklist."
This can be very helpful to the instructor, as it supplies them with a ready made
list of criteria to consider as each technique is taught. These competition
techniques will need to be adapted so as to be safely utilized on the stage and
screen. Mr. Pitman's book makes no claims to be anything other than a "How-
To" guide, at which it excels far beyond many of its type.
109. Quinn, Peyton. Bouncer's Guide to Barroom Brawling: Dealing with

the Sucker Puncher, Streetjighter, and Ambusher. Boulder, CO.: Paladin
Press, 1990. **H, U**
ISBN: 0-87364-586-3. Peyton Quinn, who has produced such instructional

videos as Barroom Brawling, and Blitzkrieg Attacks from the Bouncer's Trade,
offers a companion publication. The book may be very useful to fight directors
and instructors of unarmed stage combat techniques. The text is 253 pages in
length, offers 35 black and white photographs and II line drawings of various
techniques in various stages of development. Mr. Peyton is an accomplished
martial artist-cum-bouncer. Table of Contents:
Chapter I: The Ambush: Awareness and Avoidance

Escalation of the Conflict-Why Fights Occur-The Ambush-An
Adolescent Strategy-Getting Down to Cases-Some Fundamental
Elements of Avoidance Tactics-The Seasoned Warrior
Chapter 2: The Reality of Fighting
Portrait of the Sucker Puncher-Some Characteristics of Real Fights-
Some Observations about Martial Arts-Versus Real Fighting
Chapter 3: The Tool Box
The Three Components of Speed-The Vertical Fist-The Back Fist-The
Palm-Heel Strike-The Reverse Punch-The Shuto (knife hand)-The
Hammer Fist-Open-Handed Throat Strikes-Elbow and Knee Strikes-
Books 149
The Importance of Having Well-Focused Shots in Your Tool Box-Some

Conclusions about the Various-Strikes and Training Methods
Chapter 4: Principles of Defense
Principles of Open-Handed Blocking Techniques-The Outside Crane-
The Inside Crane-Unifying Concepts of the Inside and Outside Crane-
Continuous Attacks-Using Common Sense in Your Tactics-Keeping
Your Eyes Open-Blow Perception and Angle of Attacks Drills-Outside
Crane Drills-Inside Crane Drills-Some Observation about Proper
Combat Attitude-Creating Options for Yourself Between Normal and
Combat-Kill Modes
Chapter 5: Mobility, Stance, Facing, and the Finer Points of Staying Out of Jail
The Objectives of Proper Stance-Facing Forward with Your Strong
Side-Controlling Distance: The Advantage of Closing on Your Attacker-
The Eight Angles of Movement-The Error in Action/Reaction Thinking-
Objectives of the Sliding-Up Advance and Slipping-Back Retreat-The
Sliding-Up Advance-The Slipping-Back Retreat-Movement and Facing
Drills
Chapter 6: Grappling, Throws, and Escapes
Escaping from the Bear Hug from Behind-Dealing with the Grab-
Escaping from the Wrist Grab-Escaping from the Front Bear Hug-
Escaping from the Rear Choke-The Fundamental Throw: Usoto Gari-
The Head and Elbow Spinout-Running the Mark
Chapter 7: Selecting an Appropriate Marital Art for Your Personal Study
Why Are There So Many Different Martial-Arts Systems?-The
Significance of Body Type-Conditioning Your Body-There's No
"Automatic" Self-Defense Value in Martial Arts-Martial Art, Its
Application, and the Body of a Rock-Weapons Have Always Been the
First Choice-The Most Common Martial Arts Systems at a Glance-
Dealing with the Crowd and the Use of Weapons-A Final Word
The Asian martial arts certainly have an impact on this book. However, the
style of presentation and the milieu in which the author places the techniques is
typically American. In fact, Mr. Quinn is very clear in making the central point
that in certain circumstances dojo techniques can get you killed. This is a book
for fight directors looking for some additional techniques to add to their
repertoire of "moves." Techniques covered in this book must be carefully
adjusted for the stage or screen.
110. Edmond, James, editor. Violence in Drama. New York: Cambridge

University Press, 1991. **B, I, H**
ISBN: 0-521-40355-3. This compliation of articles on the purposes and

techniques of violence in drama and on the stage will be of most interest to
directors, dramaturgs, fight directors, and propsmakers. The tone of the
publication is very scholarly, although it's stated purpose is to be accessible to
those who are not necessarily experts in whatever the yearly chosen topic may
be. This scholarly enterprise is 318 pages in length, includes 13 black and white
photographs, 2 renditions of a Grand Guignol posters, and 1 line drawn diagram
of knives with retractable blades and "stabbing rigs," as well as an index. Mr.
Edmond, of Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London,
Hampstead, London serves as editor for this compilation of papers submitted for
annual publication on a new theme each year. The authors and papers chosen
for 1991 's theme, "Violence in Drama" include:
1. "The Uses of Violence in Drama" by Thomas Gould

2. "Violence in Greek Tragedy" by Simon Goldhill
3. "Violence and Dramatic Structure in Euripides' Hecuba" by Charles
Segal
4. "Violence on the Street: Playing Rough in Plautus" by Richard C.
Beacham
5. "Violence and the Social Body in the Croxton Play of the Sacrament"
by Victor I. Scherb
6. "'There must be blood': Mutilation and Martyrdom on the Medieval
Stage" by John Spalding Gatton
7. "Mixed Feelings About Violence in the Corpus Christi Plays" by
Richard L. Homan
8. "Shakespearean Violence: A Preliminary Survey" by Jonas Barish
9. "Cultural Disintegration in Titus Andronicus: Mutilating
Titus, Vergil and Rome" by Heather James
10. "Racine's Bajazet: the Language of Violence and Secrecy" by Maya
Slater
11. "Grand Guignol and the Orchestration of Violence" by Victor
Emeljanow
12. "The Ultimate Theatre of Violence" by John M. Callahan
13. "Lesbian Sexuality and Violence in the plays of G.B. Shaw" by Ellen
Gainor
14. "Violence as Tragic Farce in Caumus's Caligula" by Ben Stoltzfus
15. "Violence in the Plays of Frederico Garcia Lorca" by Kay Garcia
16. "Apartheid and Primitive Blood: Violence in Afrikaans Shakesperare
Productions" by Rohan Quince
17. "A Streetcar Named Mysogyny" by Kathleen Margaret Lant
18. "Languages of Violence: Fugard's Boesman and Lena" by Marcia
Blumberg
19. "Stage Violence as Thaumaturgic Technique" by Mary Karen Dahl
20. "Violation and Implication: One for the Road and Ficky Fingers" by
David Ian Raby
21 . "The Mask as Sign of Violence in Contemporary Latin American
Theatre" by Severino Joao Albuquerque
22. "'night, Mother and True West: Mirror Images of Violence and
Gender" by Raynette Halvorsen Smith
23 . "The Role ofthe Theatre in Czechoslovakia's 'Velvet Revolution'" by
Jeremy Adler
Index
Books 151
Some very interesting insights are offered into the violence which appears in
some of the "mystery" and "saints" playes of the medieval period as well as how
some of the more gory special effects might have been orchestrated. On a
similar note, the essays on the Parisian Boulevard's Grand Guignol Theatre of
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries may be of some interest to fight directors
and propsrnakers. Dr. John Callahan (retired Professor of Theatre, Kutztown
University of Pennsylvainia, Department of Speech and Theatre) offers
commentary on a variety of techniques employed for simulating acts of torture
and mayhem on the Guignol stage-as well as line drawn illustrations for
retractable blades which ooze stage-blood and "stabbing rigs" which hold blades
in place to create the illusion that a blade has actually entered the body of the
victim and is protruding on its own without being held in place by the actor. It
should be added that several of these papers were orally delivered at the annual
conference on "Themes in Drama" held at Queen Mary and Westfield College in
London and at the University of California, Riverside.
111. Reid, Stuart and Bryan Fosten. Wellington's Highlanders. Men-at-

Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1992. **E**
ISBN: 1-85532-256-0. Mr. Reid furnishes the text and Mr. Fosten the color
illustrations. This Osprey entry concerns itself with the Highlander regiments
under the command of Wellington at the outbreak of war with France in 1793.
The book will be of interest to fight directors, directors, drarnaturgs, actors,
and white illustrations and photographs, 4 line drawn illustrations and 8 color
plates (illustrations). Mr. Reid begins with a discussion on how a regiment was
raised during the period. Battles which are touched upon include Quarte Bras
and Waterloo. List of section titles:
Raising a Regiment
The Officers-Enlistrnent-The Character of the Regiments
Highland Uniform
The Loss of the Kilt-Weapons
Regular Regiments
Fencibles
The Regiments
Mr. Fosten's illustrations are of high quality. Included in his plates are: an
Officer and Private in the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, a Recruiting
Sergeant, a Grenadier, a Private and Officer of the Strathspey Fencibles, a
Private of the Rothesay and Caithness Fencibles, a Field Officer of the I09th
Aberdeenshire Regiment, an Officer of the I I6th Highlanders, various Pipers,
and several other soldiers and officers of varying regiments. Fight directors,
costumers, and weaponsmakers will appreciate Mr. Fosten's attention to detail.
Swordmakers will also enjoy the detailed photographs of two Scottish

broadsword hilts.
112. Reid, William. Arms Through the Ages. New York: Harper
and Row, Publishers, 1976. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-06-013527-1. Mr. Reid offers solid information and penetrating

analysis for those interested in arms and armor, detailing literally hundreds of
weapons through the ages. The publication's text will most interest directors,
actors, and fight directors, whereas designers will value the artwork and
diagrams. The text is 280 pages in length with over 700 illustrations, diagrams,
print reproductions, 1 black and white photograph, a bibliography, glossary, and
index, and further readings. The scope of the book is quite broad (literally the
Stone Age through the Atomic Age as of 1945). Although there are few
photographs, the artwork is first rate as is the descriptions and analyses of
hundreds of weapons, armor, castles, battle tactics, weapon materials, etc. Here
is the literal evolution of the history of arms and armor; how arms were, and
continue to be, used in personal combat to this day. There is much here to do
with firearms, but this should not deter the reader interested in edged weapons.
The first eleven chapters offer discussion and illustrations of such diverse cut
and thrust weapons as the halberd, the poleaxe, the spear and javelin, the bow,
the dagger, and the sword and rapier.
113. Richards, Jeffrey. Swordsmen ofthe Screen: From Douglas Fairbanks

to Michael York. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, Ltd., 1977.
**M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-7100-8478-1. Mr. Richards offers a delightful homage to the Golden

Age of the Swashbuckler film which examines the nature of the geme and many
of the major contributors to it. The book will be of most interest to fight
directors, dramaturgs, directors, and actors. Costumers may find the
photographs of period clothing useful, but all of the photographs are in black
and white. The text is 296 pages, offers 179 black and white photographs, a
bibliography, and index. Mr. Richards, with panache equal to that exhibited by
the stars of the geme, delves quite deeply into his subject. He does not ignore
the personal lives of the stars of these movies, but spends much more time on
the movies, the stunts, the fights, and what went on behind the scenes. Mr.
Richards begins by defining the geme:
A swashbuckler may, in Elizabethan times, have been a ruffian.

But in the cinema, he is unquestionably a gentieman...Stylization
rather than realism, fictional adventure and not historical fact are
the keynotes... Content is ritualized, emotions are stereotyped, the
characters are archetypes rather than individuals...the
swashbuckler is pre-eminently a collaborative effort-of art
Books 153
director, costume designer, fencing master, stunt arranger,

cinematographer, writer, cast, and director. (pp. 3-4)
The book is a deft blending of biography, film history, literature, plot summary,
critical commentary, and tabloid scandal sheet. Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. Swashbuckling-a Profile of the Geme
Characteristics-Origins-Cycles
2. The Swordsmen of the Screen
3. "All for one-and one for all"
4. When Knighthood was in Flower
The Chivalric Ethos-King Arthur and the Knights of the Round
Table-Chivalric Superheroes
5. Cavaliers and Conquistadores
The Sixteenth Century-The Seventeenth Century
6. Blades and Brocades
The Eighteenth Century-The Nineteenth Century
7. The Masked Avengers
8. Under the Greenwood Tree
Robin Hood in Fact and Fiction-Robin Hood on the Screen-Robin
by Another Name
9. Ho, for the Open Road!
10. 'Neath the Skull and Bones
11 . On the Spanish Main
12. The Sheikhs of Araby
Index of Film Titles
Mr. Richards examines many of the subcategories of the geme including:
1. The many versions of The Three Musketeers

2. The medieval period
3. The Restoration period and the English Civil War
4. The "masked" swashbucklers (The Mark of Zorro, The Scarlet
Pimpernel!, The Purple Mask, The Masked Pirate, et al.)
5. The several versions of Robin Hood
6. The Highway man
7. Pirates and the Spanish Main
8. The oriental swashbuckler
Richard's text devotes a fair amount of print to the men who choreographed the
great swordfights of the screen. Great talents such as Fred Cavens, Ralph
Faulkner, Jean Heremans, and Hemy J. Uyttenhove are discussed and some are
even seen in stills from the films . The "Index of Film Titles" is also quite
informative. This book literally bursts with action filled photographs from this
substantial list of films. The fight director will not find a great deal of technical
information here, although some of the photographs offer some wonderfully
energetic poses. Anyone wishing to find out about what went into planning and
making these remarkable films will find a plethora of information in
Swashbucklers ofthe Screen.
114. Roberts, Keith and Angus McBride. Soldiers of the English Civil War
(1) Infantry. Elite Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1989. **R, T**
ISBN: 0-85045-903-6. Mr. Roberts provides the text and Mr. McBride the
illustrations. This book will be of use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs,
actors, costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 64 pages in length,
11 black and white photographs, 29 black and white reproductions of period
artwork, and 11 color plates (illustrations). The text begins with an examination
of English military drills, which found their basis in Dutch military manuals by
such theorists as John of Nassau (as printed by Jacob de Gheyn). List of section
titles:
The Military Revolution

Drill Masters and Drill Books
The London Voluntary Associations-The Trained Bands
The Trained Bands in the Civil War
The London Trained Bands
The Infantry of the Civil War: Organisation
Officers-Numbers-Ensigns
Weapons
Musketeers-Pikemen
Dress, Logistics and Management
Uniforms-Pay-Discipline-Victuals-Mutiny-Training-Into Battle-
A Last Work
Further Reading
The Plates
McBride's illustrations of soldiers of the English Civil War are very informative.
Armorers will enjoy the black and white photographs of various pieces of armor.
The weaponsmaker will find a plethora of weapons offered in the various
nonphotographic illustrations. The book offers several reproductions from drill
manuals of the period featuring musketeers and pikemen. Here then is plenty of
information on both "Roundhead" and "Royalist" soldiers.
115. Rothero, Christopher. The Armies ofCrecy and Poitiers. Men-at-Arms

Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1981. **M**
ISBN: 0-85045-393-3. Mr. Rothero offers both text and color illustrations. The
text will be of most use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actors,
costumers, armorers, and weaponsrnakers. The book is 40 pages in length, 14
black and white photographs, 19 line drawn illustrations, 2 maps, and 8 color
Books 155
plates (illustrations). Mr. Rothero begins by explaining the shift in power in

France from the Capet dynasty to that of the Valois family and the turmoil
which the Valois ascendancy led to, including Edward III of England's claim to
the French throne. List of section titles:
The Hundred Years War

Crecy
Poitiers
The Chain of Command
The Cavalry
Cavalry Armour
Infantry
Mercenaries
Supply
An Analysis of Crecy and Poitiers
There are several photographs of artwork from the period-including various

effigies and paintings of various battles, jousts, and armed encounters. Included
in Mr. Rothero's color plates are renderings of peasant infantrymen,
crossbowmen, English archers, Edward Plantagenet (Prince of Wales; the
"Black Prince"), the Earl of Pembroke, the Duke of Lancaster, Lord Basset of
Drayton, the Count of Flanders, Charles Montmorency (Constable of France at
Crecy), King Edward III, and various other knights and soldiers. Fight directors,
costumers, armorers, and weaponsrnakers will appreciate these illustrations.
There are no photographs of extant weapons or armor offered; however, there
are several reasonably detailed line drawn illustrations of sword hilts and armor.
Mr. Rothero is also author of an additional Osprey entry entitled The Armies of
Agincourt.
116. Sanchez, John. Blade Master: Advanced Survival Skills for the Knife
Fighter. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1983. **H, S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-87364-259-7. Mr. Sanchez offers his thoughts on the training and
techniques of the effective knife fighter. This text will be of use to the fight
director and stage combat instructor involved in staging or teaching knife
fighting for the stage and screen. The text is 89 pages in length and offers 96
line drawn illustrations. Mr. Sanchez has penned a very informative book on
both training and fighting techniques for the knife fighter. Mr. Sanchez
examines both Eastern and Western fighting styles, as well as what he refers to
as "deviant" strategies. Table of Contents:
1. Practice Knives
Bowie Knife-Butcher Knife-F-S Knife-Boning Knife-Double
Hom Poignards-Double Short "Gim"-Unnamed Type-Butterfly
Knives-Double Practice Knives-Top View-Outer Sides-Inner

Sides
1. Striking Methods
The Snap-Cut-The Power Slash-The Hook-Cut-Drawing on the
Cuts-The Snap-Thrust-The Standard Thrust-The Hook-Thrust-
The Reverse Grip-Reverse Slashes-Reverse Stabs-Advantages of
the Reverse Technique-Forehand or Reverse Techniques?
2. Target Training
Paper Slashing-Thread Cutting-Paper Thrusting-The Direct
Method of Target Training-The Shadow-Fighting Method-Iaijutsu
3. Strike Patterns
Circular Repetitions-Figure Eights-The Ladder-Spiral Patterns-
Ladders of Spiral Patterns
4. Knife Shifting
The Method-Fine Points
5. Deviant Styles
The Foil Fencing Style-The Close-Interval Thrusting Style-The
Chopping Style-The Hysterical Reverse Style-The Sudden-Death
Style-Training Against the Deviant Stylist
6. Further Study
Kicking-Focus
7. Conclusion
If there is a weakness to this publication it is the illustrations. The description of

the various techniques is more than adequate.
117. Sekunda, Nicholas Victor and Angus McBride. The Ancient Greeks.
Elite Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1986. **B,I**
ISBN: 0-85045-686-X. Mr. Sekunda pens the text while Mr. McBride offers the
color illustrations. The book will be of most use to fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, costumers, actors, and weaponsmakers. The text is 64 pages in
length, offers 47 black and white photographs, 10 line drawn illustrations, and
12 color plates (illustrations). This is an excellent resource for those attempting
research into the military dress and combat techniques of the various Greek city-
states of the period dating from the fifth century B.C.to Alexander the Great's
death at the end of the fourth century B.c. List of section titles:
Introduction
Hoplite Warfare-The Lakedaimonian Army-Argive Military
Organisation-The Argive Epilektoi
Fifth Century Cavalry
The Thessalian League-Athenian Cavalry
The Peloponnesian War
Greek Psiloi-Athenian Military Organisation- The Lakedaimonian Army
at First Mantineia, 418 B.C.-The Mantineian Army
Books 157
The Lakedaimonian Hegemony

The Army of the Boeotian League-Organisation of the Lakedaimonian
Army, c. 413-c. 371 B.C.
The Expansion of Thebes
The Mantineian Campaign-The Thessalian League-The Theban Army
The End of Greek Independence
The Sacred War, 355-346 B.C.-Athenian Army Reform-The End of the
Athenian Army-Greek State Contingents in Persian Service
Key Notes
Mr. McBride's illustrations are of high quality and offer renderings of

Lakedaimonian officers, Samian hoplites, Argive hoplites, Athenian hoplites,
Thracian peltasts, Boecian hoplites, and Athenian cavalrymen-just to name a
few. Virtually all of the black and white photographs are taken from extant
vases and artwork. There are no photographs of extant weapons.
Weaponsmakers and swordmakers will have to rely totally on Mr. McBride's
detailed illustrations. Mr. Sekunda and Mr. McBride have also produced a Men-
at-Arms Series entry entitled The Army of Alexander the Great. This second
text examines the army developed by Philip the Great and its subsequent
accomplishments under the leadership of his son, Alexander.
118. Sietsema, Robert. Weapons and Armor. New York: Hart Publishing
Company, Inc., 1978. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 08055-1253-5 (hardcover); 08055-0363-3 (paperback); LCCN: 77-

75703. Mr. Sietsema has compiled an impressive list of illustrations of arms
and armor from several periods as reproduced from other sources. This
copiously illustrated oversized book will be useful to swordmakers,
weaponsmakers, armorers, fight directors, directors, and actors. The book is 191
pages in length, offers over 1,000 illustrations of weapons and armor, an index
and a list of sources. Weapons and Armor presents a pictorial history of the
development of the engines of warfare from ancient to modem times. The book
is divided into two sections. The section on armor contains excellent, detailed
illustrations of cuirasses, helmets, gauntlets, coats of mail, as well as complete
suits of armor from many different countries and periods of history. The section
covering weaponry includes everything from primitive war clubs to
sophisticated automatic guns. All of the illustrations are in the public domain
and available for reproduction. This is, perhaps, one of the publication's most
attractive features. Frequently, researchers will find themselves scanning
through hundreds of pages of material-when all they are actually searching for
is illustrations. Weapons and Armor is the perfect text for that person. Table of
Contents:
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

WEAPONS
Battle Axes-Bows and Arrows-Cannons-Catapults and Battering
Rams-Clubs and Throwing Sticks-Daggers and Knives-Handguns-
Machine Guns-Miscellaneous and Unusual Weapons-Pole Arms-
Poniards and Short Swords-Powder Homs-Rifle-Spears, Javelins, and
Lances-Swords-Tanks, and Assault Engines
ARMOR
Arm Pieces-Leg Pieces-Complete Suits of Armor-Cuirasses and coats
of Mail-Helmets-Horse Armor-Shields, Targets and Bucklers
The illustrations are almost exclusively of the line drawn type reproduced from
dozens of sources listed at the end of the text. These illustrations are the
centerpiece of the text and are quite detailed; enough so that armsmakers and
armorers will find them of use in recreating period weaponry and armor.
119. Silver, George. Paradoxes of Defence. Oxford: Humphrey Milford,

Oxford University Press, 1933. **H, R**
No ISBN available. The Shakespeare Association of England offers a reprint

(facsimile) of George Silver's 1599 diatribe against the evils of the Italian style
of rapier and dagger fencing and its deadly thrust. The text will be of most use
to the fight director, the director, and the dramaturg. Silver's treatise offers
many insights into the controversy raging in Shakespeare's England regarding
the Italians, their schools of fence, their weapons, and their style of fighting
versus the indigenous style of swordplay championed by Silver and the English
Masters of Defence (the short [broad] sword and its cut and thrust style). The
text is 72 pages in length and offers 2 illustrations. The Shakespeare
Association of England obviously felt that the styles of fence at play during the
Age of Elizabeth I had enough impact on the works of Shakespeare that these
styles should be examined. In Shakespeare's works one need look no further
than Mercutio's defamation of Tybalt to Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet for an
excellent example. For an in depth examination of Shakespeare's manipulation
of this controversy to his advantage the reader should turn to Horace S. Craig's
"Dueling Scenes and Terms in Shakespeare's Plays" (Publications in English,
Univ. of Calif., vol. 9, no. 1, 1940.). List of section titles:
An Admonition to the Noble, Ancient, Victorious, Valiant, and Most Brave

Nation of Englishmen
Of sixe chiefe causes, that many valiant men thinking themselves by their
practices to be skilfull in their weapons, are yet manie times in their fight
sore hurt, and manie times slaine by men of small skill, or none at all.
That the cause that manie are so often slaine, and manie hurt in fight with long
Rapiers is not by Reason of their dangerous thrusts, nor cunningnesse of
that Italienated fight, but in the length and unweildinesse thereof.
Of running and standing fast in rapier fight, the runner hath the vantage.
Books 159
George Silver his resolution upon that hidden or doubtfull question, who hath
the advantage of the Offender of Defender.
Of Spanish fight with the Rapier.
That a blow commeth continually as neare a way as a thrust, and most
commonly nearer, stronger, more swifter, and is sooner done.
Perfect fight standeth upon both blow and thrust, therefore the thrust is not onely
to be used.
That the blow is more dangerous and deadly in fight, then a thrust, for proofe
thereof to be made according with Art, and Englishman holdeth argument
against an Italian.
The grounds or Principles of true fight with all maner of weapons.
The wardes of all maner of weapons.
Of the length of weapons, and how everie man may fit hirnselfe in the perfect
length of his weapon, according to his wone stature, with brief reactions
wherefore they ought to be.
Of the length's of the Battel axe, Halbard, or blacke Bill, or such like weapons of
weight, appertaining unto gard or battell.
Of the insufficiencie and disadvantages of the Rapiers fight in Battell.
Of the vantages and suffinciencie of the short Sword fight in battell.
That the Sword and Buckler hath the vantage against the Sword and
Target.
The short Staffe hath the vantage against the long Staffe, and Morris Pike, and
the Forrest bill against all maner of weapons.
Questions and answers between the Scholler and the Maister, of the vantages
and disadvantages betweene a tall man, and man of meane stature, having
both the perfect knowledge in their weapons. (A lesson in the Socratic
tradition)
Of the long single Rapier fight betweene valiant men, having both skill, he that
is the best wrastler, or if neither of them can wrastle, the strongest man most
commonly killeth the other, or leaveth him at his mercie.
Of the imperfection and insufficiencie of Rapiers in generall, of what length
soever they be.
Mr. Silver's Paradoxes of Defence (1599) is intended as a direct retort to di

Grassi's True Arte of Defense (1594), and Saviolo's Vincentio Savi%, His
Practice in Two Books (1595). In Mr. Silver's book the reader will find a
concise presentation of the English/Italian conflict. Here then, is half of the
argument presented by one of its most eloquent champions. He also discusses
polearrns at length, such as the pike, the Morris Pike, the Halberd, the Forrest
Bill, the Battle Axe, etc. Here is a book which would be easy to dismiss as an
academic curiosity, but which actually yields a great deal of practical
information for the fight director, director, and dramaturg regarding actual
Elizabethan fencing technique.
120. Silver, George. The Works of George Silver: Comprising "Paradoxes of

Defence" and "BrefInstructions Upon My Paradoxes ofDefence." Edited by
Cyril G. R. Matthey. London: George Bell and Sons, 1898. **H, R**
No ISBN available. Mr. Matthey, in consultation with Captain Alfred Hutton

and Captain Carl Thimm, offers the previously unpublished manuscript of
George Silver's Bref Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defence in tandem
with Silver's earlier tome, Paradoxes of Defence. This book will be extremely
useful to fight directors, dramaturgs, and anyone interested in the indigenous
fighting style of the English Masters of Defence. The text is 135 pages in
length, offers I illustration, 9 facsimiles of pages from the two original
manuscripts. Silver thought his Bref Instructions ...to be of significant import.
He goes so far as to state that the first publication was useless without its
second. Why then was his first tome published and the second relegated to
obscurity for virtually three hundred years? In all probability we shall never
know. However, thanks to Mr. Matthey, we now have both publications as Mr.
Silver intended. In this annotation I will not go into great depth regarding the
contents of Paradoxes of Defence (see annotation above). List of chapter titles:
To the Reader
Admonytions to the Gentlemen & Brave Gallants of Great Britaine Against
Quarels & Brauls Written By George Silver, Gent.
BrefInstructions upon my pradoxes of Defence for the true handlyng of all
Mannr of weapons together wt the fower grownds & the fower goumors wt
the fower gouemours are left out in my pradoxes wt out the knowledge of
wth no Man can fight faf.
Chapter I: The Fower grownds or principls ofyt true fyght at all manner of
Weapons are these 4, viz. :
I. Judgment
2. Distance
3. Tyme
4. Place
Chapter 2: Certaine general rules wth must be observed in yt prfyt use of al
kynde of weapons.
Chapter 3: A declaration of al the 4 generall fyghts to be used wt the sword at
dubble or syngle, longe or short, & wt Certaine prticuler rules to them
Annexed
Chapter 4: Of the Short Syngle Sword fyght against the lyke weapon
Chapter 5: Of divrs aduantages yt you may take by strykinge from yor warde at
yt Sword fyght.
Chapter 6: The rnannr ofCertaine gryps & Clozes to be used at ye Syngle Short
Sword fyght &c.
Chapter 7: Of the Short Sword & dagger fyght against the lyke Weapon.
Chapter 8: Of the Short Sword & dagger fyght against the longe Sword &
dagger or longe rapier & poniard.
Chapter 9: Ofye Sword & Buckler fyght.
Chapter 10: Of the two hand sword fight against ye like weapon.
Books 161
Chapter 11: Of the Short Staf fyght, being of convenient length, against ye like
weapon.
Chapter 12: Of the Short Staf fyght against the longe staf.
Chapter 13: Offthe fight of the forrest byll against the like weapon & against
the staf.
Chapter 14: Of the fyght ofye morris pyke against the lyke weapon.
Chapter 15: Of the Single Dagger fyght against the lyke weapon.
Mr. Matthey, in his Introduction, carefully comments on the fact that the fencing
technique of the duel bears little resemblance to that of the battlefield. He
believes that Mr. Silver's 300-year-old approach to cut and thrust will be of use
to the contemporary soldier circa 1898. Matthey singles out Mr. Silver's
discussion on the use of the hilt and pommel in close-quarter sword "fighting" as
an example of the sort of battlefield technique beyond the polite etiquette of the
Code Duello.
121. Simkins, Michael and Ron Embleton. The Roman Army from Caesar
to Trajan. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1984.
**1**
ISBN: 0-85045-528-6. Michael Simkins, author of Warriors ofRome, offers the

text while Mr. Embleton pens the color illustrations. The book will be of most
use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actors, costumers, armorers, and
photographs, 13 line drawn illustrations, 1 map, 8 color plates (illustrations), and
a bibliography. Mr. Simkins begins the text by discussing the organization of
Roman Legions and the coveted state of "citizenship." He then moves on to his
discussion of the two essential components of the Roman armies: the legions
(composed entirely of Roman citizens) and the auxilia, or foreign contingents of
the army. List of section titles:
Chronology
Introduction
The Composition of the Army
Entry, Training and Campaign Routines
The March and the Marching Camp
Arms and Armour
Body Defences-Helmets-The Sword-The Shield-The Javelin-The
Military Belt and Dagger
Conclusion
Bibliography
Mr. Simkins is a recognized expert in the area of arms re-creation from the
Roman Republican and Empire periods. This publication includes photographs
of several of his re-creations (several of which also appear in Warriors of
Rome). This is quite refreshing, as frequently extant weapons are in such

distressed shape that it makes it difficult to gain a clear understanding of what
the weapon actually looked like when it was manufactured. Similarly, he offers
re-creations of not only weapons, but helmets, boots, cuirasses, shields, and
daggers. Simkins and Embleton have also produced a Men-at-Arms sequel
entitled The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine.
122. Simkins, Michael. Warriors of Rome. New York: The Blandford

Press, 1988. **B,I**
ISBN: 0-7137-2001-8. Simkins and illustrator, James Field, examine the

Roman soldier in his various manifestations over several centuries. Simkins's
book will be of use to fight directors, armorers, weaponsmakers, directors,
actors, costumers, and dramaturgs. Armorers and weaponsmakers will
appreciate Simkins's re-creations of armor and weapons from the period. The
text is 160 pages in length, and includes 20 color illustrations of Roman soldiers
in action against various enemy soldiers and barbarian warriors. Also included
are 65 black and white and color photographs of ancient artwork and weapons,
and modem facsimiles of ancient weapons, helmets, uniforms, and armor; 29
line drawings and 4 maps. Simkins also offers a chronology of major events in
the Roman Republic and Empire, as well as a bibliography and an index. The
author traces the development of the Roman soldier, his weaponry, his armor
and those methods of fighting used to establish and later defend one of the
greatest empires the world has ever seen. Simkins enjoys an international
reputation for his knowledge of the Roman armies and for his internationally
acclaimed reconstructions of Roman armor and weaponry. Table of Contents:
Chronology
Introduction
1. Gaius Marius and Gaius Julius Caesar
2. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus
3. The Claudian Invasion of Britain
4. The Campaign Against the Druids and the Boudican Revolt
5. Masada
6. Military Equipment
Mr. Simikins offeres detailed analysis of the Roman Legion in all its various
incarnations. Although it is interesting to examine archeological artifacts from
the period, quite often they are so deteriorated that it is difficult to truly grasp
what the piece looked like when first constructed. Simkins, with his re-
creations, gives us a closer look at these items in mint condition.
123. Snodgrass, A. M. Arms and Armour ofthe Greeks. Ithaca, New York:
Cornell University Press, 1967. **B, 1**
Books 163
LCCN: 67-20632. Mr. Snodgrass has written what many scholars (including
Stuart Pyhrr, Curator of the Arms and Armor Exhibit at New York's
Metropolitan Museum of Art) consider to be the definitive study on the arms
and armor of ancient Greece, despite its 1967 publication date. This is an
excellent resource for anyone interested in the weapons, armor, and warfare of
the Grecian Bronze Age. This scholarly examination will be of use to fight
directors, armorers, weaponsmakers, directors, and dramaturgs. The book is 151
illustrations, an index, an a bibliography of sources. Noted Classical scholar A.
M. Snodgrass examines the armor, weapons, and battle strategies of the Archaic
and Classical periods of ancient Greece. Included are discussions on the
Mycenaeans (the period depicted in Homer's Iliad), the Cretans, the Minoans,
the Athenians, the Corinthians, the Spartans, and several other warriors of
various ancient Greek city-states. Table of Contents:
I. The Mycenaeans
The Shaft Grave Period
The Palace Period
The Late Period
II. The Dark Age
III. The Age of the Hoplite
The Coming of the Hoplite
The Spread of Hoplite Armour
Other Armour
IV. The Great Wars
V. Macedon
Snodgrass does an excellent job of presenting the few shreds of evidence

available on the arms and armor of ancient Greece. He artfully leads us from
one archeological site to the next; from extant vase to extant sword blade; from
boar-tooth helmet to bronze spearhead. What has been unearthed and is
available for analysis Mr. Snodgrass includes in his text. Of particular note is
Chapter III., which takes as a focus the evolution of the Greek hoplite. There is
also a great deal of useful information on the army of Alexander the Great. As
the author adroitly points out, much of the information we currently have comes
to us from vases and artworks of the period. Homer, writing in the eighth
century B.C., places his Iliad in a significantly earlier period. This makes his
picture of ancient Greek arms, armor, and warfare problematic and he cannot be
counted upon to fill the gaps left in our archeological knowledge. Is the picture
he paints a reliably accurate depiction of the Mycenaean period?--or is it closer
to his own? Snodgrass does a credible and entertaining job of navigating the
murky waters where archeological evidence is often clandestinely joined to
poetry, literature, and written history.
124. Sprague, Arthur Colby. Shakespeare and the Actors: The Stage
Business in His Plays (1660-1905). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University
Press, 1948. **R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Mr. Sprague offers an examination of the stage business of

Shakespeare's plays from the Restoration period through the early twentieth
century. This publication will certainly be of use to fight directors, directors,
and dramaturgs. The book is 442 pages in length, offers 10 black and white
photographs, 2 line drawn illustrations, an index, and bibliographical notes.
Noted Shakespearean scholar, Arthur Colby Sprague, has culled through dozens
of antique prompt books in an effort to educate us as to how certain scenes of
stage business in Shakespeare's plays have been handled down through the
centuries. Sprague offers detailed insight into how some of the theatre's greatest
Shakespearean actors staged various famous pieces of business. Included in this
list are such luminaries as Salvini, Irving, Booth, Forrest, Kemble, Kean,
Macready, and others. Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter I: The Comedies
Chapter II: The Histories
Chapter III: Hamlet
Chapter IV: Othello
Chapter V: Macbeth
Chapter VI: The Other Tragedies
It is interesting to compare how Salvini effected the exchange of rapiers and the
stabbing of Claudius to Sir Frank Benson's Retiarius (the Roman gladiator who
fought with fishing net and trident) approach. He offers examinations of combat
sequences in several of Shakespeare's plays.
125. Steiner, Bradley J. No Second Chance: Disarming the Armed

Assailant. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1986. **H, U, S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T,
E**
ISBN: 0-87364-341-0. Mr. Steiner offers several "combato" methods for

disarming armed assailants. The text will be very useful to fight directors and
instructors of armed and unarmed stage combat. The text is 172 pages in length
and offers 135 black and white photographs. Bradley Steiner is an expert in the
field of combato, a combination of Asian and Western martial arts techniques:
.. .in Combato we use all that is effective from Eastern and Western
martial traditions. The objective of Combato is to modernize,
synthesize, and "practicalize" the physical, mental, and spiritual
aspects of all forms of close combat. (20)
Table of Contents:
Books 165
1. Disarming and Hand-to-Hand Combat in Police Training Combato

2. The Law-Enforcement Officer and Disarming Training Policewomen
3. Mental Conditioning, Ch'an and Applied Psychology
Working on Yourself-Ch'an-Practical Psychology
4. Disarming Techniques in the Combato System
Physical Training-Principles of Disarming-Know the Enemy
5. The Bladed-Weapon Attack
The Skilled Attacker-The Overhead or Descending StaIr-The
Underhand or Upward StaIr-The Backhand Slash-Successful
Defense Against a Knife Attack-Knife Hold-Ups and Threats-Types
of Bladed Weapons-Target Areas for the Knife Attack
6. Disarming the Knife-Wielding Attacker
Combato's Basic Rules of Weapon Disarming-Two Fundamental
Knife Disarming/Defense Tactics-Parry-Type Defenses-Overhand
Stab Attack-A Straight-In Thrust Attack-An Upward Stab Attack-
Knife Defenses Using the Block-Forearm Block of Downward StaIr-
Forearm Block of Upward StaIr-Forearm Block of Straight-In
Thrust-Crossed-Arm Type Blocks-Knife Hold-Ups
7. The Bludgeon Attack
The Unskilled Stick Fighter-The Skilled Stick Fighter-The Stick
Strange-The Officer's Advantage-Types of Stick Weapons-
Methods of Defense
8. Disarming the Bludgeon Attacker
The Key Move-Initial Stop Blocks-Defense Against a Sideways-
Inward Swing-Defense Against a Backhand Club Attack-Ground
Defense
9. The Handgun Attack
The Significance of Types of Handguns-Two Steps for Successful
Handgun Disarming-Mental Conditioning-Physical Relaxation
10. Disarming the Handgun Attacker
Basic Principles-Frontal Gun Disarming-Pistol Aimed at
Midsection-Variation of Frontal Pistol Disarm-Disarming from
Hands Down Position-Pistol Aimed at Head; Hands Up-Pistol
Aimed at Head; Hands Down-Pistol in Pocket-Two-Handed Pistol
Grip-Rear Handgun Disarming-Hands Up Position-Hands Down
Position-Pistol Aimed at the Face Lapel GraIr-Special Situations-
Taking a Pistol Away from a Gunman
11. The Shoulder-Weapon Attack
Immediate Response-Criminal Use of Shoulder Weapons
12. Disarming the Shoulder-Weapon Attacker
Frontal Shoulder-Weapon Disarms-Weapon Aimed at Face-Weapon
Aimed at Midsection-Variation Defense for Weapon Aimed at
Midsection-Weapons Several Feet Distant-Rear Shoulder-Weapon
Disarming-Weapon Pressed Against Back-Variation Defense for
Weapon Aimed at Back-Weapon Aimed at Head
13. Basic Principles and Additional Applications

Applying the Basic Principles-Razor Defense-Chain Defense-
Baseball Bat-Broken Bottle-Hatchet-Surnming Up
14. Guidelines for Instructors
How to Conduct a Class-Advanced Students-Relations with
Students-Organizing the Class-Safety
Virtually all of the photographs are devoted to illustrating techniques. The first
eight chapters are disarming techniques for knives and bludgeons, while the later
chapters include handguns and rifles/shotguns. As is always the case the
techniques will need to be carefully adapted so as to be safely used on the stage
and film set.
126. Stone, George Cameron. A Glossary of The Construction, Decoration

and Use ofArms and Armor in All Countries and All Times. New York: The
Southworth Press, 1934; (reissued New York: Jack Brussel, Publisher,
1961). **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. An excellent and extremely useful resource for fight

directors, directors, actors, weaponsmakers, armorers, properties-makers, and
dramaturgs. The book may also be marginally useful to costumers. There is no
table of contents. Over 875 photographs and illustrations of weapons and an
extremely comprehensive bibliography is offered. Its 700 pages describes some
10,000 different kinds of arms and armor and includes 875 photo-engravings
illustrating over 3,500 different kind of weapons. This book is quite possibly
the most comprehensive compilation of information on arms and armor of all
countries and of all time ever published. Stone's attempts to clear up much of
the misinformation which has accrued over the years, giving consideration to the
conditions under which armor and weapons were used (which places his work in
a different category from photo-essays, which simply present photographs of the
objects) and tracing parallel developments between Western and oriental arms
and armor. In his introduction, Mr. Stone states:
I have included a number of subjects that seemed to me closely

enough allied to the main one to warrant it...fencing, fortification,
early military organization, hawking, and, to a limited extent,
hunting, and the capture of the larger marine mammals.
Despite Mr. Stone's inclusion of a statement decrying the shallow nature of his
publication, his book remains an excellent resource on arms and armor from
around the world.
127. Styers, John. Cold Steel: Technique of Close Combat. Boulder, Co.:
Paladin Press, 1974. **H, U, S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
Books 167
ISBN: 0-87364-025-x. John Styers has compiled a book of techniques geared

primarily for the soldier, but many of the techniques can be adapted for stage
combat. The entire approach to the subject is that of soldier fighting
soldier. ..kill or be killed. The book will be of most use to fight directors and
instructors of armed and unarmed stage combat. The text is 177 pages in length
and offers 147 black and white photographs. John Styers enlisted in the Marines
in 1935 and later became a student of the late Col. A. J. Drexel Biddle, dean of
the close combat school. Virtually everything in this book can be adapted to the
stage combat needs of most periods. Table of Contents:
The Bayonet
Knife Fighting
Unarmed Combat
The Stick
Knife Throwing
Mr. Styers offers some creative approaches to getting inside your enemy's
defenses in knife-to-knife fighting. Mr. Styers' bayonet techniques, with very
little adjustment, can be adapted for the eighteenth century musket, the pike, or
even the spear or javelin of earlier periods.
128. Suddeth, J. Allen. Fight Directing for the Theatre. Portsmouth, N.H.:
Heinemann, 1996. **H, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-435-08674-x. This exploration of the complex craft of the fight

director is one of the most comprehensive and well conceived books on the
subject. Every fight director should strongly consider adding this publication to
their personal library. J. Allen Suddeth is a former president of the Society of
American Fight Directors and is a certifed Fight Master with that organization.
He has worked as a teacher and fight director internationally and is a frequent
instructor at the Society of American Fight Director's National Stage Combat
Workshop held each summer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has
taught at the Julliard School and continues to be an active teacher and fight
director on the regional theatre scene as well as in New York City. He also has
an impressive list of fight direction credits for soap operas. His book is 344
pages in length, offers 11 line drawn illustrations, 108 black and white
photographs, 22 reproductions of antique illustrations (including illustrations
from the works of Angelo, Fabris, Marozzo, Sainct Dieier, and Talhoffer), 2
schematics of antique firearms, 5 diagrams, a glossary of terms, and several
appendices. Mr. Suddeth is certainly one of the foremost experts in his field.
He is not only an excellent instructor but also a well-respected fight director for
the stage and screen. His book is quite comprehensive in its scope. It runs the
gamut in its thorough analysis of the responsiblilities of the fight director and
the collaborative process which the fight director enters into with the production
staff. Mr. Suddth is most meticulous in his attention to detail. No stone is left
unturned, no aspect of fight direction glossed over. Perhaps one of the most
impressive aspects of the text is that although fight direction requires a great
deal of attention to technique and organization, Mr. Suddeth does not allow his
writing to get mired down in technical language. He maintains a healthy
balance between disemmination of knowledge and humor while packaging it all
in an accessible prose. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Stage Combat Safety

Safety First
The Performers
Costumes
Historical Period, or Style, of Fighting
Audience Safety
Stage Lighting
Rehearsal Lighting
Stage Surface
Casting Performers Who Must Fight
Rehearsal Time
Safety Last
Chapter 2: Staging the Fight
Imaging a Fight
Fight Choreography Research
The Trial by Combat
The Private Duel
Researching Period Illustrations
The Fight Story and How to Use the Text
Techniques of Fight Choreography
The Fight Director's Timeline
Phrasing in Staged Fights
The Music of the Blades
Contemporary Violence
Found Weapons
Group Fights and Mass Battles
Fight Notation
Copyright Laws for Choreography
The Fight Captain
Comedy Fights
Food Fights
How to Work with Fight Directors
Qualifications of the Fight Director
How to Safely Rehease Fights
Thoughts on Safety in School, Amateur, and Community Theatre
Productions
Liability
Chapter 3: Acting the Fight
Acting the Fight
How to Die
Working with the Fight Director
Books 169
A Bit of History
Red-Light Fever
How to Get Rid of Performance Anxiety in Fight Scenes
Unbelievable, but True, Safety Mistakes!
Chapter 4: Arming the Fight
Choosing a Period Weapon
Weapons Purchase
Protective Equipment for Actors
Breakaway Props
Sword Maintenance
How to Custmize and Replace Sword Blades
Recycling Existing Sword Stock
Chapter 5: Stage Blood
Blood Delivery Systems and Simple Tricks
How to Make a Blood Bag
Breaking Blood Bags
Blood from the Mouth
Blood on Costumes
Blood Rehearsals
Blood on the Stage
Alternatives to Blood
Blood Recipes
Psychological Aspects of Blood
Chapter 6: Firearm Safety
Firearm Responsibility
Gun Safety in Performance
Types of Modern Stage Firearms
Blank Amunition
Black-powder Firearms
Staging a Gunshot!
Firearm Purchase or Rental
The Brady Bill Waiting Period
That's a Wrap
Appendices
Theatrical Arms Suppliers
The Stage Manager's Checklist
Basic Safety Checklist
A Costumer's Safety Checklist
Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
Index
Mr. Suddeth, time and again, reminds the reader that one cannot become a
proficient actor-combatant or fight director by simply reading a text on the
subject. He urges the reader to seek guidance and training with a qualified fight
director-and then procedes to inform the reader what constitutes those
qualifications. If one is expecting a detailed exploration of cut and thrust or
punch and block, one will need to consult a different text; as Mr. Suddeth takes
a more general approach to his topic. His is a text which focuses, to a great
extent, on pre-production planning, organization, anticipating pit-falls and
avoiding safety traps which can lead to injury. For a more focused examination
of individual fighting techniques the reader should consider Joseph Martinez's
Combat Mime (un-armed technique) and Dale Girard's Actor's On Guard
(rapier and dagger technique), both of whom are also certifed SAFD Fight
Masters. Finally, Mr. Suddeth's appendices includes a list of theatrical arms
suppliers which is very comprehensive. It includes not only suppliers of swords,
but firearms, special effects props (such as resin glass and break-a-way
furniture), rattan (for quarterstaffs) and athletic equipment (gymnastics mats and
other useful accessories).
129. Szabo, Laszlo. Fencing and the Master. Translated by Gyula Gulyas.
Budapest, Hungary: Franklin Printing House, 1982. **H, R, T, E**
ISBN: 963-13-1275-5. Maestro Szabo, fencing master for over fifty years,
offers his thoughts and techniques on training fencers. This book will be quite
helpful to instructors engaged in teaching fencing for the stage and screen. The
book is 291 pages in length, offers 120 line drawn illustrations of several
fencing techniques in various stages of development, and a bibliography. It
would be expected that Maestro Szabo is certainly qualified to publish his
thoughts on the subject, as he is the product of one of the greatest fencing
instructors of the twentieth century, Italo Santelli. Table of Contents:
Approaches to Instruction in Fencing

Group instruction and its fundamental problems
The individual lesson
The master's position during instruction
Practice without protective equipment
Devices, Methods and Procedures Employed in Instruction
Forms of communicating knowledge
Presentation of the blade as an instrument of fencing instruction
Signals used to initiate movement
The voice as a methodological device
Role of the weaponless hand in instruction
The use of rest periods
Imitation as a form of instruction
Perception by direct or indirect means, and the rendering of assistance
Reducing or increasing difficulty as an assisting and demonstrating procedure
Induction through compelling positions and tasks
Supervision-self-supervision
Faults and their correction
"Fixing"
"Shock-exposure" as a procedure for revealing the consequences of a fault
The practice of fault correction
Books 171
Qualities Necessary for Fencing and their Development

The sense of equilibrium and its development
Attention and its development
Sense of cadence and rhythm
Tempo and its development
Fencing vision and its development
The development of dexterity
The development of speed
Muscle relaxation
The Evolving of Technique and its Instruction
Preparation
The technical description and instruction of positions
Preparation of footwork
Distance-regulating movements and their instruction
The Keeping of Distance and its Instruction
The modes and forms of establishing the favourable distance
The Evolving of Hand Technique
Preparatory and inductive exercises
The development of sentiment-de-fer-the characteristics, requirements and
instruction of hand technique
The Forms and Content ofIndependent Work
The practice material of independent work
Teaching aids in independent work
The "Master-Pupil" Method ofInstruction
The Practice of Individual Lessons
Instruction of the Individual Fencing Actions
The instruction of the attack
The instruction of defence
Tactics and its instruction
Initiation and its instruction
Preparation and its instruction
The Mechanical Lesson
The Mobile Lesson
Other Forms of Practice with a Partner
Attack-defence exercises-Conventional exercises-Methodical loose
play-Loose play-training-Competition
Bibliography
This book is full of helpful hints for guiding and developing young fencers.
Many of the techniques Maestro Szabo advocates are equally useful, with minor
revision, in the instruction of theatrical fencing.
130. Tarassuk, Leonid and Claude Blair, eds. The Complete Encyclopedia
of Arms and Weapons. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982.
**8, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-671-42257-x. Tarassuk and Blair have compiled essays by some of the
foremost experts in the world on arms and armor to form an encyclopedia on the
subject. This is a very valuable resource for fight directors, directors,
drarnaturgs, actors, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 544 pages in
length, offers over 1,2500 color and black and white illustrations, a list of color
illustrations, and a bibliography. Mr. Tarassuk (Research associate at the
Department of Arms and Armor, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) and
Mr. Blair (Curator of the Department of Metalwork at the Victoria and Albert
Museum, London) serve as editors of essays gathered from several arms and
armor luminaries. All entries are offered in alphabetical order. According to the
publisher's preface:
The guiding principle behind this encyclopedia has been provide

extensive information on offensive and defensive weapons and
armor over a wide period of history and a vast range of
countries...The encyclopedia concentrates, therefore, on individual
weapons and styles of armor, with particular emphasis on their
component parts...
This publication seeks to address the misinformation which has been

disseminated in the past. This is one of the most comprehensive, informative,
and useful texts on arms and armor which anyone could hope to acquire. It is
copiously illustrated and offers scholarship that is of unparalleled quality.
131. Tarassuk, Leonid. Parrying Daggers and Poniards. Blue Diamond,

Nev.:Society of American Fight Directors, 1987. **R**
No ISBN available. The late Dr. Tarassuk offers a comprehensive and scholarly
study of the Renaissance parrying dagger. This short booklet is an excellent
resource for the fight director and weaponsmaker involved in creating parrying
daggers for the stage and screen. The publication is a brief 27 pages in length,
offers 22 black and white photographs of various parrying daggers and an
additional 22 line drawn illustrations of daggers and reproductions from period
fencing manuals. Not available through inter-library loan, but may be purchased
directly from the Society of American Fight Directors. Contact the SAFD at 1-
800-659-6579. Dr. Tarassuk was an accomplished swordsman, scholar, writer,
archeologist, and curator of arms. Dr. Tarassuk was frequently a consultant on
films involving the re-creation of historical swordplay. The photographs of
various parrying daggers, in tandem with descriptions of how and why they
were designed and built the way they were, will be of interest to the
weaponsrnaker. Dr. Tarassuk's descriptions of how these weapons were actually
used, coupled with period illustrations from some of the antique manuals already
listed and photographs taken expressly for the publication, in which models
illustrate the proper technique for handling the weapons, and the proper angles
for parrying and using the quillons to lock up an opponent's blade, will be of
interest to the fight director/choreographer.
Books 173
132. Thimm, Carl. A Complete Bibliography ofFencing and Duelling. New

York: Benjamin Blom, Inc. Publishers, 1896; (reissued 1968). **R, T, E**
LCCN: 68-17152. Mr. Thimm has produced the most detailed bibliography on
fencing and dueling through the end of the nineteenth century. This book will
be of tremendous aid to fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs. Many of the
resources will also be useful to costumers and weaponsmakers as well. The text
is a dense 538 pages in length, offers 34 black and white illustrations
(photographs and line drawn illustrations), and an index. This is a valuable
resource for the fight director who is attempting to find primary resources from
which to glean historical data to guide them in the creation of fight
choreography. Virtually all of the early masters are represented in these pages.
Many of the books in Thimm's bibliography have been reprinted and can be
located. It is also worth mentioning that Mr. Thimm's bibliography is not
limited to English language publications. Table of Contents:
Preface
List of Portraits, Title-Pages, Frontispieces, and Illustrations
Bibliography of Fencing and Duelling, Comprising That of the Sword, Dagger,
Bayonet, Pike, Quarter-staff, Single-stick, Battleaxe, and all other Non-
Ballistic Weapons held in the Hands for the Arts of Self-Defence
Index to the Bibliography, in Chronological Order, According to Languages
(Alphabetically arranged)
Notes on Duelling, Fencing, and the Sword, Culled from the Press During the
Past Few Years
Index to Notes
Of particular interest to the fight director will be the section entitled "Notes on
Duelling, Fencing, and the Sword, Culled from the Press During the Past Few
Years." This section offers dozens of newspaper accounts of duels and armed
encounters-some with pistols, many with swords. The publication includes
several articles chronicaling duels on the stage. Mr. Thimm has compiled a
truly outstanding resource on publications dealing with dueling and fencing
printed pre-1896. This is certainly a "must have" publication for any serious
fight director. It has been recently republished and is more readily available
than in the past.
133. Thornbury, G. W. Shakespeare's England; or Sketches of our Social

History in the Reign of Elizabeth (in Two Volumes). London: Longman,
Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1856. **R**
ISBN: 0-404-06425-6. Mr. Thornbury offers a comprehensive social history of

England during the reign of Elizabeth I. Included in this survey is a chapter
(chapter 4, volume 1) entitled, "The Law of the Duelle." This two volume set
will be extremely useful to anyone interested in Elizabethan society, including

its theatre, social etiquette, and dueling. Volume number one is 416 pages in
length. Volume number two is 424 pages in length. This is an excellent
resource about the London haunts Shakespeare and his contemporaries
frequented. The book is valuable for its focus on social references in
Shakespeare's plays. Table of Contents:
VOLUME ONE
Chapter I: The Streets of
Chapter II: The Mansions and Palaces
Chapter III: A Day's Amusement
Chapter IV: The Laws of the Duelle
The Sands of Calais-Fencing Masters-Frequency of Duelling-
Introduction of the Rapier-Duels at Taverns-Saviolo's Books-
Causes of Duels-Challenge-Conditional Lie-The Lie in General-
The Foolish Lie-Proud and Civil Proof-Causes that stayed Duels-
Time for the Duel-The Combat-The Apology-Morality of the
Duellists-Art of Fence-Parries-Terrns-Language of the Schools
Chapter V: Serving-Men and Gentlewomen-The Kitchen and the Buttery
Still-Room
Chapter VI: Elizabethan Diet
Chapter VII: Dress
Chapter VIII: Cheats, Thieves, and Beggars
Chapter IX: Hunting and Hawking
VOLUME TWO
Chapter X: The Theatre
Chapter XI: Alchemy
Chapter XII: Witchcraft
Chapter XIII: Wapping in 1588
Chapter XIV: Elizabethan Country Life
Chapter XV: Revels and Progresses
Chapter XVI: Education and Miscellanea
Thornbury discusses dueling in England as compared to France. He examines

the way in which quarrels often ensued, followed by the correct way in which a
cartel (challenge) was to be composed and delivered. Cursory discussion of
various swordplay techniques follow (e.g., single rapier, rapier and dagger,
rapier and gauntlet, and rapier and cloak).
134. Tincey, John and Richard Hook. The Armada Campaign: 1588. Elite
ISBN: 0-85045-821-8. John Tincey supplies the text while Richard Hook
provides the color illustrations. This book will be of use to fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, actors, costumers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 63
pages in length, offers 14 black and white photographs, 25 black and white
Books 175
reproductions of period artwork and 12 color plates (illustrations of Spanish and

English seamen and soldiers). This publication's historical overview of the
Spanish preparations for war, the English privateering activities, and the battle
itself is quite informative. List of section titles:
Introduction
Spanish Invasion Plans
The Army of Flanders
The Nature of War at Sea
Sail versus Oar-Ships and Sailing-Guns-The "Armada Fight"-31
July: The First Engagement-The Manoeuvres of 2-5 August-6-8 August
England's Defensive Preparations
The Militia
Training-Weapons-Bills-Cavalry
The Muster Certificates
The Feudal Levy
Uniforms
Could the Armada Have Succeeded?
The Plates (illustrations of seamen and soldiers)
Richard Hooks's illustrations (an English demilancer, light horseman, London

trained militia men, Low Countries veterans, calivermen, pikemen, deckhands,
naval officers, and Spanish musketeers, pikemen, and lancers) are all of high
calibre. A fair portion of the text is not even devoted to the Armada battle; but
the title of the publication makes it clear that the entire campaign is to be
considered. The weaponsmaker and armorer will find this entry to be one of the
better in terms of photographs of extant weapons and armor.
135. Tincey, John and Angus McBride. Soldiers of the English Civil War
(2): Cavalry. Elite Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1990. **R,
T**
ISBN: 0-85045-940-0. Mr. Tincey supplies the text and Mr. McBride the color
illustrations. This small book will be of most use to fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, actors, costumers, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 63
pages in length, offers 14 black and white photographs, 35 black and white
reproductions of period artwork, and 11 color plates (illustrations). Included is
discussion on the types of cavalry, including: the lancer, the cuirassier, the
harquebusier, the carbine and the dragoon. The reader can see that firearms are
already beginning to playa significant role in the effectiveness of the cavalry as
early as the third decade of the seventeenth century. But it should be
remembered that firearms were still relatively umeliable at this point and the
sword and pike were still very important weapons on the battlefield. List of
section titles:
Cavalry
The Theorists-The Types of Cavalry- Recruiting-Mounting-Training

for Horse and Man-Formations-Manoeuvres
Cavalry Uniforms and Equipment
Weapons and Armour-The Carbine-The Pistol-Cartridges and Powder
Flasks-Buff Coats
Cavalry in Battle
The Royalists-The Parliamentarians- Grand Tactics
Dragoons
The Theorists-Dragoons in the Civil War- Dragoons in Battle
Artillery
Further Reading
The Plates (color illustrations)
Mr. McBride's illustrations of various Royalist and Roundhead cavalrymen are

of high quality. The weaponsmakers will find several photographs of extant
firearms. The armorers will also find photographs of "Lobster-tail" helmets and
cuirasses. There is, unfortunately, only one photograph of a simple cavalry
sword. The rapier was used in the early days of the War but was soon replaced
with a heavier slashing sword. Still, the swordmakers will enjoy Mr. McBride's
illustrations of swords in the color plates.
136. Treece, Henry and Ewart Oakeshott. Fighting Men. New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons, 1963. **B, I, D, V, M, R, T**
LCCN: 65-20707. An entertaining and easy-to-read survey on how men have

fought down through the centuries. Actors, directors, and fight choreographers
will find a wealth of information in these pages. The text contains 266 pages,
127 line drawn illustrations and diagrams, a bibliography, and indices. These
two very qualified authors have pieced together an examination of the fighting
man that not only imparts staggering amounts of information but does so in a
way that frequently smacks of the adventure novel, as opposed to the history
text. A chapter will begin with a fictional account of a fighting man caught in a
situation where his life is on the line. Once this brief story has caught our
attention the authors then move on to a detailed examination of the weapons,
strategies of battle, organization of troops, techniques of the fighting man, and
quite frequently, a description of an actual campaign or engagement that
exemplifies their textual analysis. Henry Treece is a poet, novelist, critic,
playwright and broadcaster whose special interests are Celtic history and the
Vikings. He is best known for his critically acclaimed novels for adults and
children about the Dark Ages. Perhaps most impressive is the chapter
examining the Roman soldier. This text is thick with historical data, but is
presented in such an entertaining style that one hardly senses the sheer
profundity of the information woven into it. Table of Contents:
1. The Chariots
2. The Roman Soldier
Books 177
3. The Vikings
4. The Heavy Cavalryman
5. The Longbowman
6. Pike and Musket (the Musketeer)
The illustrations are line drawings that are done in a very simple style, with very
little detail to speak of.
137. Trevino, Rafael and Angus McBride. Rome's Enemies (4): Spanish
Armies. Men-af-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1986. **B,
1**
ISBN: 0-85045-701-7. Mr. Trevino provides the text examining the warrior
tribes of Iberia (Spain) while Mr. McBride provides the color illustrations of
Hispanic and Roman warriors. This will be a very useful text for fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, costumers, and weaponsmakers. This small book is 48
illustrations, 4 maps, 8 color plates (illustrations), and a bibliography. This
publication takes as its focus the Iberian tribes which resisted Rome's occupation
of what is now Spain, Portugal, and the Basque region about the Pyrenees
mountains. The historical portions of the text are informative, interesting and
well researched. List of section titles:
The Peoples of Protohistoric Spain

Social Organisation and Obligations
Warfare in Ancient Spain
Chronology
Impact of the Hispanic Wars on Rome
The Campaigns ofViriatus
Galba's Massacre-The Death ofVetilius-Fabius' Campaigns-The Death
ofViriatus
The Numantine Wars
The Siege
Armour and Weapons
Spears-Hispanic Swords-The Falcata
Hispanic Cavalry
Balearic Slingers
The Plates (illustrations of various Hispanic and Roman soldiers and cavalry)
Mr. McBride's illustrations capture the essence of the look of the Iberian
warrior. This particular entry is unusually heavy with illustrations of early
Hispanic sword hilt illustrations which will certainly interest the swordmaker.
The discussion includes several campaigns by both the Hispanic tribes (led by
Vetilius and Viriatus) against the Roman armies as well as the Roman attempts
(led by Fabius) to quell various Iberian rebellions.
138. Tunis, Edwin. Weapons: A Pictorial History. New York: Thomas Y.

Crowell Company, 1954. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-690-01285-3. Mr. Tunis serves as both illustrator and author for this
pictorial history of weapons from the Stone Age through the twentieth century.
The book will be a useful general resource for fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, actors, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 151 pages in
length and offers nearly 300 line drawn illustrations. The Table of Contents
makes reference to virtually all of the illustrations and is therefore too
comprehensive to reproduce in this annotation. He begins in the Stone Age with
such weapons as a stone attached to a string, to be whirled overhead and
released at the enemy (a prehistoric forerunner of the sling), and marches
forward to the Atomic bomb. The illustrations are all line drawn. The
accompanying narrative is informative if somewhat lacking in depth. The style
of Mr. Tunis' writing is accessible. Weapons is a fine general resource for the
director or dramaturg attempting to gain a cursory knowledge of warfare and
weapomy from various historical periods.
139. Turnbull, Stephen. The Book of the Medieval Knight. New York:
Crown Publishers, 1985. **M**
ISBN: 0-517-55863-7. Mr. Turnbull examines the medieval knight, his armor,
and several of the major battles of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The
book will be most useful to dramaturgs, directors, and fight directors. The book
is 192 pages in length, offers 160 black and white and color photographs, 27 line
drawn illustrations, and 2 color paintings commissioned for the book, an index,
and references. Mr. Turnbull has chosen to limit his study to battles and sieges
which took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. He discusses the
battles at Crecy, Poitiers, Tewksbury, Mortimer' Cross, the War of the Roses,
the Hundred Years' War, the Battle of Orleans, and several others. He also
discusses the introduction of gunpowder into warfare. Sections are offered on
the armor and weapons of the medieval knight. Table of Contents:
1. A New Arthur
The Heir to Misfortune-The Weardale Campaign-Dupplin Moor-
The Siege of Berwick-The Battle of Halidon Hill
2. King of England-King of France
Homage for Gascony-The French Succession-The Brittany
Adventure-The First Battle
3. The Practice of War
The Raising of Armies-The Road to Total War-Battle ofCrecy-
The Year of Victories-The Power of the Bow-Knights in Armour
4. A King's Ransom
The Knight and Discipline-The Tenets of Chivalry-An Ideal
World- The Relief of Aquitaine-The Battle of Poitiers
Books 179
5. The Lion and the Eagle

Du Guesclin's Early Life-The Knighthood of du Guesclin- The Siege
of Rennes-The Absence of Peace-Cocherel-Battle of Auray-The
Curse of the Free Companies-The Spanish Campaigns-The Revival
of France-A Little Local Difficulty-Du Guesclin's Farewell
6. Onward Christian Soldiers
Knightly Honour-Crusading-14c. Style-The Crusades in
Lithuania-Nicopolis-Tannenberg-The Waterloo of the Teutonic
Order
7. The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Rise of Lancaster-The Revolt ofOwain Glyndrwr-The
Forgotten Invasion
8. The Picardy Affair
Agincourt-Henry's Normandy Invasion-The Auld Alliance
9. The Long, Losing War
Orleans-The Coming of the Maid-The Companions Fight On- The
End of Normandy- Farewell to Aquitaine
10. The War of the Old Men
York and Lancaster-The Raising of Armies- The Fretich
Connection- The Ludlow Incident-The Old Soldiers Fade Away-
The End at Wakefield-Armour in the Wars of the Roses
11. The Sun in Splendour
The Battle of Mortimer's Cross- St. Albans Towton- The Day of
Reckoning-The War in the North Castles and Sieges-The Triumph
of the Cannon-Crossbows and Armour-Neville versus York-
Tewksbury-The Second Towton
12. The Fall of Great Houses
Charles the Bold-Edward's Invasion of France-The Destruction of
Burgandy-A Crisis for York-Richard III-The End ofBritainy-
The Triumph of the Knight
This book offers some beautiful color photographs of several Western European
castles. It also offers photographs of various weapons which have survived
from the period. The introduction of plate armor and the advent of the chivalric
code led to a revitalization of the flower of knighthood. The author is an
Englishman, and the book definitely leans heavily toward English history,
English battles, and English knights.
140. Turner, Craig and Tony Soper. Methods and Practice of Elizabethan
Swordplay. Carbondale, III.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1990.
**R**
ISBN: 0-8093-1562-9. This entetaining and informative book will be of interest

to the stage combat teacher, the fight director, the director, the actor, and the
dramaturg. The book is a trim 139 pages and offers 14 line drawn illustrations
from ancient woodcuts, notes, bibliography, and index. Turner and Soper
clarify and explain the techniques advocated in Giacomo Di Grassi's His True
Arte of Defence, Vincentio Saviolo's His Practice in Two Books, and George
Silver's Paradoxes of Defence and Bref Instructions Upon My Paradoxes,
respectively. In each case the spelling has been modernized and punctuation
added where necessary for clarity's sake. In drawing from these Elizabethan
masters, Turner and Soper are able to paint a vividly clear picture of what they
believe an Elizabethan rapier and dagger duel would have been like. The
Italians discuss weaponry, footwork, distance (measure), parries (wards), line,
rapier and cloak, rapier and dagger, sword and buckler, square and round target
(shield), the case of rapiers, single rapier, stance and grip, thrusts, cuts, specialty
moves (borte secrete), and seizure/disarms. Mr. Silver discusses "The Dangers
of Italian Swordplay," and "Four Imperfections of Italian Swordplay." He also
argues the point that in the Italian style swordsmen may be killed by men of
small or no skill. Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. The Elizabethan Fencing Master
2. The Beginning of the Italian Invasion: Giacomo Di Grassi's True Arte
3. Vincentio Saviolo: His Practice in Two Books
4. The English Reply: George Silver and His Paradoxes ofDefence
5. Elizabethan Swordplay Reconstructed
Of particular interest to choreographers will be Chapter Five: "Elizabethan

Swordplay Reconstructed." In this chapter Turner and Soper discuss what
techniques might have been utilized in a typical Elizabethan rapier and dagger
duel and how they might be transferred to the stage. There is not a great deal of
new ground covered in this work. If one does not wish to wade through the
entirety of the Elizabethan Masters' works, Methods and Practice ofElizabethan
Swordplay offers a very succinct overview of these three masters' contributions
to the swordplay of the period, as well as an insightful look at the great debate of
the age-the thrust versus the cut.
141. Turner, Sir James. Pallas Armata: Military Essayes of the Ancient
Grecian, Roman, and Modern Art of War Written in the Years 1670 and 1671.
London: Richard Chiswell, 1683; (reprinted New York: Greenwood Press,
Publishers,1968). **B, I, R, T**
LCCN: 68-54807. Sir James Turner undertakes the imposing challenge of

examining the art of war according to the ancient Greeks, the Romans, and
during his own day as well. The text will be of interest to fight directors,
directors, armorers, weaponsmakers, and actor-combatants. The text is
comprised of 3 books published in 1 volume at a length of 371 pages. The text
contains a single illustration-a frontispiece consisting of a portrait of James
Turner. This is a fascinating study by the seventeenth century military historian
James Turner. Table of Contents:
Books 181
BOOK I: MILITARY ESSAYS OF THE ANCIENT AND GRECIAN ART OF

WAR.
Chapter I: Of the Ancient Militia in General.
Chapter II: Of the Armies, and order of War of the Ancients.
Chapter III: Of the Election, Levy, and Arms, Offensive and Defensive, of the
Grecians.
Chapter IV: Of the Great Engines and Machines, of the Training, and Exercising
of the Grecians.
Chapter V: Of the Grecian Infantry.
Chapter VI: Aelian's Marshalling the Grecian Infantry examined.
Chapter VII: Of the Grecian Cavalry, and Some observations of it.
Chapter VIII: Of the Great Macedonian Phalanx, of its number, and how
marshalled; with some bservations of both.
Chapter IX: Of the Grecian March, Baggage, Encamping, Guards, and of their
Paean.
BOOK II: MILITARY ESSAYS OF THE ANCIENT ROMAN ART OF WAR.
Chapter I: Of the Ancient Roman Government, and Militia in General.
Chapter II: Of the Military Election and Levy of the Roman Souldiers.
Chapter III: Of their Arms, Offensive and Defensive, and of their Military
Oaths.
Chapter IV: Of Sieges, and Defence of Towns and Forts, of the Great Engines
and Machines used in them, by the Romans, and other Ancients.
Chapter V: Of the Military Exercises, Duties, Burthens, Marches, and Works of
the Roman Souldiers.
Chapter VI: Of the Roman Infantry, of all its Several Bodies, and their Officers.
Chapter VII: Of the Roman Cavalry, and all its Officers.
Chapter VIII: Of their Trumpeters, Hornwinders, and of the Classicum.
Chapter IX: Of the Roman Pay, Proviant, and of their Donatives.
Chapter X: Of a Roman Legion, marshall'd according to Titus Livius, with
Lipsius his amendments.
Chapter XI: Ofa Roman Legion, marshall'd according to Flavius Vegetius.
Chapter XII: Vegetius his Legion reviewed and examin'd.
Chapter XIII: Of a Roman Legion, marshall'd according to Polybius.
Chapter XIV: Of the Distances and Intervals between the several Bodies and
Batallions of the Roman Horse and Foot.
Chapter XV: Of the Roman Allies and Auxiliaries, and of the mistakes of some
Authors concerning them.
Chapter XVI: Of a Roman Consular Army, and of some mistakes concerning it.
Chapter XVII: Of a Consular Army, marshall'd in the Field; and of some
General Officers belonging to it.
Chapter XVIII: Of Several figures of Armies, used by the Ancients in their
Bartels.
Chapter XIX: Of some Customs used by the Romans, and other ancient Nations,
before, in the time of, and after their Bartels.
Chapter XX: Ofthe March of a Consular Army.
Chapter XXI: Of the Quartering, Encamping, and Castrametation of a Consular
Army.
Chapter XXII: Of the Roman Guards, Watches, Watch-word, and Rounds.

Chapter XXIII: Of Prisoners of War, Treaties, Parleys, and Articles among
Ancients.
Chapter XXIV: Of the Military Punishments and Rewards of the Romans, and
other Ancient Nations .
Chapter XXV: Polybius his comparison of the Macedonian Phalanx, and the
Roman Legion review'd.
BOOK III: MILITARY ESSAYS OF THE MODERN ART OF WAR.
Chapter I: Of the Modem Militia in General.
Chapter II: Of Levies, the manner of several Nations in making them, of the
Duties of Souldiers when they are levied, of their Age, and how long they
are bound to serve.
Chapter III: Of Armour, of Defensive Arms, used by Several Nations, both for
their Cavalry and Infantry.
Chapter IV: Of Offensive Arms, or Weapons, used by the Infantry of Several
Nations.
Chapter V: Of Offensive Arms, or Weapons, used by the Cavalry of Several
Nations.
Chapter VI: Master Lutpon's Book against the use ofthe Pike, Dedicated to the
Earl of Essex, examin'd.
Chapter VII: Of Gun-powder, Artillery, its General, and Train.
Chapter VIII: Of Musters, and Muster=masters, of Pay, Proviant, and Servic; of
Treasurers, Commissaries, and Proviant=masters, and of the Military Oath.
Chapter IX: Of Military Laws and Articles, of Courts of War, of the Judge
Marshal, and of the Provost Marshal General.
Chapter X: Of Exercising, Drilling, and Training the several Bodies of the
Cavalry and Infantry.
Chapter XI: Of Companies, Regiments, and Brigades of Foot, what they have
been, what they are, how they are marshall'd; of all their Officers, their
duties, and qualifications.
Chapter XII: Of Troops, and Regiments of Horse, of their Officers, and of
Dragoons.
An Appendix to this twelfth Chapter.
Chapter XIII: Of Felt-marshals, Lieutenant Felt-marshals, Lieutenant Generals,
Generals of the Cavalry and Infantry; Major Generals, and Adjutant
Generals.
Chapter XIV: Ofa Captain General, or Generalissimo.
Chapter XV: OfIntelligence, Spys, and ofa General Scout-master.
Chapter XVI: Embattelling by the Square root examin'd, and rejected.
Chapter XVII: Of the modem way of embattelling and marshalling Armies.
Chapter XVIII: Of the Women and Baggage belonging to an Army, of the
General Waggon=master, and his Duties.
Chapter XIX: Of the March of an Army.
Chapter XX: Of Quartering, Encamping, and Modem Castrametation. Of the
Quarter=master General, and of the Quarter=master General Staff.
Chapter XXI: Of Guards, Watches, Sentinels, Parades, Rounds, and Patrovils.
Books 183
Chapter XXII: Of things previous to a Battel, of a Battel it self, and things after
a Battel.
Chapter XXIII: Of Retreats
Chapter XXIV: Of Several ways to take fortified places, particularly of Sieges;
Trenches, Approaches, Redouts, Batteries, Zaps, Galleries, Mines, Storms,
and Assaults.
Chapter XXV: Of the Defence of fortified places against all manner of
Expugnation; of all things necessary for Forts, of Governours, of his duties,
and qualifications.
Chapter XXVI: Of Prisoners, Parleys, Treaties, and Articles, in our Modem
Wars.
Chapter XXVII: Of our Modem Military Punishments, and Rewards.
Chapter XXVIII: The Comparison made by Justus Lipsius of the Ancient, and
Modem Militia, examined.
Chapter XXIX: Whether the profession of Souldiery be lawful.
It should be noted that the book leans quite heavily toward the logistical. There
are hundreds of facts offered about warfare, equipment, armor, drilling, siege
tactics, and military organizational patterns of ancient and modem (circa 1679)
armies.
142. Umbach, Arnold and Warren R. Johnson. Wrestling. Brown's

Physical Activities Series. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company
Publishers,1966. **H, U**
LCCN: 66-21292. This book will be of most use to the fight director who is
staging unarmed combat and the stage combat instructor who is involved in
teaching unarmed combat. The text is 62 pages in length, offers 1 black and
white photograph, and 162 line drawn illustrations of wrestling techniques in
various stages of execution. This book may not be as "high-tech" as some of the
more current offerings on the subject matter, but the information is solid and the
fight choreographer will pick up some very "flashy" moves by studying the
techniques contained in these pages. Many of these moves (especially the
throws) would require some adjustment to transfer them to stage or film and
they would require some sort of mat or padded surface on the stage upon which
the wrestlers would grapple, as these techniques were designed with an
opponent in mind-not a partner. Table of Contents:
1. History of Wrestling
2. Getting Fit to Wrestle
3. Emotional Upset in Wrestling
4. Basic Equipment and Rules
5. Fundamental Wrestling Skills
6. Training for Wrestling
7. Courtesies and Strategy
8. The Language of Wrestling (Glossary)
Professors Umbach and Johnson take very little for granted in their little text,
and take us through the sport from beginning to end from the courtesies of the
mat to the rules of the game, from takedowns to pins, from restraining
techniques to trips. Techniques included:
Stances-Leg Dive-Double Arm Drag-Heel Pick Up-Head

Drag Crossover-Back Heel Outside Leg Trip-Referees
Position-Head Lever-Double Bar Arm-Head Lever/Tight
Waist-Far Ankle and Near Waist-Groin Ride-Inside Crotch
Ride-Reverses and Escapes: Switch-Winglock-Get Out-Hip
Lock Escape-Bar Arm and Half Nelson-Crotch and Half
Nelson-Chicken Wing and Half Nelson-Counter Drag-Near
Wing and Crossover-Elbow Roll
This book has much to offer in the way of wrestling and grappling techniques.
The instruction is sound and the variety of maneuvers is impressive.
143. Valentine, Eric. Rapiers: An Illustrated Reference Guide to the Rapiers

of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, and their Companions.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1968. **R**
No ISBN available. Mr. Valentine, collector extraordinaire of rapiers, offers a

monograph with 42 photographs of the "espada ropera," or what the English
anglicized into "the rapier." The text will be of use to the fight director, director,
actor, and drarnaturg for its introductory chapter on the history of the rapier.
However, it is the swordsmith interested in creating rapiers, daggers, and estocs
for the stage and screen who will most benefit from this small publication. The
text is 74 pages in length, offers 58 black and white photographs of rapiers,
daggers, gauntlets, and pommels. It also offers 4 appendices and a bibliography.
Although compiled for the collector of cut and thrust weapons, the photographs
(black and white) are formated in a relatively "close-up" point of view, offering
a great deal of detail for the swordrnaker. Table of Contents:
Plate 1. Spanish Cup-hilt rapier

Introduction
The Rapier
History
Plate 2. How the rapier was worn
The Estoc-Development of the Rapier-The Rapier Hilt-The Rapier
Blade-Authentication and Renovation-Cleaning and Preservation-
Collecting Rapiers
Plate 3. Parts of a rapier
Plate 4. Cup-hilt rapier dissembled
Plates 5-6. Estocs
Books 185
Plates 7-42. Rapier hilts; swept, ring, ring and plate; cup, dish, shell and allied
hilts.
Plates 43-52. Left-hand daggers
Plate 53. Hilt parts, left-hand dagger and scabbard
Plate 54. Dueling gauntlet
Plates 55-58. Pommels
Appendices:
1. Weights of various types of rapiers
2. Swordsmiths
3. Bibliography
4. List of Museums
The list of acknowledgements reads like a veritable "Who's Who" of arms

collections: the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Armouries of the Tower of
London, the Wallace Collection, the Art Gallery and Museum of Glasgow, and
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Valentine has received access to an
impressive array of weapons for his photographs. He has also shot them isn
such detail taht those interested in creating historically accurate weapons for the
stage and screen cannot but benefit from his efforts.
144. von Volborth, Carl-Alexander. Heraldry: Customs, Rules and Styles.

Poole, Dorset, England: Blandford Press, 1981. **M**
ISBN: 0-7137-0940-5. Mr. von Vo1borth has produced a copiously illustrated

text of most use to armorers, costumers, directors, and fight directors. The text
is 229 pages in length, offers over 1,100 black and white illustrations, 151 color
illustrations, an index, and a bibliography. This book will be most valued for its
hundreds of illustrations of various coats-of-arms. According to the inside of
the front cover:
Heraldry-Customs, Rules and Styles is a lavishly illustrated and extensively

researched study of the complex rules and customs governing the international
subject ofheraldry...Beginning his study with a concise historical analysis of the
reasons for heraldry, the author then gives a clear explanation of the general
rules-outlining the historical development and present importance of such
matters as the type and position of helm, the use of supporters and the shape and
colours of the shield.
Volborth discusses Differencing and Cadency, and Marshalling of Arms, and

then moves on to a country by country guide to those customs, rules and styles
which govern the heraldry of individual groups from artisans to kings. Table of
Contents:
Introduction
An Imaginary Achievement of Arms
Introduction in Pictures
Tinctures-Furs
The Shield
Various Forms of Shield-Divisions and Lines of Partition-Partition and
Border Lines; Fields-Ordinaries and Subordinaries-The Cross
Charges
Human Beings-Parts of the Human Body-Divine Beings, Saints,
Religious Symbolism-The Lion-Other Beasts-Fish-The Eagle and the
Falcon-Other Birds-The Fabulous Creatures of Heraldry-Sun, Moon,
and Stars-Flowers, Trees, Plants, and Leaves-Towers, Castles, and Other
Buildings-Ships and Anchors-Weapons.
The Helm, Crest, and Mantling
Blazon
Supporters
Augmentations
Differencing and Cadency
Differencing in the Shield and Crest-Heraldry and Various Nations
Marshalling of Arms
Burgher-Arms
Gentry, Untitled Continental Nobility, Knights, and Baronets
Titled Nobility
Princes, Dukes, Kings and Emperors
Corporate Arms
Religious Orders of Chivalry
Heraldry in the Roman Catholic Church
Heraldry in the Church of England
Badges
The reader can see that the scope of the text is quite broad, and many of the
accompanying illustrations are rendered with great detail.
145. Vuksic, V. and Z. Grbasic. Cavalry: The History of A Fighting Elite.

Translated by Srdjan Vujica. London: Cassell Books, 1993.
**B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-304-34041-3. Vuksic and Grbasic, both Croatians living in Zagreb,

offer this lavishly illustrated survey of the cavalryman from the end of the
Neolithic period through 1914. This book will be of interest to the fight
director, director, weaponsmaker, and dramaturg. It will probably be of most
interest and use to the costume designer. The text is 240 pages in length, offers
100 color illustrated plates, 31 line drawings of cavalrymen from various periods
and nationalities throughout the centuries, a list of color plates, and an index.
Cavalry describes the history of the soldier on horseback, from the early horse
archers of the Middle East to the Italian mounted crossbowmen of the fifteenth
century, and from the sixteenth century Muscovite boyars to the 7th U.S.
Cavalry. An introductory account of the development of cavalry covers the
history of its organization and tactics in different forces throughout the world.
Books 187
The illustrations in Cavalry are the focal point of this text, and truly exceptional
artwork it is. The color plates in this text are of a quality similar to that which
appears in the Osprey Men-At-Arms series. In most of these plates the
cavalryman appears in full regalia, brandishing weapons, and seated on his
faithful equine companion. This study is about the cavalryman's horse as much
as it is about the soldier who sat atop. Table of Contents:
List of Color Plates

Introduction
Cavalry: History, Tactics and Organization Dominance of the Infantry, 1000
B.C.-A.D. 450
Assyrians-Persians-Graeco-Macedonians-Carthaginians-Roman
Empire
Cavalry Ascendancy, A.D. 450-1500
Parthians and Sassanids-Goths-Turanian Nomads-Byzantine Empire-
Arabians-Feudal Cavalry-Mongols-Ottoman Empire
Mounted Firearms, 1500-1650
Renaissance of the Cold Steel Strike, 1650-1800
The "Modem" Age, 1800-1900
Epilogue
Color Plates
The color plates are the work of both Vuksic and Grbasic. The introductory
portion of the text, a brief survey of the evolution of the cavalry, offers thirty-
one line drawn illustrations. Each of the one hundred color plates is preceded by
a page of historical data including nationality, inclusive dates, major political
figures and forces at work during the period, major campaigns, description of
uniforms; and innovations in armor, uniforms, weapons, and accoutrements for
horse and soldier. Costumers will find the plates of high quality, offering detail
which is rare indeed, especially when compared to similar publications. List of
the warriors appearing on the color plates:
1. Assyrian Horse Archer-seventh century B.C.

2. Phrygian Heavy Cavalryman-fifth century B.C.
3. Persian Extra-heavy Cavalryman-fourth century B.C.
4. Scythian Horse Archer-fourth century B.c.
5. Macedonian Companion (Heteroi) Cavalryman-c. 330 B.c.
6. Numidian Light Cavalryman-third century B.C.
7. Roman Heavy Cavalryman-first century A.D.
8. Sassanid Cataphract-third century
9. Goth Heavy Cavalryman-end of the fourth century
10. Hun Horse Archer-fifth century
11. Avar-seventh century
12. Carolingian Scola Heavy Cavalryman-ninth century
13. Byzantine Klibanophoros-tenth century
14. Arab (Anda1usian) Light Horseman-tenth century
15. Norman Knight-eleventh century
16. Knight-twelfth century

17. Saljuq (Turcoman)-thirteenth century
18. Knight Hospitaller-thirteenth century
19. Mameluke Armoured Cavalryman-thirteenth century
20. Mongol Warrior-thirteenth century
21 . Russian Druzynik-thirteenth century
22. French Knight-1370 AD.
23 . Destrier-fourteenth century
24. Sergeant-fourteenth century
25. Mercenary in Service of Condottieri- mid-fifteenth century
26. Burgundian Mounted Archer-c. 1475 A.D.
27. Knight in "Gothic" Armour-end of the fifteenth century
28. Knight in "Maximilian" Armour- beginning of sixteenth century
29. Herald-first half of sixteenth century
30. Knight in Tournament Armour-beginning of sixteenth century
31. Spanish Ginete-beginning of sixteenth century
32. German Reiter-mid-sixteenth century
33. Mounted Arquebusier-sixteenth century
34. English Demi-lancer- c. 1550 A.D.
35 . Hungarian Hussar-fifteenth-sixteenth century
36. Stradiotti Light Cavalryman- sixteenth century
37. Parade Armour-c. 1560 AD.
38. Turkish Sipahi- fifteenth-sixteenth century
39. Mounted Samurai-sixteenth century
40. Muscovite Boyar-late sixteenth century
41. Wallachian Cavalryman-c. 1575 A.D.
42. Imperialist Cuirassier-c. 1630 AD.
43. Dragoon-c. 1630 AD.
44. Croat-1630 A.D.
45. Swedish Medium Cavalryman- l 632 A.D.
46. Royalist (Cavalier)- 1642 A.D.
47. Ironside (Roundhead)-1645 AD.
48. French Mounted Musketeer-1660 A.D.
49. Polish Winged Hussar-second half of seventeenth century
50. Polish Pancerni-seventeenth century
51. Master of the Horse-c. 1660 AD.
52. Turkish Faris Bajrektar- end of seventeenth century
53. French Line Trooper-1690 AD.
54. Officer, Royal British Dragoons-1685 AD.
55. Austrian Hussar-1688 AD.
56. Iranian Lancer-eighteenth century
57. Mounted Granadier-1705 AD.
58. Bavarian Prince Philip Carabinier-1704 AD.
59. Swedish Trabant-1709 AD.
60. Russian Dragoon-1709 AD.
61. English Guard Trooper- beginning of eighteenth century
62. Cruiassier- 1710 A.D.
Books 189
63. Saxon Dragoon Drurnrner-1735 A.D.

64. French Gendarme-c. 1750 A.D.
65. Prussian Cuirassier-1756 A.D.
66. Prussian Bosniak Lancer-1760 A.D.
67. Sweedish Hussar-1761 A.D.
68. Tarleton's Light Dragoon-1780 A.D.
69. American Continental Dragoon-I778 A.D.
70. Prussian Porzellan Dragoon-1806 A.D.
71. Polish National Cavalryman-l 794 A.D .
72. Russian Chevaliers-Gardes Trumpeter-1800 A.D.
73. French Grenadier a' Cheval-1807 A.D.
74. Austrian Uhlan-1809 A.D.
75. Brunswick "Black" Hussar-1809 A.D.
76. Hanover Dragoon-1809 A.D.
77. Saxon Garde du Corps-1812 A.D.
78. Colonel of French 7th Hussars-1813 A.D.
79. Nizza Cavalryman- 1848 A.D.
80. Officer of 2nd U.S. Dragoons-1848 A.D.
81. Mexican Lancer-1848 A.D.
82. Dragoon of Scots Greys-l 854 A.D.
83. Texas Ranger-1861 A.D.
84. Hussar, 1st U.S. Hussars- 1864 A.D.
85 . French Chasseur d'Afrique-1864 A.D.
86. Hussar of Austrian Legion, Mexico-1865 A.D.
87. Cossack Trumpeter-end of nineteenth century
88. Prussian Cuirassier-1871 A.D.
89. 7th U.S. Cavalryman- l 876 A.D.
90. Nez Perce Indian Warrior- 1877 A.D.
91. British 21st Lancer-1898 A.D.
92. Boer cornrnando-1900 A.D.
93 . British Yeoman- 1900 A.D .
94. Turkish Nizam Cavalryman-end of nineteenth century
95. Canadian Mounted Policeman-early twentieth century
96. U.S. Cavalryman-c. 1912 A.D.
97. Bengal Lancer-1914 A.D .
98. Arab Warrior-1914 A.D.
99. Austro-Hungarian Dragoon Officer-1914 A.D.
100. Russian Cavalryman-1914 A.D.
It is rare for a live horse to appear on the legitimate stage. However, they do
appear with relative frequency in film. Whether the research is for stage or
cinema, the beautiful color plates in Cavalry will be a significant aid in
designing and accessorizing various cavalry uniforms and horse harnesses for
several historical periods.
146. Wagner, Eduard. Cut and Thrust Weapons. Translation by Jean

Layton. London: Spring Books, 1967. **1, D, V, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN avaiable. Drawing considerably on illustrations and narratives from

antique European sources such as Talhoffer's Fechtbuch, Knaur's
Weltgeschichte, and Hergsell's Fechtkunst, Mr. Wagner weaves a colorful and
interesting fabric of anecdote and history. Of particular interest to fight
directors, directors, and actors will be Wagner's chapter on the duel. In it
Wagner offers us narratives on several duels and a clear discussion on
eighteenth and early nineteenth century etiquette when dueling with the blade.
Those looking to reproduce period weaponry will value the clarity of the
illustrations. Included in the book's 491 pages are 160 line drawn illustrations,
and 250 black and white and color plates of weapons. As stated in the foreword,
Eduard Wagner, an expert on the subject [of cut and thrust weapons] at the
Prague Museum of Military History, offers this survey of "cold weapons;
weapons of cut and thrust propelled by the human arm." Although Mr. Wagner
tells us in his preface that "the main emphasis is laid on weapons of the
eighteenth century and later," it is clear that there is much information in his
book that stretches considerably further, even as far as medieval Europe and the
end of the Roman Empire. Table of Contents:
1. Various Kinds of Cut and Thrust Weapons

2. The Protection and Wearing of Cut and Thrust Weapons
3. Wielding of Cut and Thrust Weapons
4. The Duel
5. The Use of the Weapons in Military Combat
6. Amulets-the Exorcizing and Charming of Weapons
7. Technique and Training in the Use of Cutting Weapons 8. The Cut and
Thrust Weapon as a Museum Piece
All of the above falls under the general heading of "Introduction." The second
half of the book is entitled, "The Descriptions of Cut and Thrust Weapons." It is
in this section the reader will find hundreds of color plate drawings of cut and
thrust weapons. Section "A" covers such weapons as swords, rapiers, and
sabres. Section "B" delves into weapons of individual countries such as Great
Britain, Germany, France, Austria, and Russia. Costume designers will also find
some very interesting renderings of military uniforms and apparel for various
periods. Although this rather hefty publication runs 491 pages, only 100 of
those pages could really be considered "text." The remaining pages are devoted
to over 250 color plates and careful descriptions of each weapon that appears on
each plate.
147. Wagner, Eduard. Medieval Costume, Armour and Weapons.

Translated by Jean Layton. London: Paul Hamlyn, 1958. **M**
Books 191
No ISBN available. Mr. Wagner is listed on the title page as having "selected
and illustrated." Mr. Wagner and Jean Layton have also collaborated on another
text entitled Cut and Thrust Weapons. The book will be of use to fight directors,
directors, drarnaturgs, costumers, armorers, weaponsmakers, and actor-
combatants. The textual portion of the book is 72 pages in length. The
remainder of the book offers 378 pages of color and black and white
illustrations. Mr. Wagner and his collaborators have put together a very
informative book which includes hundreds of illustrations of military dress,
civilian dress, headgear, armor, cut and thrust weapons, bludgeoning weapons,
various bows, shields, footgear, saddles, wagons, banners, flags, artillery,
firearms, and catapults. These illustrations do not offer great detail; still, there
is more than enough information for the costumer designer, the weaponsmaker,
and the armorer engaged in re-creating items for the stage and screen. Table of
Contents:
Introduction
Bohemian Costume from 1350 to 1450
Battle Equipment:
Armour
Helmets
Shields
Cut and Thrust and Haft Weapons
Projectile Weapons and Siege Machines
Firearms
Flags and Banners
The Horse's Harness and Bardings
Wagons
List of Sources and Bibliography
The Plates
The first 72 pages of the book offer essays which will be of interest to the fight
director, the director, the dramaturg, and the weaponsmaker. This is a very
comprehensive work which serves as a survey. It tends to sacrifice detail in
favor of scope. This is a very informative and useful resource, especially for
costumers.
148. Walker, Donald. Defensive Exercises; Comprising Wrestling, Boxing,

Defence Against Brute Force, By Various Means; Fencing and Broad Sword,
with Simpler Methods; The Gun, and its Exercise; The Rifle, and its Exercise.
London: Thomas Hurst, 1840. **H, U, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. This book is on microfilm and can be borrowed from

Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine, 04011. Mr. Walker offers basic
principles and techniques (circa 1840) for several defensive art forms, including
wrestling, boxing, fencing with the foil, and fencing with the broadsword
(cavalry sabre). This book will be of aid to fight directors, instructors of stage
combat, and actor-combatants. The text is 203 pages in length and offers 100
line drawn illustrations. This is one of those wonderful "gems" which gives the
reader an intimate look at pedagogy, principles, and technique for several forms
of personal defense as advocated in the middle of the nineteenth century. In
many instances experts have refined so many of the techniques we take for
granted in such sports as fencing, boxing, and wrestling, that they are now only
slightly reminiscent of their sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth century
predecessors. It is interesting to study earlier incarnations of modem techniques
and this publication offers an excellent opportunity to do so. This publication is
somewhat ambiguous as to its philosophical base, in that the tone of the book is
never quite clear as to whether we are discussing physical education or serious
self-defense. In either case, virtually all of the techniques will need to be safely
adjusted for the stage. Table of Contents:
Measures of Force
Wrestling:
Cumberland and Westmoreland Style
Cornish and Devonshire Style
Boxing
Simpler Methods of Boxing
Methods of Defense Against Brute Force
Fencing
Broad Sword
Simpler Method of Broad Sword
The Quintain
Throwing
The Gun, and its Exercise
The Rifle, and its Exercise
Appendix: Sketch of the Modem Systems of War
Mr. Walker begins with wrestling and examines some of the wrestling styles
indigenous to England, such as Cumberland, Westmoreland, Cornish, and
Devonshire Styles, the Devonshire style being singled out for note due to its
allowance for kicking. The chapter on boxing examines such topics as the
utility of boxing, physical qualities of boxing, positions of the body, modes of
striking, the most effective blows, guarding, and closing. There is also a section
which examines the use of that Irish utilitarian weapon known as the shilelah
(cudgeVstick), and the English single-stick. The section on foil fencing is
interesting for its nineteenth century terminology and some antiquated
techniques which are generally no longer taught in the modem salle des armes,
techniques such as the "allonge in quarte" (high septime) and "point volante" (a
very vertical tierce with the hilt shoulder high). The section on broadsword
technique is entirely in line with the manual published in 1796 by the Adjutant
General's office for standardizing the teaching of sabre technique to His
Majesty's cavalry forces.
Books 193
149. Warry, John. Alexander 334-323 B.G.: Conquest of the Persian

Empire. Campaign Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1991. **B,
1**
ISBN: 0-85532-110-6. Mr. Warry follows several campaigns of Alexander the

Great as he solidifies Greece under Macedonian rule and expands eastward into
Persia. This work will be useful to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs,
and white photographs, 50 line drawn illustrations, 21 maps, and 9 color plates
(illustrations). Mr. Warry offers a detailed examination of the political and
military reasons which led Philip of Macedonia to build an army and attempt to
pacify Greece under Macedonian rule. This is the same army which was later to
be inherited by Philip's son, Alexander. Under Alexander's inspired command,
the Macedonian army was destined to push deeply into Persia and the Middle
East. Table of Contents:
Persia, Greece and Macedon

The Rise of Macedon-Alexander in Charge
Armies and Commanders
Men and Weapons-War Aims and Strategies
The Battle of the Granicus
Alexander's Tactics- The First Victory
After Granicus
The Battle of Issus
March and Counter-March-Face to Face-The Tides of Battle
After Issus
The Siege ofTyre
Naval Operations-The Breaching of the Wall-Egyptian Interlude
The Battle of Gaugamela
The Advance to Gaugamela-Into Battle-Ultimate Victory
The Bactrian Years
The Battle of Hydaspes
Night Operations-The Indian Reaction-The Defeat at Porus
Back to Babylon
After Alexander
Glossary
The Battlefields Today
Chronology
Wargaming Alexander's Battles
The narrative is of the fine quality this series is known for. One high quality
color plate offers two Scythian cavalrymen on horseback as examples of the
formidable enemy Alexander faced in the regions of the Black Sea. The rest of
the color plates appear to have been rendered with color pencil, as opposed to
water color. The color and the detail of these illustrations, though adequate, do
not quite rank with those which appear in other entries in the Osprey Men-at-
Arms Series. The detailed narratives of various battles and personal combats,
including an instance in which Alexander did battle with two brothers and
defeated them, is quite interesting. Weaponsmakers will not find many
illustrations of weapons in this entry. There are, however, several illustrations
featuring siege machinery.
150. Wilcox, Peter and G. A. Embleton. Rome's Enemies (1): Germanics

and Dacians. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1982.
**B,I**
ISBN: 0-85045-473-5. Mr. Wilcox pens the text while Mr. Embleton produces
the color plates of various Germanic and Roman warriors from the seventh
century B.C. through the fall of the Roman Empire. The text will be very useful
to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs, actors, costumers, and weaponsmakers.
The book is a brief but dense 40 pages in length, offers 7 black and white
photographs, 33 line drawn illustrations, 4 maps, 8 color plates (illustrations),
and a bibliography. A publication which takes as its focus the barbarian tribes
centered to the north of the Alps and stretching through what we now refer to as
Germany and France. Many of these tribes had mixed with the Celts, but this
publication tends to center more on tribes of Teutonic origins. List of section
titles:
Chronology
Introduction
The Warrior
Of the Warrior
Weapons
Celtic: Halstatt Culture: 7th century B.C.-Celtic: Late Halstatt: early 5th
century B.C.-Celtic: First La Tene Culture: 5th century B.C.-Celtic:
Second La Tene Phase: 3rd to 2nd century B.C.-Roman Period: 1st
century A.D.-Roman Period: 2nd century A.D.-Roman Period: 3rd
century A.D.-Roman Period: 4th century A.D.-Bows-Early Swords-
Swords of the Heroic Period-Dacian Arms and Armour
Warfare
Thracians-Samaritans-The Marcomannic Wars-The Goths-Angles,
Saxons, and Jutes-The Empire of Attila-De-Germanising the Eastern
Army
The Plates (illustrations of various Germanic and Roman warriors)
Mr. Embleton offers renditions of Germanic, Dacian, Marcomanni, Quadi,

Gothic, Frankish, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic soldiers of Rome. This particular
entry is light on photographs of weapons, but heavy with line drawn illustrations
of warriors. The text relies heavily on the writings of several ancient historians
including Tacitus, Plutarch, Agathius, and Orosius. Peter Wilcox, in association
with illustrator Angus McBride, penned the text for an additional Osprey entry
entitled Rome's Enemies (2): Gallic and British Celts.
Books 195
151. Wilkinson, Frederick. Arms and Armour. New York: The Hamlyn
Publishing Group Limited, 1978. **S, B, I, D, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-600-30359-4. Well-known weapons authority, Frederick Wilkinson,

offers a survey of arms and armor from the Stone Age through the twentieth
century. The book will be of use to fight directors, directors, dramaturgs,
armorers, weaponsmakers, costumers, and actor-combatants. The text is 156
pages in length, offers 80 color and 140 black and white illustrations, a
bibliography, and an index.This book traces the development of weapons from
the earliest stone hand-axes to the sophisticated automatic weapons of today. It
also tells the story of armor, which Mr. Wilkinson-in his introduction-
informs uS,"began as a simple wooden shield covered with animal skin, and
reached its zenith with the fifteenth century knight who was totally encased in
steel..." Table of Contents:
The First Weapons

The Ancient World
The Dark Ages
The Early Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages
The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
The Nineteenth Century
The Twentieth Century
The Third World
Wilkinson systematically examines the development of arms and armor in each

of the several major periods he covers, and then discusses the impact
technological developments had on warfare and hand to hand combat. The book
offers dozens of representations of battle from both modem and antique art
sources. Weaponsmakers will especially appreciate the photographs of extant
antiuqe weapons.
152. Wilkinson, Frederick. Swords and Daggers. Bungay, Suffolk,

England: Ward Lock Limited, 1972. **B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Swordmakers who are attempting to create historically

accurate weapons for the stage and screen will find this an excellent resource as
the nearly 200 photographs should give tremendous insight into all types of cut
and thrust swords and daggers, with special photographic emphasis on the hilts
of the various weapons exhibited. The book is 256 pages in length with 1 color
photograph (frontispiece), 187 black and white photographs, 7 line drawings
(including 3 diagrams). Several periods, types, styles, and nationalities are
represented in this photographic section of the book. Included are photographs
of such weapons as pole-arms, rapiers (including swept-hilt, cup-hilt and
combination swept-hilt/cup rapiers (sometimes known as "Pappenheimer"

rapiers), broadswords, axes, war-hammers, two-handed swords, falchions,
combination cane-sword/pistols, transition rapiers, basket-hilted broadswords,
cavalry sabres, several small-swords, schivonas, hunting swords, walking-
swords, combination pistol-swords, a staggering variety of oriental edged
weapons (from throughout the Orient), and various parrying and stabbing
daggers from throughout the centuries. An excellent resource for anyone
interested in a detailed look at swords and daggers, both Western and oriental,
throughout the centuries. Table of Contents:
PART I.-THE TEXT

Chapter 1: The Story of Edged Weapons
Chapter 2: Oriental Weapons
Chapter 3: Techniques of the Swordsmith
Chapter 4: Collectors and Collecting
Chapter 5: Display and Care
Chapter 6: Books and Collections
PART II-THE PHOTOGRAPHS
Chapter 1: European Weapons
Chapter 2: Oriental Weapons
The text begins with a brief look at the evolution of the "edged" weapon and the
difference between the cut and the thrust. This section begins as early as 3000
B.C. and takes us through the Greek and Roman period into the Saxon and
Viking period, the Norman period, the Middle Ages, the fifteenth, sixteenth,
seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries and even includes twentieth century
entries such as daggers of the Nazi S.S., Hitler's elite corps that wore replicas of
what is usually recognized as the Holbein dagger. This book is about pictures-
194 of them. Wilkinson offers a little historical context but then moves quickly
forward to other topics of concern to the collector, such as how various blades
are made; what the collector needs to know; what the collector needs to beware
of; how to display weapons to their full advantage; and how to care for the
weapons once they have been acquired. Wilkinson also provides a bibliographic
section (current to 1972):
Books Devoted Entirely To Edged Weapons (including out of print or otherwise

difficult to obtain books)
Books Containing Substantial References To Edged Weapons (also including
out of print or otherwise difficult to obtain books)
Periodicals Devoted to Edged Weapons
Periodicals Containing Occasional Relevant Articles (U.S.A. , Canada, Denmark,
Germany, Italy, Sweden, andSwitzerland
Collections Of Edged Weapons (U.K., Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden,
and the United States)
Books 197
153. Wilkinson-Latham, Robert. Phaidon Guide to Antique Weapons and

Armour. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1981.
**M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-13-661935-5. Mr. Wilkinson-Latham offers a guide to personal armor

and weapons of Europe and North America since postclassical times and
provides an historical overview as an aid to identification. The book will be
quite useful to fight directors, directors, drarnaturgs, weaponsmakers, armorers,
and actor-combatants. The text is 256 pages in length offers over 600 black and
white and color illustrations, a bibliography, and an index. All of the
illustrations were commissioned for the book and were executed by Malcolm
McGregor, Peter Sarson, and Tony Bryan. The categories of swords discussed
include medieval, rapiers, court and hunting, basket hilts, seventeenth century
military, eighteenth century infantry, light cavalry, heavy cavalry, later cavalry
swords, swords of other corps, fine or presentation military swords, naval, and
unusual swords. The wide ranging categorization of swords featured above is
equally applicable to Mr. Wilkinson-Latham's analysis of other weapons and
armor. The decorative aspects of weapons and armor are discussed along with
construction methods, materials, and utility. Table of Contents:
Armour
Staff Weapons
Swords, Daggers and Bayonets
Bows
Firearms
There is an excellent introductory section to the text which discusses the

symbiotic relationship between developments in arms and armor and fighting
technique. Each section of the text is prefaced by drawings which define
technical terms. There are no actual photographs of extant weapons and armor.
154. Wilkinson-Latham, Robert. Swords in Color. New York: Arco

Publishing Co., 1978. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 0-668-04475-6 (cloth), 0-668-04486-1 (paper). Mr. Wilkinson-Latham

has produced a text that will be of most aid to swordmakers involved in
reproducing the weapons of antiquity for stage and film, but the publication will
be of use to fight directors as well. Included is an index and a list of edged
weapons collections. The author begins, quite literally, in the beginning-the
Primitive period. He discusses early cut and thrust weapons utilized by ancient
man. He then moves into equally informative explorations of the Bronze and
Iron Ages, discussing metallurgy, various alloys developed, and smithing
practices of the era. He then provides the same examination of the Middle Ages,
the Renaissance, and the eighteenth century. All of the discussions are primarily
centered on the weapons of the age-as opposed to the way in which they were
used. The fight director will enjoy the overall discussion of the development of
the sword through the ages. The 145 plates (color illustrations and photographs)
are the highlight of the text. Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction and Early History

Chapter 2: The Military Sword
Britain, France, Belgium, and Netherlands-Prussia, Germany, and
Austria-Russia and Asia-Siam, China, and Japan-India-Denmark,
Sweden, and Norway-United States-and South America
Chapter 3: Scottish Weapons
Chapter 4: Staff Weapons and Lances
Chapter 5: Dirks, Knives, and Daggers
Chapter 6: Bayonets
Chapter 7: Native Weapons
Included is a section that gives descriptions of each plate. The photographs in

this publication are of such quality that they are well worth the time it takes to
read each plate's description.
155. Wilson, Jim and Paul Evans. Commando Fighting Techniques.

Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1983. **H, U**
ISBN: 0-901764-56-6. Wilson and Evans offer dozens of unarmed techniques

for dealing with armed and unarmed assailants. The text will be of most use to
fight directors and instructors involved in staging or teaching unarmed stage
combat techniques. The text is 144 pages in length and offers over 600
photographs of techniques in various stages of development. There are dozens
of techniques contained in the pages of this book useful to the fight director.
However, the fight director will need to carefully select only those moves which
can be safely re-created for stage and screen. Table of Contents:
Introduction: Basic Ideas Using the Body as a Weapon: Essential Elements

Chapter One: Tactics
Chapter Two: Techniques and Targets
Chapter Three: Blocks and Counters
Chapter Four: Chokes and Strangles
Chapter Five: Locks and Throws
Chapter Six: Throws and Sweeps
Chapter Seven: Ground Techniques
Chapter Eight: Breakaways and Releases
Chapter Nine: Weapon Defenses
The focal point of the text is unarmed combat. However, there are some very
interesting and useful techniques offered for disarming the assailant armed with
gun, knife, or cudgel. Many of the techniques offered can be traced to an Asian
martial arts source, but there is nothing particularly "oriental" in these
techniques.
Books 199
156. Wilson, John Lyde. The Code of Honor: or Rules for the Government
ofPrincipals and Seconds in Duelling. Charleston, So. Car.: James Phinney,
1858; (reprinted by Continental Book Company, Kennesaw, Georgia, 1959).
**E**
No ISBN available. Mr. Wilson offers to clarify the Code of Honor and the
rules which should govern the behavior of seconds and principals during the
period before, during, and after the insult, challenge, and duel. This is a very
informative primary resource and will be useful to the fight director, director,
actor, and dramaturg. Every serious fight director should, if possible, strive to
obtain a copy. The text is a brief 46 pages in length and offers 2 appendices.
Although this little book was published in the United States in 1858, it is
teeming with the Code Duello and the spirit of the duel. Most of the references
are to pistol dueling, however, the punctilio--the insult, the ways in which an
insult may be withdrawn or amended, the sending and receiving of the
challenge; the choosing of the time, place, and weapons, and the deportment of
the seconds and principals during all of the above are firmly rooted in the
traditions of the eighteenth century duel. As in The British Code of Duel, the
author is careful to make his stance clear on dueling; it is to be the final resort of
the gentleman for whom the law and courts offer no solace or redress. We often
think of the duel as being an institution peculiar to Europe, but this assumption
is far from accurate. Many duels were fought on the North American continent
(the researcher interested in dueling in the antebellum South might enjoy the
anecdotal stories contained in H. T. Kane's Gentleman, Swords, and Pistols).
But Mr. Wilson makes it very clear that dueling was, at the time of printing,
flourishing here in the States. Table of Contents:
To the Public (Preface)

Chapter I: The Person Insulted, Before Challenge Sent.
Second's Duty Before Challenge Sent.
Chapter II: The Party Receiving a Note Before Challenge.
Second's Duty of the Party Receiving a Note Before Challenge
Sent.
Chapter III: Duty ofChallengee and His Second Before Fighting
Chapter IV: Duty ofChallengee and Second After Challenge Sent.
Chapter V: Duty of Principals and Seconds on the Ground.
Chapter VI: Who Should Be on the Ground.
Chapter VII: Arms, and Manner of Loading and Presenting Them.
Chapter VIII: The Degrees oflnsult, and How Compromised.
Appendix
Additional Galway Articles
This book is relatively succinct in its presentation of the "code of conduct, " or
the "rules" of gentlemanly behavior. The author wants nothing left ambiguous
which might lead to a duel not clearly sanctioned by the Code of Honor. An
excellent dividend is the appendix, a reprint of the Irish Code of Honor (circa
1777), arrived at "Clonmell summer assizes, 1777, by the gentlemen delegates
of Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, and Roscommon, and prescribed for general
adoption throughout Ireland." These rules are definitely a product of the
eighteenth century and make reference to "unpremeditated rencontres with the
small-sword or couteau-de-chasse" (hunting sword). This informative pamphlet
is a fine addition to any library on personal combat and the duel.
157. Wise, Arthur. The Art and History of Personal Combat. Greenwich,
Conn.: Arma Press, New York Graphic Society Ltd., 1971.
**S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
ISBN: 8212-0445-9, LCCN: 70-179957. This is a book that any serious student
of personal combat should read. The theatre professional will likewise find a
great deal of practical use in Wise's book. Wise draws from various primary
resources to give the reader a strong sense of each master's style and
contribution to the advancement of the art form and the illustrations, taken from
the original publications, speak volumes in and of themselves. Wise packs a
great deal of information into his 256 pages. He includes a bibliography, an
index, 9 color photographic plates, 49 black and white photographs, and 457
black and white illustrations. To quote Society of American Fight Directors
Fight Master, J. Allen Suddeth, "If you could only own one book in your library
on personal combat-this should be the one." Choreographers will enjoy the
hundreds of period poses offered in the illustrations, directors and actors will
enjoy reading about the social mores and dueling etiquette at work in the various
epochs discussed, and costume designers can study the various types of apparel
worn in personal combat. There is a smattering of photographs of period
weaponry, but these are disappointingly few and though the scope of the
discussion includes many types of weapons, the photographs are fairly limited to
swords and daggers. The swordmaker will see literally hundreds of swords
being used in action, but these are in illustrations taken from the publications of
Marozzo, Agrippa, Capo Ferro, Angelo, et aI., and are significantly limited in
their detail. Mr. Wise begins this meticulous study with the biblical episode in
Genesis where Cain slays his brother. He then works through Troy, Greece,
Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Age of
Enlightenment; and he does not conclude his survey until he discusses the
fighter pilot and his plane as a weapon. Table of Contents:
Chapter One: In the Beginning; Early Attitudes

Chapter Two; The Individualists
Chapter Three: The Ascendancy of the Sword
Chapter Four: Cut or Thrust?
Chapter Five: The Supremacy of the Point
Chapter Six: Transition
Chapter Seven; The Perfection of Theory and Practice
Chapter Eight: The Decline of the Sword
Chapter Nine: Gun Fighters
Chapter Ten: Other Ways to Kill A Man
Books 201
Wise discusses a staggering number of the weapons humankind has developed

throughout the centuries utilized in personal combat. Wise's book has several
hundreds of reproductions of illustrations that appeared originally in such
publications as Lebkommer's Der Allten Fechter, Marozzo's Opera Nova,
Agrippa's Trattato di Scienza d'Arme, Alfieri's La Scherma, Angelo's L'Ecole
Des Armes, Capo Ferro's Gran Simulacro dell'Arte Uso Schermo, Farbris' Sienz
e Practica d'Arme, Hergsell's Die Fechtkunst and Duell-Codex, as well as
dozens of other antique publications on the art and science of swordplay. The
Art and History of Personal Combat is devoted to the sword and its use in the
fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries. Wise also examines the decline of the
sword
and its replacement by the pistol in matters of honor in the nineteenth century.
158. Wise, Arthur. Weapons in the Theatre. London: Longman's, Green

and Co. Ltd., 1968. **B, I, D, M, V, R, T, E**
No ISBN available. Weapons in the Theatre certainly has much to offer the
practitioner interested in which weapons were used in various periods, how they
were used, and how one can integrate fact with fiction to create a fight for the
stage. The text is 139 pages in length and includes 16 line drawn illustrations, 8
black and white photographs of various swords, an index, and a bibliography.
Mr. Wise usually begins his examination of each historical period with a
discussion of the weapons used during that period. He then narrates one, two, or
in some cases, three fictitious fights that are an attempt to re-create a combat of
the period. He then gives an example of how the information we have available
can be coupled with imagination and technique to create a fight for the stage.
Mr. Wise presents the argument for historical accuracy side by side with that for
"theatrical fitness" and then argues very persuasively in favor of theatrical
fitness. He also delves into the Elizabethan psyche and discusses the
Elizabethans' preoccupation with the then current controversy raging over the
efficacy of the thrust versus the cut. His discussion about cutting the fights from
such Shakespearean classics as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet is quite
humorous. He then explores the more practical aspects of combat for the stage,
such as: target areas, attacks, guards, thrusts, cuts, punches, trips, feints, throws,
etc. Table of Contents:
1. The Perennial Complaint (Historical Accuracy vs. Theatrical

Appropriateness)
2. The Sheer Mechanics
3. The Possibilities of Violence
4. The Fight in the Theatre
5. Greece and Rome
6. Huns, Goths, Vikings, and Normans
7. Chinks in the Armor: Sen1ac to Bosworth
8. The Age of Elizabeth
9. The Age of Transition: The Seventeenth Century

10. Styled Expediency: The Eighteenth Century
If one takes the time to become intimately acquainted with Mr. Wise's system of
fight notation one may visualize and enjoy Mr. Wise's choreography for such
fights as might be found in Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Richard III, Hamlet, Romeo
and Juliet, Cyrano de Bergerac, and The Beaux Strategem. If one does not learn
Mr. Wise's notation, these sections of his book become somewhat problematic.
159. Wise, Terence and Richard Hook. Armies of the Carthaginian Wars
265-146 R.C. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1982.
**1**
ISBN: 0-85045-430-1. This particular entry takes as its focus the Phoenicians
and the forces which allied with them during the Punic Wars with Rome. The
book will be of most use to the fight director, the director, the dramaturg, the
costumer, and the weaponsmaker. The text is 40 pages in length, offers 29 black
and white photographs, 11 line drawn illustrations, 8 color plates (illustrations),
a chronology, and a list of sources. A very concise piece of scholarship coupled
with ample photographs and detailed color illustrations. The text begins with a
discussion on the origins of Carthage, what peoples made up its armies, and how
those armies were raised and financed. List of section titles:
Chronology
The Carthaginians
The Carthaginians and Liby-Phoenicians-The Numidians-The Celts-
The Spanish Troops-Italian Allies-Greek and Macedonian Troops
The Romans
The section entitled The Carthaginians explores several of the allied troops
either bought (mercenaries) by the Carthaginians, or levied from their domains.
The section on the Romans offers a very detailed description of the various
elements which made up Roman legions during the Punic Wars. Mr. Wise
carefully examines the weapons, armor, tactics, and training of both the
Carthaginian and Roman forces. Several photographs of weapons from the
period (including the Spanish antecedent of the falchion called the falcata) are
offered for weaponsmakers to peruse. This is an excellent source for research
on Carthage and Rome. Mr. Wise, in association with illustrator, Angus
McBride, has produced an additional Osprey entry entitled The Conquistadores.
160. Wise, Terence. European Edged Weapons. London: Almark

Publishing Co., Ltd., 1974. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
Books 203
ISBN: 0-85524-149-7 (cloth), 0-85524-150-0 (paper). This book will be very

useful to the fight director, director, actor, weaponsmaker, and dramaturg. The
text is an economical 96 pages, and includes 49 line drawings, 50 black and
white photographs of nearly 200 weapons, a glossary of terms, a list of selected
swordsmiths, and a list of notable collections of arms. Mr. Wise's writing style
is very conversational and manages to effectively convey a great deal of
important information. Mr. Wise, in the Introduction, succinctly defines the
scope of his book:
... while many books tend to concentrate on a limited period of

history, most often from the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries
onwards when edged weapons had reached or were about to reach
the peak of their development, this book endeavors to span the
entire history of edged weapons.
Wise establishes the historical periods and the weapons associated with them
very clearly. He discusses the metals used, smithing techniques, damascening,
hilt construction, weapon dimensions, and how the weapon was used in battle
and duel. Table of Contents:
1. The Evolution of Materials

2. Staff Weapons
3. Daggers and Knives
4. Swords
5. Sword Scabbards and Smiths
6. Bayonets
7. Glossary of Terms
There are two types of illustrations offered. The first are line drawings by Mr.
Wise, which tend to be of weapons from the Stone Age through the Viking Age.
These illustrations are not particularly exciting, but manage to convey the
essence of the weapon. The photographs are sprinkled liberally throughout the
book. These photographs are of weapons from the Bronze Age through the
twentieth century, and are well mounted-though one occasionally wishes they
were larger. Weapons pictured include:
I. Bills-Halberds-Poleaxes-Bronze Swords- Viking

Swords-Roman Swords-Broadswords-Falchions-
Scramasaxes-Rapiers-Small-swords- Baskethilts-and
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Military Weapons
Publications on weapons often ignore detailed discussion on the tactics and

strategy at work when using the weapon in combat- not so in this instance.
161. Wise, Terence and Gerald Embleton. Medieval European Armies.

Men-af-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1975. **M**
ISBN: 0-85045-245-7. Mr. Wise offers the text while Mr. Embleton pens the
illustrations. The book will be of most use to fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, costumers, actors, armorers, and weaponsmakers. The text is 40
pages in length, offers 38 black and white illustrations, 8 color plates
(illustrations), and 2 maps. The book begins by discussing the politically and
sociologically unstable state of Europe circa 1300-1500 then moves on to
discuss the feudal system and how it related to the difficulty of raising a trained
and committed army. List of section titles:
Introduction
Raising a Feudal Army
The Mercenaries
The First National Armies
Organisation
The Cavalry-The Infantry-The Artillery-Movement and Supply
Tactics
The English Longbow-The Swiss Pike-The Hussite Wars-The Condottieri
Mr. Embleton's illustrations offer the fight director, armorer, and costumer a
wealth of information. This particular entry offers several black and white
photographs of halberd heads and cannon. There are also several black and
white illustrations of knights in suits of armor. Mr. Embleton's color
illustrations feature: Walter von Hohenklinger (a German knight from the
fourteenth century), Guidoriccio da Fogliana (Condottiere), Joan of Are, a
spearman, a peasant levy, a crossbowman, a hand-gunner, an English billman,
an English bowman, infantrymen, various gunners, a French man-at-arms, Swiss
pikemen, a Spanish infantryman, various flags and pennants, and an English
archer of the guard. Medieval European Armies serves as an excellent
introduction to weapons, armor, and strategy, and tactics of medieval warfare.
Mr. Wise is a prolific contributor to the Osprey Men-at-Arms Series. In
association with illustrator, Gerald Embleton, he has produced Saxon, Viking
and Norman, and with illustrator, Richard Scoggins, he has penned the text for
The Knights ofChrist.
CHAPTER 3
ARTICLES
1. "American Pole Arms or Shafted Weapons." The Bulletin of the Fort

Ticonderoga Museum, Fort Ticonderoga-on-Lake Champlain, New York,
Fort Ticonderoga Museum, 1927, pp. 66-103. **R, T, E**
The Bulletin of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum offers an article on pole arms and
shafted weapons which will be of use to weapons-makers and fight directors.
The article is 37 pages in length, offers 16 black and white illustrations of
military personal and weapons, and 6 pages of black and white photographs of
pole arms in the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. This rather substantial article is
grounded in dozens of extant specimens in the Fort Ticonderoga Museum. The
article begins with a very brief overview of how prehistoric man may have
developed the spear or pole arm. The article offers reasonably detailed
definitions of various pole arms such as the spear, the dart or javelin, the
halberd, the linstock, the partizan, the pike, and the spontoon. There is also
some information and photographs offered of native American spears as well.
The focus of the article is on pole arms which were either transported to North
America in its years of infancy, or weapons which were actually manufactured
on this continent. The illustrations are from several paintings, sketches, and drill
manuals from the period. There is also some very interesting information
regarding the manufacture and use of the pike during the American Civil War.
There is also some general logistical information offered regarding the few civil
war lancer units which were organized. Similarly, there is detailed information
presented on how the Mexicans utilized their Napoleonic-styled lancers during
the United States war with Mexico. The techniques described would apply to
the use of the lance during the eighteenth century.
2. "A 'Non-boring' History of Stage Combat." The Fight Master: Journal

of the Society of American Fight Directors, vol. 20, no. 2, FalllWinter 1997,
pp. 10-12. **R, E**
Margaret Raether, outgoing editor of The Fight Master, includes this entry as
one of her all-time favorite articles in an issue devoted to previously published
articles. This article attempts to briefly chronicle the history and development
of swordplay on the stage. It originally appeared in the April 1980 issue with no
author attributed. It will be of most interest to stage combat aficionados
interested in the history of stage combat. It is a brief 3 pages in length and is
accompanied by 2 black and white illustrations, 1 of a duel on the beach and
another of a group encounter- both apparently from the Renaissance era. This
anonymous author begins with a discussion on how "Elizabethan actors
probably arranged their own fights ," but quickly moves on to such topics as
"Women Take Up Arms" (fights involving women and "breeches roles"),
"Actor-Managers" (their training and desire to stage their company' s fights) ,
"Old Actors Never Die" (instances in which actors directed to die somehow
manage to fight on.. .and on.. .and on), "A Law Unto Themselves" (well-known
"stars" propensity for dictating what they will and will not do in a fight), "Pound
Eights" (or standard routines handed down over the decades), and "A Complete
Do-It-Yourself Fight Kit" (standard routines- - and how an actor might find
themselves involved in an unrehearsed fight) . This historical and humorous
piece concludes with a story about the "Play-Saver." It was this actor's job to
run on to the stage, sword in hand at the first sign that an audience's enthusiasm
was waning, and say to whomever was on stage, "Ha, I know what you would,
but you shall not! Draw and Fight!." At this point the actors would engage in
one of the previously mentioned standard combats solely contrived to energize
the audience. This is a very informative and amusing article on the origins of
stage combat. It offers interesting anecdotes encompassing the work of Henry
Irving, Edmund Kean, and other luminaries of the English stage. It also, without
stating it explicitly, reminds the reader of how far the stage combat arts have
come in the last century. This retrospective issue of The Fight Master also
offers the following articles: "Daytime Mayhem: Soap Fight" by J. Allen
Suddeth; "How Grand Was My Guignol" by Dr. John M. Callahan; "Working
with Errol Flynn" by Paddy Crean; "A Discussion of Sword Nomenclature" by
Dennis Graves; "A Conversation with William Hobbs" by Charles Conwell;
" 'No, By God, I Won't': The Sheridan/Mathews Duel" by Linda Carlyle
McCollum; "Pistols for Two, Tea for One" by Elizabeth Shipley. To obtain
issues or subscribe to Th e Fight Master call: 1-800-659-6579.
3. Andrews, Donna T. "The Code of Honour and Its Critics: The

Opposition to Duelling In England, 1700-1850." Social History, Great
Britain, 1980, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 409-434. **E**
This article will be of most us::: to directors, dramaturgs, and actors. It may offer
some insight into the duelist's psychology and a society that was soundly split on
Articles 207
the issue. "The Code of Honour and Its Critics" is heavily weighted with anti-
duel rhetoric. It is carefully documented and the footnotes can lead directors,
actors, dramaturgs, and fight directors directly to articles, publications, sermons,
etc. that are contemporaneous with the practice itself. This article and its
numerous resources give a fairly accurate account of how a challenge was
delivered, who was involved in the duel, and how the duel was facilitated circa
1700-1850 England. Here is offered a very thorough examination of the various
movements and organizations dedicated to the abolition of the duel in England.
It begins with a brief acknowledgment of the influence of the medieval
judiciaVchivalric duel. Andrews then articulates the many difficulties
encountered by the various forces attempting to put an end to the practice so
firmly rooted in the English upper class.
4. Ballard, Rae Ellen. "Alan Meek: Arms and Armor." Theatre Crafts
Magazine, Nov.lDec.1981, pp.19 and 66. **S, B, I, D, V, M, R, E**
This article will be of primary use to the fight director and weapons-maker.
Well known Fight Director, B. H. Barry, speaks out in support of the theatrical
weapons constructed by Alan Meek. Barry uses this English sword-maker's
wares exclusively (at least as of publication of this 1981 article). Barry stresses
the fact that Meek will customize a weapon to the specifications of the client,
making the handle/grip, for example, to conform perfectly to the hand that will
wield it. Included are nine line drawings of various sword hilts. Fight directors,
actors, directors, and designers can all equally benefit from Barry's insights into
his craft and the craft of the sword-maker.
5. Ballard, Rae Ellen. "Slings and Arrows-B. H. Barry, Fight Director."

Theatre Crafts Magazine, Nov.lDec. 1981, pp. 16-19. **H**
This piece is not designed to make a fight director of anyone-yet it does give
insight into the domain, the responsibilities, and the concerns of the fight
director. Not surprisingly, the article will be of most use to the fight director but
will also be of interest to directors and production coordinators who must
communicate with the fight director. Included are 11 black and white
photographs of actors in Barry staged fights. This article's greatest value lies in
its stressing of the basics: costumes, footwear, set design, floor surface, color of
set, color of lights, type of weapons, telling story with the fight, etc. Most fight
directors seem to agree that a reexamination of the basics, from time to time, is
quite healthy for even the most talented of choreographers and instructors. Here
the reader finds an article that mingles Barry's approach to staging fights with
anecdotal episodes. Barry has for some years now been a mainstay in the New
York theatre scene, staging fights for Broadway productions, Off-Broadway
productions, and at major regional theatres throughout the United States. He
began as a fight director under the guidance of Barry Jackson. B. H. Barry
stresses pre-production meetings where communication with the "director, set,
costume, and then lighting designer establish style, period, and mood of a
production." Juxtaposition of contrasting movement dynamics, working against
the set, awareness of color, weapons selection, costume requirements, footwear,
floor surface, reverse energy; all of these, and more, are touched upon in this
brief yet densely packed article.
6. Behlmer, Rudy. "Swordplay on the Screen." Films in Review, vol. XVI,

National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, New York, June/July 1965,
pp.362-375. **M, R, T, E**
Mr. Behlmer chronicles the professional exploits of some of the more

accomplished directors of swordplay during the Golden Age of the
swashbuckler (the 1930s, '40s, and early '50s), as well as the actors they
coached and choreographed. This very informative and entertaining article will
be of most use to fight directors, directors, and actor/combatants. The article is
13 pages in length and includes 11 black and white photographs of some the
fight directors and actors discussed in the article. A "must have" for anyone
who ever wanted to know, "Who choreographed that routine?" Henry J.
Uyttenhove, Fred Cavens, Jean Heremans, Ralph Faulkner, and Denis Loraine-
all are discussed within the context of their work. Mr. Behlmer discusses the
training and background of the fight director and some of the highlights of their
work. Frequently, Behlmer will discuss specific fights which have since gone
down in cinematic history. One of the other highlights of this article is Mr.
Behlmer's discussion on how a fight director builds a fight. The eleven
photographs are not only valuable for their classic "Hollywood corps-a-corps"
poses, but also because they frequently depict those unsung heroes of the
swashbuckler, the fight director, in a pose while instructing a "star." The article
also mentions several instances in which fight directors actually appeared in the
films they were working on; as doubles, expendable villains, and as the
"fencing master" giving a lesson.
7. Blair, Claude. "A Royal Swordsmith and Damascener: Diego de Caias."

The Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 3, New York, 1970, pp. 149-198.
**R**
This article is an excellent source to acquaint the weapons-maker and armorer

with the care and artistry lavished on Renaissance weapomy. It is doubtful that
this type of detail would ever be put into theatrical weapomy, however, this
would be an invaluable source for someone designing and building Renaissance
style weapons for film in which close-ups of the weapon would be utilized. The
article includes 72 black and white photographs, 3 line drawings, and an
appendix. An insightful piece of scholarship that delves into the once revered
art of damascening, or etching designs (some filled with precious metals) and
illustrations into arms and armor. This particular artist, Diego de Caias (active
1535-1552), was of Spanish origin but was honored with employment by
Articles 209
Francis I and Henry II of France, and Henry VIII of England. Over 70

photographs show the detailed artistry of de Caias on weapons that exemplify
the early to mid-Renaissance in England, France, and Germany. Included are a
wood-knife belonging to Henry VIII of England, a mace that belonged to Henry
II of France, a dagger of Moorish influence known as an "eared dagger," and
various rapiers "possibly" by Diego.
8. Bowers, Fredson Thayer. "Middleton's Fair Quarrel and the Duelling

Code." The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, University of
Illinois Press, Urbana, vol. 36,1937, pp. 40-65. **R**
Mr. Bowers examines the concept of the "fair" or just cause for dueling, as
opposed to being drawn into a quarrel due to an unjust cause. This concept is
considered within the specific context of Thomas Middleton's and William
Rowley's play A Fair Quarrel. The fight director, the director, and the
dramaturg will find this an interesting article for its analysis of the Code of
Honor as practiced in the age of James I of England. Thomas Middleton and
William Rowley's A Fair Quarrel (1616) debuted during a period of time when
James I was doing his best to stamp out the foul practice of dueling. This 25
page article is an excellent exploration of the problem of the duel in Jacobean
England. It seems the authors, Middleton and Rowley, were faced with a
problem that was not at all unusual for the period: trying to please their
sovereign (who hated the practice) and please their public (which indulged in the
practice and attended the theatre) at the same time. It is Bowers's contention
that the authors did an excellent job of walking the tight-wire. In other words,
they managed to condemn getting drawn into frivolous quarrels without
condemning en toto the practice of the active defense of one's honor via the
duel.
9. Byrnes, Joe. "Technical Talks." American Fencing, vol. 38, no.

2, San Francisco, Nov.lDec. 1986, pp. 15-16. **H, R, T, E**
This article is actually a little difficult to categorize. It deals with the apparent
heel dragging of various divisions in the USFL (the United States Fencing
League) as far as the implementation of the new 12 kilo punch test for masks
used in competition. Many fight directors prefer not to work with masks, as it
often instills a false sense of security in actor-combatants. Instead, safety
measures are built into the choreography. However, there are also those fight
directors and instructors who advocate competitive fencing as part of their
overall curriculum for stage combat instruction, as there are skills that are
developed in the improvisational environment of sparing, or what is often called
"bouting" in fencing circles, that are difficult to instill within the context of
choreographed fencing . In such cases, these instructors may be working with
traditional fencing equipment such as jackets and masks . Obviously, if bouting
is going on in the classroom and masks are being used, then those masks should
meet current USFL safety standards. The article supplies a diagram which
illustrates how to apply the punch test to the mask.
10. "The Code of Duelling." Chambers's Journal, no. 177, 18 May 1867,
pp.305-08. **E**
Chambers's Journal offers this article on the "Code Duello," or the rules
governing duelists. The article will be of most interest to fight directors,
directors, dramaturgs, and actors. The article was penned in 1867 and makes
note of the fact that a mere "quarter century ago 'hostile meetings' were still an
institution with us." The overall tone of the article makes it clear that the
practice is to be considered abhorrent; however, a clear sense of titillation
resonates in the discussion. Before leaping to the heart of the article (the various
rules for the governance of the combatants and their accomplices) the
anonymous author discusses the difficulty that society had encountered in its
attempt to do away with the institution. This article serves primarily to
summarize and editorialize on another essay produced by the French press.
Apparently, at this time, journalists were having a problem with frequently
being called out as a result of their writings. "The Code of Duelling" was given
great prominence as, shortly before its release, a brilliant journalist by the name
of Dujarier was dropped on the field of honor. The French essay was titled,
interestingly enough, "An Essay on Duelling". The purpose of the French essay
was to control, if at all possible (since the abolition of the practice could not
seem to be accomplished), the way in which affairs of honor were to be settled.
Dozens of idiosyncrasies of the Code of Duelling are offered for discussion.
This is a fascinating article that removes some of the mystery surrounding
exactly how these "affairs of honor" were carried out.
11. Conwell, Charles. "A Museum for the 21 st Century." The Fight
Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors, vol. 20, no. 1,
Spring/Summer 1997, pp. 23-25. **M, R, E**
Professor Charles Conwell, instructor of stage combat at Philadelphia' s

University of the Arts, offers this introduction to Her Majesty's Royal
Armouries at Leeds Museum, "two or three comfortable hours by train from
London." The article will be of most interest to fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, actors, armorers, and weapons-makers. The article is 3 pages in
length and offers a black and white photograph of a painting of a cross-section
of the museum by aritst, Carl Laubin. The author chronicles his visit to the
Leeds Museum, his observations, and discussions with John Waller, Director of
Live Interpretation. Mr. Conwell informs the reader of the wealth of
information and entertainment which awaits the visitor interested in ancient
arms, armor, and combat at Leeds Museum including: some twenty indoor
"live-interpretations" (combats) performed by twelve full-time "live-
interpreters" covering the medieval period and the Euopean Renaissance as well
Articles 211
as eighteenth century small-sword, quarterstaff, single-stick, and bare-knuckle

fighting. Mr. Waller has choreographed fights in forty-two films commissioned
by the Leeds Museum which are shown in theatres and on monitors throughout
the site. Integrated into the article is some of Mr. Waller's philosophy and
pedagogy regarding the staging of historically accurate fights and battle scenes.
This article is an excellent preparation for anyone visiting to the Leeds
Museum-a highly desirable experience for any fight director or
actor/combatant. This issue of the The Fight Master also features articles on the
history of the SAFD and it's National Stage Combat Workshop as well as an
article by Mary Shen Bamidge resulting from her observations of fight diretor J.
David Brimmer's staging of a knife fight in the 29 th Street Repertory Company's
production of The Killer and the Comic. The Fight Master: Journal of the
Society ofAmerican Fight Directors is published each Fall and Spring and offers
a variety of articles on the performance and teaching of stage combat, the art and
history of personal combat, and both historical and stage weaponry. Those
interested in past articles or subscribing to The Fight Master should call: 1-800-
659-6579.
12. Conwell, Charles. "Of Fights and Film; A Conversation with William
Hobbs," The Fight Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight
Directors, vol. 14, no. 1, Spring 1991, pp. 21-24. **M, R, E**
Professor Conwell chronicles a conversation he had with cinematic fight

director, William Hobbs. When not penning articles for The Fight Master,
professor Charles Conwell of Philadelphia's University of the Arts, teaches
stage combat and freelances as a fight director. This article will be of most
interest to fight directors. Hobbs served as fight director for Laurence Olivier at
the National Theatre, is author of Stage Fight (1967; reprinted and updated in
1995), and fight director for such films as Richard Lester's Three and Four
Musketeers, Ridley Scott's The Duelists, Dangerous Liaisons with John
Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu's Cyrano de Bergerac, and Franco Zefferelli's
film version of Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson. This article is 4 pages in length
with 3 black and white photographs (one production photo from Dangerous
Liaisons and one rehearsal photograph from Depardieu's Cyrano). Conwell
caught up with Hobbs at his German farm shortly after Depardieu's Cyrano had
been released. Hobbs discusses his basic approach to choreographing,
As a young fight director Hobbs choreographed and recorded

'every damn move' in advance. Now he prefers to begin rehearsals
with just 'an image of the fight. (p. 23)
Hobbs goes on to discuss what he thinks makes for a good cinematic fight and
situations where he's felt safety was compromised. He relates a story in which
he insisted on stopping filming for the day and how neither the director nor the
actors liked it-but,
It was transparent that the next moment was going to be an

accident. There was danger. I could smell it. (p. 23)
A very enlightening article about how the one of the most accomplished
choreographers of cinematic swordfights approaches his craft. To obtain past
editions of The Fight Master call: 1-800-659-6579.
13. Cook, Brian F. "Footwork in Ancient Greek Swordsmanship." The

Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 24, New York, 1989, pp. 57-64. **B**
Illustrations of actual artwork from the period 460-420 B. C. could be of use in

costume, armor, and weapons construction. The fight director will find little of
practical use. Included are eight black and white photographs and notes. Brian
Cook, Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities, The British Museum, offers
various speculations on one aspect of Greek swordsmanship--footwork. Mr.
Cook makes it clear from the outset that speculation is the best he can offer as
there is a marked "absence of supporting evidence from ancient literary
sources..." Mr. Cook bases his speculations on ancient Greek sculpture and vase
paintings. A fair amount of the text is devoted to what has generally come to be
known as the "Hermits' blow." This slashing movement has been named for the
posed action of Hermits in the marble statuary group of the Tyrant-slayers best
known from a Roman copy in Naples. There is also a portion of the text
devoted to discussing the use of the bent versus the straight leg in attack and
defense.
14. Craig, Horace S. "Dueling Scenes and Terms in Shakespeare's Plays."

Publications in English, Univ. of Calif., vol. 9, no. 1, 1940, pp. 1-27. **R**
This article will be of significant interest to the fight director, director, actor, and
dramaturg interested in gaining a deeper insight into how Shakespeare wove
fencing and dueling references into his plays and how these references resonate
in terms of interpreting the scenes in which they appear. Horace S. Craig offers
an article which, in his own words:
...has been undertaken in order to explain more fully than has been
done before the terms in Shakespeare's plays which have to do
with dueling: specifically, (1) to comment on the theory and
practice of the duel in the Elizabethan period; (2) to show
Shakespeare's technical knowledge by analyzing his use of dueling
scenes and terms; and (3), in the light of this knowledge, to explain
the passages on dueling in Shakespeare's plays... At the end of the
study the "Vocabulary of Elizabethan Dueling and Fencing Terms"
lists by act, scene, and line all of Shakespeare's references, no
matter how general, to weapons and terms used in Elizabethan
swordplay. (p. 1)
Articles 213
Even if Mr. Craig went no further than to offer his "Vocabulary," his article
would be of value. Craig discusses how the Italians were the first to rediscover
the point and the subsequent spread of their theory and practice throughout
Europe. He then discusses the invasion of the "Italienate" school of swordplay
(the thrust of the rapier) in England and its inexorable march to supremacy over
the traditional cutting (sword and buckler) play of the English Masters of
Defence. With the conflict between these two schools and their advocates
firmly in mind, Mr. Craig then proceeds to pull out one reference after another
to fencing terms which appear in Shakespeare's plays in scenes of combat and in
general conversation. Mercutio's comments regarding Tybalt's style of fighting
are fully explicated; as are many of the Italian fencing terms he tosses out-such
as the "passado," the "punto-riverso," the "hay," etc. The parody inherent in Sir
Andrew's challenge to Viola in Twelfth Night is explained. We also discover
why Gregory and Sampson, the Montague servants who first enter in Romeo and
Juliet are armed with sword and buckler, as opposed to the rapiers which their
young masters carry and why it is that Hotspur refers to Prince Hal as "that same
sword and buckler Prince of Wales" in Henry IV, Part 1. These and dozens of
other obscure fencing terms, which would not have been at all obscure to
Shakespeare's audience, are explained to our satisfaction.
15. Crean, Patrick. "Working With Errol Flynn," The Fight Master:
Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors, vol. 20, no. 2,
FalllWinter 1997, pp. 21-23. **R, T**
Yet another entry in an issue of The Fight Master devoted to out-going editor
Margaret Raether' a past favorite articles. This particular article, originally
published in 1978, is by renowned fight director Patick Crean. Crean has worked
for and opposite such luminaries as Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Douglas
Fairbanks, Jr., and Alec Guinness. Born in England, he has made his home in
Statford, Canada and been armorer for the Stratford Shakespearean Festival for
many years now. This 3 page article includes 3 black and white photographs-a
head-shot of Crean, a publicity shot of Flynn, and a production shot of Crean
doubling for Flynn during filming of The Master of Bal/antrae. Patick Crean,
the "Dean of stage combat," began as a fight director in England during the
1930s,
When I joined the Northhampton Repertory Company in 1934, I

learned that my predecessor's contract hadn't been renewed because
"although he was extremely popular in town, his talent is minimal."
The man whose job I got was Errol Flynn. (p. 21)
However, it would not be until 1952 that Crean would actually meet Flynn-and
it would be as his double and fight director for The Master ofBal/antrae. This
article is primarily concerned with Crean's reminiscences on Flynn. It is notable
for bringing some insight into the nature of "doubling," especially within the
context of the old big-budget studio "swashbucklers" which were already falling
on hard times even as Crean and Flynn worked on Ballantrae at Palermo, Sicily,
in 1952. Ever the gentleman, Crean offers us that which Flynn did in his
movies-Flynn's best. Crean tells us of Flynn the chivalrous gallant; Flynn the
epitome of the "Hollywood star"-standing on the bow of a launch with golden
cigarette holder at a rakish angle-girlfriend and portable bar in tow; Flynn,
ever the polished gentleman. For more on the life and times of Paddy Crean
read his fascinating autobiography, More Champagne Darling? Other articles
offered in this retrospective edition of The Fight Master include: "A Non-
boring History of Stage Combat" by Anonymous; "Daytime Mayhem: Soap
Fight" by J. Allen Suddeth; "How Grand Was My Guignol" by Dr. John M.
Callahan; "A Discussion of Sword Nomenclature" by Dennis Graves; "A
Conversation With William Hobbs" by Charles Conwell; and "'No, By God, I
Won't': The Sheridan/Mathews Duels" by Linda Carlyle McCollum. All
articles in The Fight Master are devoted to disseminating information about the
SAFD and fomenting interest in the stage combat arts. To obtain past issues of
The Fight Master call: 1-800-659-6579.
16. Darling, Anthony D. "Weapons of the Highland Regiments." The

Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting, vol. 8, no. 3, n. d., pp. 76-95. **E**
Mr. Anthony offers an article that details the various weapons that were issued
by the Hanovarian crown to the Highland regiments raised to do battle with the
Jacobites and remained in service for the following four decades. The article is
19 pages in length, offers 21 black and white photographs, 4 appendices, and a
bibliography. This article discusses the traditional dress and weapons of the
Highland regiments which functioned as independent companies attached to the
British army. The focus of the article tends to be on the logistics of the
weapomy, but there is also a smattering of anecdotal information on some of the
battles of the period. Firearms were already playing a significant role in battle at
this point in time. Pictures of some 12 pistols appear along with descriptive
passages on those same pistols. There is also a fair amount of information on
dirks, targets, and basket-hilted broadswords. Included is a fairly impressive
bibliography offering 20 useful references.
17. Davis, Oglivie H. "The Belt Axe." Muzzle Blasts, National Muzzle
Loading Rifle Association, Franklin, Indiana, Sept. 1965, pp. 10-11. **E**
Mr. Davis examines that very utilitarian tool/weapon of the mid to late
eighteenth century in North America, the belt axe. The article will be of use to
weapons-makers and fight directors. The article is 2 pages in length and offers
black and white photographs which includes 8 tomahawks and 3 axe heads. Mr.
Davis begins his article with a discussion of just how prevalent the hatchet or
tomahawk was on the North American continent during the Revolutionary War
and the French and Indian War (sometimes referred to as the Seven Years' War).
Articles 215
He also informs the reader about where the term "bury the hatchet" came from.
Reference is made to some very interesting belt axes, such as the combination
belt axe/peace pipe. In this type of belt axe the handle was hollow and the rear
portion of the head was actually the bowl of a pipe. Approximately one third of
the text is dedicated to detailed description of the various belt axes in the
picture.
18. "Dueling in the Time of Brantome." The Quarterly Review, vol. 194,
Jul./Oct. 1901, pp. 435-450. **M, R**
An anonymous writer comments on the Memoires de Mesire Pierre de

Bourdeilles, Seigneur de Brantome. Brantome recounted numerous duels in his
memoires. This article will be of most interest to fight directors, directors,
dramaturgs, and actors. Quite early our writer comments on the tone of the
memoirs:
...A modem commentator is even more struck with the non-moral

atmosphere of Brantome's history of duelling. With unruffled
cheerfulness he recounts story after story of cold-blooded
assassination, thinly disguised by a few artificial formalities. (p.
437)
There is much matter here, and all of it touches on dueling and dueling etiquette.
Alfred Hutton's The Sword and the Centuries (see the annotation in this
bibliography) also contains several encounters from Brantome's tome. This
brief article is not only informative but entertaining as well.
19. "'En garde': An Illinois court case has a lesson about stage combat for
actors and directors." Dramatics Magazine, The International Thespian
Society, Cincinnati, Ohio, Mar. 1987, p. 18. **R**
An article that shines the spotlight on that which no fight director or producer
likes to think about, a law suit brought about due to an injury onstage during a
sequence of staged violence. The article will be useful to the fight director and
instructor of stage combat-both of whom need to be aware of the possibility of
litigation. This article reports on an incident involving a high school actor
playing Paris in a production of Romeo and Juliet who was injured during the
tomb scene in 1978. The story then picks up four years later when the former
student actor files a suit "for injuries he claimed to have sustained during the
accident." David L. Boushey, founder of the Society of American Fight
Directors, brought in as an expert witness for the defense, reports concern that
the case might have a "chilling effect" on the production of plays that include
fight scenes. The article makes a strong case for high school teachers getting
proper training before embarking on such ambitious projects-or better still
bringing in a qualified expert.
20. Evered, Derek. "A Tactical Course At Sabre." Fencing, British

Academy of Fencing, Sutton, Surrey, Apr. 1987, pp. 15-16. **H, M, R, T,
E**
Mr. Evered offers a series of lessons on competition sabre technique. The

article will be of use to fight directors and those engaged in teaching theatrical
fencing. The article is 2 pages in length and offers no photographs. Mr.
Evered's article qualifies more as an outline, or syllabus. He offers eight lessons
as an insight into training fencers with the sabre who have already been firmly
grounded in another weapon-either the foil or the epee:
First Session: The Head Cut in Attack and Defence.

Second Session: The Quinte Parry against the Head Cut.
Third Session: The Chest Cut in Attack and Defence.
Fourth Session: The Flank Cut in Attack and Defence.
Fifth Session: Multiple Choice Exercises-the different responses to a particular
sequence of strokes.
Sixth Session: How to deal with the straight arm. (Beat, pressure or pris de fer-
taking of the blade).
Seventh Session: Inviting the attack by opening each line in turn.
Final Session.
Each one of these "sessions" offers specific exercises for the fencing instructor.
Each lesson begins simply and moves to complex moves involving compound
blade and leg-work. A useful guide for organizing lessons, however, all of the
techniques described will need to be adjusted for the stage and screen with
safety in mind.
21. Everson, William K. "Stunt Men: They Should Be As Well Known As

the Stars For Whom They Often Double." Films in Review, National Board
of Review of Motion Pictures, New York, Oct. 1955, pp. 394-402. **H**
Mr. Everson offers a retrospect of some of the more prominent stunt men who
have graced the screen. The article will be of interest to fight directors and
actors interested in achieving a general grasp of what it is a stunt man does, who
a second unit director is and what responsibilities accompany the position, and
several examples of what have universally come to be acclaimed as some of the
better stunts put on film through 1955. The article is 8 pages in length and
offers 6 black and white photographs. Mr. Everson focuses on the under-
appreciated accomplishments of such great stunt men and second unit directors
as Yakima Canutt, Cliff Lyons, David Sharpe, Richard Talmadge, Duke York,
Herbert Rawlinson, and Reaves Eason. Due credit is given to stunt men who
graduated to "star" status, such as Ray "Crash" Corrigan and George O'Brien.
Mr. Everson also delves into the various specialties which stunt men work so
Articles 217
hard to perfect. The men discussed in this article literally began the profession
and continue to have a significant impact on the stunt industry to this day.
22. Forrest, Kris L. and Peter Story Pentz. "Constructing Broadswords

for the Theatre." Theatre Crafts Magazine, Nov.lDec. 1981, pp. 25, 32-34.
**H, D, V, M**
This article will be of most use to props-makers who are called upon to create
broadswords from scratch. This article includes 2 black and white photographs
and 1 diagram. Most of the better known armorers (at least in the United States)
are utilizing manufactured blades in their broadswords. Since most of these
blades are manufactured outside of the U.S. (such as France Lames's blades) it
drives the cost of these weapons up considerably. The process described in this
article does present a viable alternative for those theatre programs which cannot
afford weapons with the "super-blade" manufactured by France Lames, or some
similar product. The Denver Center Theatre Company property shop used the
occasion of their production of Henry IV, Part 1 to conduct a very intriguing
experiment; they constructed all of the broadswords for the production in-house.
The sword-makers utilized two differing techniques:
1. They built blades from scratch, and

2. They reshaped blades from manufactured, decorative swords.
The article is a detailed description of both processes followed by an equally

insightful analysis.
23. Gaugler, William M. "Labat and the Development of the French

School, Part I." American Fencing, vol. 38, no. 2, Nov.lDec. 1986, pp. 6-7.
**R, T, E**
Part one of a two-part series exploring the differences between the French and
the Italian schools of fence and the effect Labat may have had on the French
school. Some fight directors may find it interesting to compare modem guards
and hand positions to those taught in the late seventeenth century by Labat.
Gaugler explores Labat's L 'art en fait d'armes (1696) in an effort to determine:
1. How Labat's system of pedagogy differs from that of the sixteenth century
Italian masters,
2. How close Labat's method is to that of the modem French school,
3. What we can learn from this historical example.
Labat claimed that the French school reformed and augmented the Italian
method. The article will be of use to those who are interested in determining
what techniques were employed in the seminal years of the French school as
advanced by Labat.
24. Gaugler, William M. "Labat and the Development of the French

School, Part II." American Fencing, vol. 38, no. 3, Jan./Feb. 1987, pp. 8-10.
**R, T, E**
William Gaugler's second installment in a series examining the origins of the

French school of fence and its relationship to the Italian school. The article will
be of interest to fight directors who wish to gain a more complete understanding
of the two schools. Two illustrations from Labat's L'art en fait d' armes (1696)
accompany the article. Gaugler begins his second article with a discussion on
how Labat broke down the "parts of the blade," as compared to some of the
Italian masters. He then discusses actions on the blade, such as the coule, croise,
liement, envelopement, froissement, and the French school's predilection for
fencing with absence of blade. He also points out what he considers to be some
inconsistencies in Labat's text as compared to its accompanying illustrations.
25. Gaugler, William M. "The Italian Formula for Success." American

Fencing, vol. 39, no. 1, Sept./Oct./Nov. 1987, pp. 22-23. **H, R, T, E**
William Gaugler, frequent contributor to American Fencing, offers his thoughts

on the Italian method of training Olympic calibre competitive fencers. The
article is 2 pages in length and is accompanied by 2 Angelo illustrations. The
article will be of most use in teaching theatrical fencing. Mr. Gaugler states:
The Italian formula for success is simple: during the course of the
lesson the fencer is taught the contrary of every action. In other
words, he learns, from the very beginning of his fencing
instruction, the relationship between action and counteraction.
(p. 22)
The author analyzes other strengths and weakness of the Italian method of
training, comparing them to American training techniques. Interesting for those
involved in training fencers for the stage, especially those who wish to utilize
sport fencing when training actor-combatants. Many fight directors believe in
the validity of basing theatrical fencing sequences upon adjusted competitive
fencing technique. As always, all competitive fencing technique must be
adjusted so as to be safe for performance on stage.
26. Goodacre, E. B. "The Duel in 'Hamlet'." The London Times Literary

Supplement, 11 Jan. 1934, p. 28. **R**
The first entry in a series of four exchanges in The London Times Literary
Supplement analyzing Professor Dover Wilson's interpretation of the fencing
scene in Hamlet as he writes of it in his introduction to the Shakespeare
Articles 219
Association facsimile edition of George Silver's Paradoxes of Defence. This

entry, indeed the entire series of four articles/letters, will be of most interest to
fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs. E. B. Goodacre compares the stage
directions in the famous scene, as they appear in the First and Second Quartos
and the First Folio. The controversy arises over the fact that the stage directions
differ as to whether rapiers and daggers, single rapiers, or rapiers and gauntlets
are carried on for the fencing contest between Hamlet and Laertes. Naturally,
whether rapier and daggers or single rapiers are used has an impact on the
"exchange of rapiers" which occurs during the scene. Mr. Goodacre suggests
that Professor Dover may have been hasty in rendering his judgment that "in any
case the Folio stage-directions are all suspect." Mr. Goodacre suggests that a
method of disarm advocated in Sainct-Didier's Traicte (1573)-a single rapier
technique-may have been advocated in the First Folio. He even makes us
aware of an attempt to reconstruct the duel according to Sainct-Didier. An
interesting blend of scholarship, fencing technique, fencing history, theatre
history, and performance; interesting enough to lead Professor Dover to respond
with a letter of his own, which appeared in the following Saturday's edition of
The Times Literary Supplement.
27. Goodacre, E. B. "The Duel Scene in 'Hamlet'." The London Times

Literary Supplement, 8 Feb. 1934, p. 38. **R**
E. B. Goodacre's final installment in a series of four exchanges, between Mr.

Goodacre, 1. Dover Wilson, and Evan John, regarding possible ways in which
the fencing scene in Hamlet might have been staged during Shakespeare's day
and those years immediately following. This series of articles will be of most
interest to fight directors and directors. A very interesting series of exchanges
regarding the "duel" scene in Hamlet which sees fencing technique, theatre
scholarship, and fight direction all brought into the discussion. It would be most
profitable to acquire all four articles at the same time, so as to examine them
together.
28. Grancsay, Stephen. "The Armor of Galiot De Genouilhac." The

Metropolitan Museum ofArt Papers, no. 4, New York, 1937,
pp 1-52. **M**
This article is an excellent source for the names of the various parts and sections
of the suit of armor as crafted during the time of Francis I of France and Henry
VIII of England. Armorers, fight directors, and actors may find the terminology
and names of interest. Included in the article are 52 black and white
photographs, 7 line drawings, 3 charts, and "Reference Citations." This is a
scholarly discussion, in great detail, of the armor of Galiot de Genouilhac (1465-
1546), Grand Ecuyer de France (Master of the Horse). Once bestowed by the
King, this honor gave Genouilhac "jurisdiction over all the armorers...(he) could
wear a harness similar to that of the King." So detailed is the description of
hundreds of "eye bolts" and "linch-hooks" that all but the most avid researcher
would give way to tedium. However, a comparison of the Genouilhac armor to
that of King Henry VIII of England reveals some very enlightening similarities.
There are several references to the process these dedicated craftsmen utilized in
building armor. Tools, materials, and techniques of tempering and layering the
metal plates are all discussed. Over fifty photographs give the researcher an
excellent view of the suit. Several close-ups allow for an intimate examination
of specific pieces. There are also several rubbings of the artwork damascened
into the armor; one of the motifs appears to be the labors of Hercules. Armor
for Genouilhac's horse is also included in the photographs.
29. Graves, Dennis. "A Discussion of Sword Nomenclature." The Fight

Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors, vol. 20, no. 2,
FalllWinter 1997, pp. 24-26. **D, V, M, R, T,E**
Master armorer, Dennis Graves, pens this article in an effort to bring some
continuity to the terms utilized by armorers, fight directors, actors, et aI., when
referencing the various parts of the sword. This informative 3 page article offers
4 black and white photographs-2 of which are of rapiers and 1 of which is a
small-sword. One of the pictures of a rapier has the individual parts of it
labeled. Dennis Graves has been a major supplier of stage weaponry for many
years. Such SAFD fight masters as David Boushey, J. Allen Suddeth, and Dale
Girard give his work unqualified recommendation. In an effort to quell some of
the disagreement regarding the names of the various parts of the sword, Mr.
Graves offers this article (which originally appeared in the Fall 1988 issue of
The Fight Master). The author addresses some of the reasoning behind the
confusion: sometimes three or four names for the same part-in a variety of
languages. The labeled diagram of a rapier which Mr. Graves supplies lists
several names for each part. Subheadings for the article include: "The Names of
the Parts," "Simplifying the Confusion," "Terms From Several Languages, "
Weapons Names," "Two-Handed Swords," "The Hilt," "Sword-belts,"
"Scabbards, " and "The Sword-maker's Craft." An excellent resource for those
interested in the many parts that make up a sword and the variety of names those
parts are referenced as. This retrospective issue of The Fight Master also
includes the following articles: "A Non-boring History of Stage Combat" by
Anonymous; " "Daytime Mayhem: Soap Fights" by J. Allen Suddeth; "How
Grand Was My Guignol" by Dr. John M. Callahan. To obtain past issues of The
Fight Master call: 1-800-659-6579.
30. Hammer, L. "Ralph Faulkner: The Last Swashbuckler." American

Fencing, vol. 38, no. 4, Mar./Apr./May 1987, pp. 5 and 6. **M, R, T, E**
This article pays tribute to one of the great swashbucklers of Hollywood's

Golden Age. There is no technique or "botte secrete" offered here. This article
is a well deserved eulogy of one of the great choreographers for the silver
Articles 221
screen-the man who doubled for Errol Flynn, Henry Daniell, Ronald Coleman,
Douglas Fairbanks, JI. and countless others. Those interested in the Hollywood
swashbuckler's heyday will appreciate this look back. According to Hammer,
Faulkner taught up until two weeks before his death on January 28, 1987-at
age 95! The early portion of the article examines Faulkner's early days in
vaudeville, his early success in silent film, his accomplishments as a (self-
taught) competitive fencer in southern California, and his rapid rise on the
international and Olympic scenes. Faulkner competed on the 1932 Olympic
Sabre squad. It should be remembered that fencing was truly in its infancy in
the United States at this time and American fencers had great difficulty keeping
pace with the more sophisticated and experienced fencers of Europe. Several of
Faulkner's assistants and students, many of whom have done quite well on the
international fencing scene, were interviewed and their comments appear in the
article. One of them is noted coach Carlos Fuertes. A warm and gentle tribute
to one of the greatest swordsman Hollywood has ever known.
31. Holen, Rick. "Outfit an Army for Under $100." Theatre Crafts
Magazine, March, 1986, vol. 20, pp.l00, 104-105. **H, D, V, M**
This article will be of most use to props-makers. Here is a suggested process for
constructing broadswords. The article includes 8 black and white photographs.
Holen, who was scenic designer and technical director at Eastern New Mexico
University, offers his suggestions on how to handle the problem of producing
"20 or 30 swords and daggers to outfit an army that enters stage right and exits
stage left." Although the process that Holen details in his article is relatively
safe, it produces blades that are not very aesthetically pleasing. The handles,
based on the photographs that accompany the article and the description as well,
appear to be bulky and are comprised of 1/4" hot rolled round rod that has been
welded to the blade with the gaps filled in to produce a solid handle/grip. One
wonders how these "spot welds" and the welds that hold the grip together would
hold up under the stress of actual combat on the stage. The photos also make it
clear that these broadswords and daggers have no pommels. Pommels help to
balance the blade and, hopefully, place the balance point somewhere near the
quillons (crossbar); with no pommel one must question the balance of the
weapon and how controllable it would be in combat. In all likelihood the
weapons produced via this process would be best suited, as MI. Holen suggests,
for outfitting an army that simply crosses the stage and exits; dressing an army
to "appear" armed.
32. Hotson, Leslie. "The Adventure of Single Rapier." The Atlantic

Monthly, July 1931, pp. 26-31. **R**
Fight directors and dramaturgs may enjoy reading about some of the armed
encounters which occurred within the London theatrical community. An
interesting article which examines the death of one Henry Porter, playwright and
contemporary of Shakespeare. Apparently Porter and another playwright, John

Day, for a reason that has yet to be discovered, fought an impromptu duel
resulting in the death of Porter. Hotson wonders what caused Porter to suddenly
disappear when his star was apparently on the rise . It seems Mr. Porter was
indeed done in by John Day. Day was charged with murder, but was
subsequently true billed for manslaughter when he pled guilty to self-defense.
Hotson has great fun speculating if Porter was actually the personification of one
of his characters (Dick Coomes, a serving man) in his only extant play, Two
Angry Women of Abingdon. Hotson wonders if Porter may have stuck to the
English broadsword while Day adopted the new-fangled rapier play from Italy
and Spain.
33. Howard, John T., Jr. "The Bloody Knife." Theatre Crafts Magazine,
Nov.lDee. 1981, p. 26. **H, S, B, I, D, V, M, R, T, E**
A very brief article, primarily of use to properties personnel, that details how to
construct a knife that is capable of discharging stage blood in a thin stream as it
is drawn across the palm (or other surfaces). The article includes one black and
white photograph of the "bloody knife." This is the system that was utilized so
effectively in the gory hit musical Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet
Street. It is a simple, yet very effective way to have blood appears while the
blade is drawn across the skin in view of the audience. The "reservoir" or
"syringe" may vary from instrument to instrument, but this technique has come
to be a relatively common solution to solving this special problem.
34. John, Evan. "The Duel in 'Hamlet'." The London Times Literary
Mr. Evan John wades into the controversy wrought from Professor Dover
Wilson's comments on the fencing match in Hamlet, as printed in his
introduction to the Shakespeare Association's 1933 printing of a facsimile of
George Silver's Paradoxes ofDefence and the subsequent firestorm of letters to
the editor of The London Times Literary Supplement. Mr. John's letter is the
third of four to be printed in The Supplement and follows letters by E. B.
Goodacre and a response to Mr. Goodacre by Professor Dover. Mr. John recaps
most of the argument, as already presented by the previous two letters. His
notions on this piece of business are centered on the use of the pas d' ane, via a
twisting of the wrist, to lock up the opponent's blade in the arms of the hilt.
35. Lattimer, John K. "Sword Hilts By Early American Silversmiths."

Antiques Magazine, Feb. 1965, p. 196-199. **E**
Mr. Lattimer focuses on some very impressive small-swords and hangers

produced in America during the eighteenth century. This article will be of
Articles 223
interest to those engaged in re-creating eighteenth century small-swords and

hangers for the stage and screen. The article is 3 pages in length and offers 10
black and white photographs of specimens from the author's personal collection
of swords. The focus of this article is on the need for quality American swords
and the swordsmiths who eventually .came forth to produce them. Mr. Lattimer
is especially interested in the various pommels produced during this period such
a lion's head, eagle head, dog head, and cap pommels. There is also some brief
discussion offered on scabbards and distinctive sword styles.
36. Marshall, Dorothy. "Fighting the Myth of Meta!." Theatre Crafts

Magazine, Nov.lDee. 1981, pp. 20,42,47-48,50-55. **H, D, V, M**
Dorothy Marshall offers her suggestions to those armorers who have had the
rare opportunity of producing stage armor out of real metal. The article offers
18 black and white photographs and 4 line drawn patterns. This article is the
careful recording of an experiment in the use of real metal armor in a production
of Shakespeare's Richard III at the Loretto-Hilton Repertory Theatre (which
became St. Louis Repertory Theatre). Marshall explains the process and
techniques she and her crew utilized to create armor that would support Wallace
Chappel's artistic direction and Skip Foster's fight choreography. A very
detailed analysis of what was most assuredly a daunting challenge. Dorothy
Marshall, along with assistants Dan Roach, Merrell Wiegraffe, and L. B.
Blaylock (men's cutter) built suits of "armor for 14 actors: 10 breastplates, 14
helmets, and 86 arm and leg plates. Marshall informs us, "We differentiated
between the two armies by painting the armor for Richard's army black and left
Richmond's the steel silver." Marshall, the designer, carefully chronicles each
step of the process. Many unanticipated obstacles lay in store for Marshall and
her crew. Each of these obstacles is faithfully recorded along with the creative
solutions arrived at. Of special interest to armorers will be the detailed list of
materials and tools utilized.
37. Marshall, Dorothy and Deborah Levin. "Knitting Chain Mail."

Theatre Crafts Magazine, Nov.lDee. 1981, pp. 24, 36-38. **H, D, M**
This article will be of most use to costumers and armorers. This article serves as
a companion piece to Dorothy Marshall's article on making metal armor. The
article includes 1 black and white photograph and 1 illustration of construction
patterns. It carefully describes the materials and tools utilized in constructing
theatrical chain mail for a production. It describes a very frugal, practical, and
effective way of creating the illusion of chain mail at low cost, considering the
fact that actors have to wear it, move in it, and fight in it. They began with an
under-structure of men's cotton two-piece long underwear then searched for a
cord-like material "to create texture and yet, flexible enough to knit and to wear"
and finally settled on shoe cording. Sections on "Assembling the Chain mail,"
"Fitting and Painting," "Maintenance," "Evaluation," and "Materials" follow. As
in its companion piece, the "Materials" section gives a concise and detailed list
of the various raw materials used, along with prices circa 1981 .
38. Martinez, J. D. "A Tale of Jealousy, Swordplay, and a Certain Italian."

The Fight Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors, vol.
13, no. 3, Fall 1990, pp. 16-18. **R**
SAFD Fight Master Joseph Martinez offers some insight into what it must have
been like for Italian Master of Defence Vincentio Saviolo to teach rapier and
dagger play to young aristocrats in Shakespeare's London. This article will be
of most use to fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs. Scholars, fight
directors, friends of the SAFD, and combat enthusiasts world-wide submit
articles for publication in this journal which is published each Fall and Spring by
the SAFD. Articles cover a variety of topics having to do with the art and history
of personal combat, stage combat pedagogy, profiles of well known
swashbucklers and fight directors, book and film reviews, weapons
maintenance, and SAFD business matters. Because of the range of enthusiasts
who contribute to this publication, the articles also cover a wide range
stylistically-from the very scholarly to the very informal. Martinez begins by
offering biographical and background information on Saviolo, an Italian
gentleman from Padua who set up shop as a Master of Defence in London' s
fashionable Blackfriars district sometime after 1578. He also discusses
Saviolo's impact on establishing proper "punctillio," or gentleman-like behavior
when it came to giving and receiving "insults," and the proper way in which to
make and receive a challenge. This brief article also offers a boxed-off section
in which English Master George Silver relates a tale intended to impugn
Saviolo's honor and paint him a coward. Also included in this issue: "From
Timon to Titus, Boushey Marks a Milestone" by Linda McCollum-spotlighting
Fight Master David Boushey's career; "Then, As I End the Refrain, Thrust
Home" by Charles Conwell-an article relating the accomplishments of the
most accomplished Cyrano of the early decades of the twentieth century, Walter
Hampden; "Brawl Ridiculous the Name of Agincourt" by Richard Raether-
Fight Master Raether offers some insight into staging battle scenes based on two
recent experiences staging fight scenes for Hemy V. Every article in every issue
of this journal is devoted entirely to matters connected to stage combat. Those
wishing to obtain past issues of The Fight Master may do so by calling: 1-800-
659-6579.
39. Martinez, J. D. "Englishman to the Core, Gentleman by Birth,

Swordsman by Choice," The Fight Master: Journal of the Society of
American Fight Directors, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 18-20. **R**
Fight Master Joseph Martinez continues his string of articles on Renaissance

swordsmen with this entry on English Master of Defence, George Silver -author
of The Paradoxes of Defence (1599). Martinez begins this article by helping to
Articles 225
understand the chauvinism of the English Masters of Defence and perhaps why
they apparently were threatened by such foreign teachers as Vencentio Saviolo.
Sliver, unlike many of the other English Masters, was a gentleman; nevertheless,
he took strong issue with Saviolo's teaching of rapier and it's thrusting attacks
with the point. Martinez speculates " The probability is, judging from the
staunch 'Englishness' of his plays, that Shakespeare studied with a bonafide
English Master of Defence." He goes on to discuss the English Masters and
their failed attempt at stemming the popularity of rapier-play, or "foining." He
also suggests the reader turn to Craig Turner and Tony Soper's "excellent"
Methods and Practice of Elizabethan Swordplay. Also included in this issue:
"Working with Amateurs: Stage Combat Safety for Untrained Fighters" by J.
Allen Suddeth; "Of Fights and Film: A Conversation with William Hobbs" by
Charles Conwell; "Theatrical Hoplology: A Stage Violence Methodology" by
Dr. Robert W. Dillon, Jr.; "Horses, Cannons, Blood Bags Galore, and Lots of
Epic Music" by Drew Fracher; "But for Those Vile Guns, He Would Himself
Have Been a Solider" by Richard Raether. Those wishing to obtain past issues
of The Fight Master may do so by calling: 1-800-659-6579.
40. McCollum, Linda Carlyle. '''No, By God, I Won't': The Richard

Sheridan/Thomas Mathews Duels," The Fight Master: Journal of the
Society ofAmerican Fight Directors, vol. 20, no. 2, FalllWinter 1997, pp. 31-
34. **E**
McCollum, editor of The Fight Master, draws upon a variety of sources in an

effort to chronicle this infamous duel involving one of the stellar dramatists of
the eighteenth century English stage, Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The article is a
brief 4 pages in length and is accompanied by 5 illustrations-including
portraits of Sheridan and his wife, Elizabeth Linley, and a pose from Angelo's
The School of Fencing. This article will be useful to anyone interested in
anecdotal evidence of eighteenth century sword duels. McCollum has been a
major contributor to The Fight Master through much of it's existence. She has
lent much academic credibility to this journal on what many consider to be a
very practical art form. McCollum, and others like her, have begun to develop a
corpus of work lending academic credibility to the topic of combat for the stage
and screen. This particular article chronicles the two duels involving well
known politician and playwright, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and one Captain
Thomas Mathews. McCollum offers all the necessary background information
involving Sheridan's and Mathews' attraction to Elizabeth Linley, daughter ofa
well-to-do Bath musician and concert promoter. McCollum spares little detail
as she recounts both episodes in which Sheridan and Mathews met and dueled
with swords; once in an "upper room engaged at ...the Castle Tavern" and the
second time at Kingsdown Hill, near Bath. This second encounter was a
particularly brutal and bloody one. A fascinating episode involving one of the
foremost dramatists of the eighteenth century English stage who survived these
two encounters to go on and pen The Rivals (which takes place at Bath and
involves a duel), The School for Scandal, and The Critic. This article originally
appeared in the Spring/Summer edition of 1994. To obtain past editions of The

Fight Master call: 1-800-659-6579. Other articles which appear in this
retrospective edition include: "A Non-boring History of Stage Combat" by
Anonymous; "Daytime Mayhem: Soap Fights" by J. Allen Suddeth; "How
Grand Was My Guignol" by Dr. John M. Callahan; "A Discussion of Sword
Nomenclature" by Dennis Graves; "A Conversation with William Hobbs" by
Charles Conwell; "Pistols for Two, Tea for One" by Elizabeth Shipley.
41. McCollum, Linda Carlyle. "The Fencing School In Blackfriars," The

Fight Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors, vol. 16,
no. 2, Fall 1993, pp. 29-30. **R**
McCollum ponders whether the Italian fencing masters who set up shop in
London during the English Renaissance (including Rocco Bonetti, his "boy"
Jeronimo, and Vincentio Saviolo) ever actually taught fencing in Blackfriars-
and if the possibility exists that Shakespeare's company might actually have
come into contact with any of them. The article is 2 pages in length, offers a
diagram of Blackfriars, and a drawing representing Saviolo, rapier in hand,
poised and ready for action. McCollum takes issue with " recent publication
[that] has perpetuated this notion." She maintains that " a close look at the
documented evidence raises some serious questions." She then, based on
primary evidence, traces the whereabouts of the Italian Masters and delves into
the possibilities and probabilities of their having taught in Blackfriars while The
King 's Men were in residence. The article also offers a "time-line" which
outlines major events in the lives of these three Italian Masters so scorned by the
English Masters of Defence. Finally, McCollum reprints a section from George
Silver's Paradoxes of Defence which recounts the untimely death of Jeronimo
by one John Cheese. Naturally, Jeronimo was using a rapier and Cheese an
English broadsword. Also in this issue of The Fight Master: "Pistols for Two,
Tea for One"-an excellent article on women and dueling-by Elizabeth
Shipley; "Ancient History vs. Modem Practice" by J.D. Martinez; "A Walk on
the Dark Side" by Dennis Henneman and Richard Raether; and "A Musketeer
History Lesson" by Richard Pallaziol. Those wishing to obtain issues of The
Fight Master can call: 1-800-659-6579.
42. McElroy, Mary and Kent Cartwright. "Public Fencing Contests on the
Elizabethan Stage." Journal of Sports History, vol. 13, no. 3, 1986, pp. 193-
211. **R**
This article will probably appeal most to those dramaturgs and directors wishing
to examine the social milieu surrounding the English Masters of Defence and
Shakespeare's theatre. Most interesting is the symbiotic relationship McElroy
and Cartwright perceive between the public theatre and the public fencing
contests. While the public theatre thrived, the contests thrived; when theatre
became more sophisticated and moved inside, they argue that it sounded the
Articles 227
death-knell for the public fencing contests. There is also discussion regarding
the "carnavalesque" nature of the fencing contests, or what was known as
"playing the prize." The aristocracy had reason to distrust the theatre and it had
reasons for despising these public fencing contests as well. In a typical
Elizabethan crowd you already had the makings of a riot (by all accounts they
were a lively lot that tended to shout, bet, and interact with fencer and actor
alike) which always tended to make the ruling elite uneasy. Secop.d, there was
the implicit thumbing of the nose at class and authority as a fencer could rise in
"class" or "station" through the process of playing for the prize. The authors
also look at what the typical Elizabethan public theatergoer would have
expected of actors in terms of swordplay on the stage-which was a great deal
indeed.
43. Mitchell, Lee. "The Fencing Scene in Hamlet." The Philological

Quarterly, voI.16, 1937, pp. 71-73. **R**
Professor Mitchell, of Northwestern University, comments on J. Dover Wilson's

discussion of the fencing match in Hamlet in What Happens in Hamlet (1935) .
Professor Mitchell indicates that Professor Wilson may have benefited from the
discussion on this scene which appeared in the Times-and the benefits are
revealed, at least to the partial satisfaction of Mitchell, in Wilson's What
Happens in Hamlet. Mitchell maintains that Wilson's understanding of the
scene suffers from his "unfamiliarity with two technical aspects of the problem:
(I) fencing, particularly Elizabethan, and (2) staging, i.e., projecting the action
of the scene clearly to the audience." Fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs
might be amused to follow this controversy from beginning to end. Much ado
about nothing? Let the reader be the judge.
44. Nickel, Helmut. "Some Heraldic Fragments Found at Castle

Montfort/Starkenberg in 1926, and the Arms of the Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights." The Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 24, New York,
1989, pp. 35-46. **M**
This article will be of most use to armorers and dramaturgs and will be valued
for its photographs and descriptions of the heraldic shields of various Grand
Masters. Colors, construction, design, and materials are all examined in some
depth. The article includes 19 black and white photographs, 5 line drawings,
and notes. Armorers, costumers, and dramaturgs may find this a good
supplementary source for shield information on the early Germanic crusaders.
Helmut Nickel, former Curator of Arms and Armor for the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, has based this article on archeological findings at
MontfortiStarkenberg, the strongest castle of the order of the Teutonic Knights
in thirteenth century Palestine. The article discusses several of the Germanic
groups of knights who were ultimately absorbed into the Deutschordensritter
(Teutonic Knights).
45. Norman, A. V. B. "Some Eighteenth Century Civilian Swords." The

Scottish Art Review, vol. 12, no. 2, Glasgow, Scotland, 1969, pp. 19-21.
**E**
Noted arms and armor scholar, A. V. B. Norman, offers a brief article examining
shifts in design in the small-sword of the late seventeenth through the eighteenth
century. This article will be of use to those who are engaged in re-creating
small-swords for the stage and screen. The article is 3 pages in length and offers
5 black and white photographs of small-swords. Mr. Norman chronicles
changes in the hilt of the small-sword, the various materials (such as cut-steel
and silver) utilized, and the shifts in fashion which exerted influence on the
design and manufacture of small-sword hilts during the period 1650-1800. He
makes specific reference to the weapons pictured and to additional extant
weapons in various arms collections.
46. Pyhrr, Stuart. "European Armor from the Imperial Ottoman

Arsenal." The Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 24, New York, 1989, pp.
85-111. **M, R**
This piece could be of use to those involved in reproducing period helmets and
armor. The article includes 45 black and white photographs, 5 line drawings,
and notes. Stuart Pyhrr, Department of Arms and Armor, The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, offers this explication of several photographs of armor taken by
Bashford Dean (the Metropolitan Museum's first Curator of Arms) in 1919-20
while visiting the Turkish Military Museum in Constantinople (modem
Istanbul). It seems that several pieces of armor that Dean and his family
donated had no real provenance. Recently, photographs have surfaced that
support Dean's positions regarding their history and provenance. The primary
source of interest for armor historians lies in the fact that so many European
pieces of armor were found in an Islamic military museum. Pyhrr offers
speculation as to how this may have come about. He also publishes several of
Dean's photographs of all types of armor (especially helmets) dating from the
fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. There are also some excellent
photographs of "Maximilian" style armor (c. 1477).
47. Roper, William L. "With Cutlass and Sword." The Marine Corps.
Gazette, vol. 62, no. 4, 1978, pp. 51-56. **E**
This article will be of most interest to directors and dramaturgs. It is a narrative

overview of various naval assaults on the Barbary Coast pirates in the early
years of the nineteenth century. Included are three illustrations of paintings
from the period. This article is included because it also offers information and
insight into late eighteenth century naval assaults and commando techniques.
Articles 229
Mr. Roper's article focuses on Stephen Decatur's 1804 "commando" attack on

the Barbary Coast pirates at Tripoli. Included is historical background on our
political stance with the Barbary pirates and the tribute America and other
nations, were paying to avoid having their ships stolen and their crews sold into
slavery. The article includes an account of a daring and colorful military
expedition and describes some encounters with sword and cutlass on the high
seas.
48. Shipley, Elizabeth. "Pistols for Two...Tea for One." The Fight Master:
Journal of The Society of American Fight Directors, vol. 20, no. 2,
FallIWinter 1997, pp. 35-39. **R, T, E**
SAFD actor-combatant, Elizabeth Shipley, explores the concept of honor and

the practice of dueling amongst the fairer sex. The article is 5 pages in length
and is accompanied by 4 black and while line-drawn illustrations of women
involved in both sword and pistol duels. The article will be of most use to fight
directors, dramaturgs, directors, actors, and anyone interested in the evolution
and development of dueling. Ms. Shipley makes use of several primary
resources such as a 1780 issue of West Country Magazine, J.G. Millingen's The
History of Duelling, and Ellen Murry's The Code of Honor, in this exploration
of how what had traditionally been viewed as a male prerogative (the duel) came
to be co-opted by a variety of women-and actually came to be an early issue
feminist. Shipley discusses such topics as "The Fear Factor," "Pride and
Vanity," "Men's Honor," and "Women's Honor." The author also seasons her
article with much anecdotal evidence such as: Mamemoiselle Leverrier and her
pistol duel with a young officer who had jilted her; the sword duel between
Countess de St. Belmont and a certain impolite office of Louis XIV's cavalry;
how the infamous female pirate, Mary Read, insulted and dueled a ruthless
pirate, who had challenged her "quiet and delicate" lover to a duel, managing to
kill him before he could meet to "slaughter" her lover. Other stories include the
astonishing duel between the Parisian actress La Maupin who, while dressed as
a man, insulted another woman at a party, was asked to leave, and agreed to if
the three men asking her to leave would follow her outside. Once in relative
seclusion, she proceeded to challenge and dispatch all three, one after the next.
Other duels recounted include: "Mrs. Elphinstone and Lady Almeria" and "The
Marquis de Nesle and the Countess Polignac. A very interesting article
(originally published in the Fall 1993 issue) on a topic which has had relatively
little light shed upon it. Other articles which appear in this retrospective edition
of The Fight Master include: "A No-boring History of Stage Combat" by
Anonymous; "Daytime Mayhem: Soap Fights" by J. Allen Suddeth; "How
Grand Was My Guignol" by Dr. John M. Callahan; "Working with Errol Flynn"
by Patrick Crean; "A Discussion of Sword Nomenclature" by Dennis Graves;
"A 'Conversation with William Hobbs" by Charles Conwell; '''No, By God, I
Won't:' The Sheridan/Mathews Duels" by Linda Carlyle McCollum. Those
interested in obtaining past issues or subscribing to The Fight Master should
call: 1-800-659-6579.
49. von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Armorial Adjuncts." The Metropolitan

Museum Journal, vol. 24, New York, 1989, pp. 65-70. **B**
The 8 photographs of extant ancient Grecian ankle guards may be of some use to
costumers and armorers. Dietrich von Bothmer, Chairman, Department of
Greek and Roman Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, adds this piece of
scholarship due to an acquisition made too late to be included in Helmut
Nickel's Warriors and Worthies (1969), an excellent survey of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art's armorial acquisitions. Von Bothmer has determined to apply
his attention to a piece of ancient Greek armor that has, in his opinion, been
largely ignored: the ankle guard. He speculates on the rarity of discoveries of
this type of armor (fewer than 50 have been discovered); theorizes on how it
might have been worn, by whom, and possible combinations with other pieces
designed to protect the legs.
50. Willers, Johannes. "Armor of Nuremburg." Gothic and Renaissance

Art in Nuremburg, 1300-1550, n.d., New York, The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, New York and Germanisches National Museum, Prestal Verlag,
Munich, pp. 100-104. **M**
This scholarly article will be of most use to armorers, fight directors, and
dramaturgs. It is offered as part of an exhibition catalogue and examines the
armor and master armorers ofNuremburg during the Middle Ages. Included are
three richly detailed water and body color illustrations of a jousting helmet of
Nuremberg origins. The narrative briefly describes some of the processes
involved in making the full-body-armor of the medieval knight including
ornamenting and etching. Certain master armorers, notably Herman Grunewalt
and his progeny, are discussed at length. It is interesting to note how these
brilliant artisans of a "rich and productive craft" were eventually (during the mid
to late eighteenth century) absorbed into the plumber's trade. The article is
limited in its practical use to armorers, offering more general knowledge about
the topic.
51. Wilson, Dover. "The Duel in 'Hamlet'." The Times Literary

Professor Wilson responds to E. B. Goodacre's response to his introduction to

the Shakespeare Association's 1933 printing of a facsimile of George Silver's
Paradoxes ofDefence. In that introduction Professor Wilson made reference to
the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes and the how the stage directions
differ between the First and Second Quartos, and the First Folio. The article will
be of interest to fight directors, directors, and dramaturgs. In his response to Mr.
Goodacre Professor Wilson makes it clear that it is improper that all involved
Articles 231
keep referring to the combat as a "duel," as the fight begins as a contest,

degenerates into a fight-but is never subject to the clearly defined parameters
of a duel. He then discusses the three types of fencing that were then practiced
in London. Professor Wilson's letter did not end the exchange. Next to pick up
the gauntlet was a Mr. Evan John; his letter appeared in the January 25, 1934
edition of The Times Literary Supplement.
CHAPTER 4
VIDEOS
1. Boushey, David L., producer/instructor. Combat for the Stage: Medieval

Weaponry (Segment #1). Seattle, Wash.: Produced by David L. Boushey at
Instructional Media Services Television, University of Washington, 1985.
**B, I, D, V, M**
This instructional video is an excellent source of information on medieval

weaponry and fighting styles for fight directors, instructors of stage combat,
actors, and directors. Commenting on the series of three tapes produced by Mr.
Boushey, Bruce Madey, chairman and director of the Professional Acting
Conservatory at Cornish Institute, Seattle, has the following to say:
For producing organizations wishing to improve their fight work or

begin the teaching of combat, but unable to afford a personal visit
by Boushey or someone of his caliber, these tapes are a godsend...
(Dramatics Magazine, May 1985)
David Boushey offers this educational video on weapons used during the
medieval period. The other two videos in the series cover Renaissance
weaponry and unarmed combat. This color video is a "must have" for fight
directors and instructors of stage combat. It runs approximately 95 minutes in
the VHS format. Those interested in purchasing individual tapes, or the entire
series of three tapes, may do so by contacting the following: Combat Video,
2723 Saratoga Lane, Everett, WA 98203 (telephone: 425-290-9973); or Insight
Media at 121 West 85th Street, New York, NY 10024 (telephone: 212-721-6316
or 800-233-9910); Theatre Arts Video Library, 174 Andrew Avenue, Leucadia,
CA 92024 (telephone: 619-632-6355). SAFD Fight Master, David Boushey, is
founder of the Society of American Fight Directors and the United Stuntmen's
Association. Through his establishment and fostering of these organizations, he
has had a prodigious effect on the training of actor/combatants, stuntrnen, and

fight directors in this country. Mr. Boushey has over three hundred theatre and
film credits to date and is the only American fight director to have
choreographed the entire Shakespearean canon. He is a double winner of the
Los Angeles Critics Award and is currently instructor of combat in the
University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program. His television
and film credits include Northern Exposure, Twin Peaks, and Blue Velvet.
Recently he has also served as sword-master on the television series,
Highlander. The video begins with a two minute example of Boushey's work
onstage at the Utah Shakespearean Festival involving various pole-arms and
sword and shield work. He then offers background information regarding the
weapons of the period and the general dependence, at this time, upon strength
and agility as opposed to finesse and technique. Outline of the material covered:
Introduction (background information on the period and weapons)

II. The Broadsword
1. Size and weight
2. Single and two handed swords vs. hand-and-a-half sword
3. How to grip the sword
4. Stance
5. Fencing measure (distance)
6. The importance of warming-up
III. Eye Contact
1. Constant vs. intermittent (cueing and targeting)
2. Partnering (eye contact as a form of communication)
IV. Targeting
1. On vs. off-line
2. Distance as the safety factor
V. Thrusting and Parrying with the Broadsword
1. 6-8 inch safety margin
2. On-line targets (high and low lines, inside and outside lines)
3. Basic parries
4. Parts of the blade
VI. Cutting
1. Targeting
2. Reversing energy
3. Efficient use of energy
4. Parries (high, mid, and low lines)
VII. Beats
1. With the guard
2. With the blade
3. The corps-a-corps (body to body)
VIII. Throw Offs
1. Feigned energy (acting intention)
2. Binds
3. Introduction to the action-reaction-action principle (a form of cueing)
Videos 235
4. Targeting off-line when distance/measure closes quickly (the running

attack)
IX. Pommel Attacks
I. The pommel for balance and attack
2. Various attacks with the pommel utilizing action-reaction-action
X. Moving/Legwork
I. En guarde (on guard) stance
2. Passing movement (the pass/the passado)
XI. Disarms
I. By pulling, kicking, kneeing, beating, leverage, binding, and stepping
on the weapon
XII. Kills and Wounds
1. Place and pull
2. Trajectory of the cut
3. Thrust kill
4. The "Geld"
5. Throat cut
XIII. The Shield
1. Stance
2. Clear line of vision
3. Glancing blows and angling the shield
4. Shield as a weapon
XIV. The Quarterstaff
I. Cost factor
2. Pole-arms
3. Cuts and parries
4. Legwork/moving
XV. Choreography and the Fight Director
1. Essential attributes of the fight director
2. Fifteen (15) do's and don'ts for the fight director-including
communicating with the production staff, the actors, group fights, and
notating the fight.
XVI. A Broadsword Fight
I. Presentation of the fight at speed
2. Presentation of the fight in slow motion with commentary by Mr.
Boushey
XVII. Conclusion
1. Balancing safety and realism
2. Partnering
3. Eleven (11) safety factors to consider
Mr. Boushey explains his techniques in a fashion which is accessible,

entertaining, and safety conscious, which greatly enhances the viewer's sense of
confidence. Mr. Boushey's assistant, Mr. Robert MacDougall is a movement
specialist in his own right, exhibiting control and a fine sense of swordsmanship
coupled with acting skills. To quote from the same issue of Dramatics
Magazine, May 1985, the extensive use of slow motion and stop action allows
for careful analysis of movement, emphasizing safety techniques and realism. ..
Though produced in 1985, Boushey's videos continue to be among the most

instructional videos on stage combat available. Mr. Boushey's professional
experience shines through and the sheer volume of information is most
impressive. Mr. Boushey warns that no one can become a proficient actor-
combatant by simply watching a tape. These tapes are designed as an
instructional aid and are not intended to replace study with a competently trained
instructor.
2. Boushey, David L., producer/instructor. Combat/or the Stage:

Elizabethan Weaponry (Segment #2). Seattle Wash.: Produced by David L.
Boushey at Instructional Media Services Television, University of
Washington, 1985.
**H, R, T, E**
For biographical information on Mr. Boushey, information on obtaining his

instructional tapes, and critical commentary on his series of three tapes, the
reader should see the annotation on his first segment, Combat for the Stage:
Medieval Weaponry. An outline of the material contained in segment two
follows :
1. Introduction
I . Rapier versus the broadsword
2. Italian versus the English style
3. The English Masters of Defense
4. The evolution from rapier and dagger to the transitional rapier and the
small-sword
II. The Rapier and Dagger
1. Presentation of replicas (swept hilt, dagger, and buckler)
2. Presentation of stage rapier (cup hilt)
a. Blade parts
b. Hilt
3. Grip (how to hold the weapon)
4. Stance
5. Warm-ups (focus on the legs)
6. Measure (fighting distance)
III. Eye Contact
1. Constant vs. intermittent (cueing and targeting)
2. Partnering (letting your partner and the audience know where the attack
is going)
IV. Targeting
1. On vs. off-line targeting
2. Distance as a safety factor
V. Thrusting
Videos 237
1. Targets
2. Parries
3. Acting the tension
4. Nothing above "the (arm) pits"
VI. Cutting
1. Targets
2. Parries
3. Diagonal cuts (reads as cheek cut)
4. Pulling the energy
VII. Special Moves (Preparations)
1. Disengage
2. Coupe
3. Froissement (taking of the blade)
4. The "beat"
VIII. Adding the Dagger
1. Parries (same side; opposite side)
2. Cross "X" parries
3. Gathering the blade
4. Corps-a-corps (body to body)
a. Various lines with single rapier
b. With the "bind"
c. With the "bind and throw ofr'
5. Double weapon binds
a. Bind over
b. Bind off
c. Throw off
IX. Running Attacks
1. Attacking off target
2. Volte
3. Safety factors built in but invisible
X. Single Rapier
1. Hilt beats
2. Throw offs
3. Double
4. Riposte
5. Ballestra (the hop-lunge)
6. The left handed fencer
7. Pattinando (step-lunge)
8. The hand parry (and the jam)
9. Tripping
10. Choking (lifting the chin)
XI. Pommel Attacks
1. Avoiding the face
2. To the stomach
3. To the back
4. Over the head
XII. Action-Reaction-Action
1. Preparation/reaction/attack
2. Eye contact
3. Cuts to the head, stomach, and foot
XIII. Moving/Legwork
1. Advance and the lunge
2. Parallel movement (by the partner)
3. Passing step
4. Circular patterns
XIV. Disarms
1. Grab and pull
2. Kicks
3. The knee
4. Volte and beat
5. Pommel (wrist to wrist)
XV. Kills and Wounds
1. Laying on and dragging through
2. Receiving the thrust
3. Blade trajectory
XVI. The Small-sword
1. Point orientation
2. Guards and stances
3. Use of the left hand
4. Rapier specialty moves
XVII. Dagger Attacks
1. Distance; find the measure
2. Action-reaction-action
3. Underhand grip vs. overhand grip
4. Avoiding the face
5. The wound and the kill
XVIII. Choreography and the Fight Director
1. Fifteen (15) do's and don'ts for the fight director
XIX. A Rapier and Dagger Fight
1. At performance speed
2. Slow motion with blow by blow commentary by Mr. Boushey
Xx. Conclusion
2. Partnering
4. Panache!
3. Boushey, David L., producer/instructor. Combat for the Stage: Unarmed

Combat (Segment #3). Seattle, Wash.: Produced by David L. Boushey at
Instructional Media Services Television, University of Washington, 1985.
**H, U**
Videos 239
For biographical information on Mr. Boushey, information on obtaining his

instructional tapes, and critical commentary on his series of three tapes, the
reader should see the annotation on his first segment, Combat for the Stage:
Medieval Weaponry. An outline of the material contained in segment three
follows:
I. Introduction
1. The nature of unarmed combat
II. The Slap
1. Forehand slap (non-contact); attacker supplied knap (sound)
a. Combat and magic (misdirection)
2. Forehand slap (non-contact); shared knap
3. Backhand slap (non-contact); victim supplied knap
4. Forehand slap (non-contact); victim supplied knap
5. "Real" slap (forehand)
III. Punches
1. "John Wayne" punch (slip hand knap)
2. "Cross" (victim supplied knap)
3. "Cross" (attacker body knaps)
4. Stomach punch (non-contact)
5. "upper cut" (attacker supplied knap)
6. Head lock and hook punches to the face
7. "Jab" (victim supplied knap)
8. "Rabbit" punch (shared body knap)
9. "Double rabbit punch" (shared knap)
10. Using angle and lack of depth perception
IV. Elbow Attacks
1. To the stomach (left and right elbows)
a. Acting intention
2. To the back
V. Judo/Karate Chops (Knife Hand Attacks)
1. To the back of the neck (upper back)
a. Forehand
b. Backhand
2. To the throat (upper chest)
a. Forehand
b. Backhand
VI. Chokes
1. Two handed (front)
2. With the forearm
3. Reversing the energy
VII. The Face Scratch
1. With the pads of the fingers
2. On the fleshing part of the cheek
a. Areas of the face to avoid
b. "Ripping"
VIII. Hair Pulling
1. From the stand still

a. Victim throws head back
2. Moving
a. Victim applies the safety grip
3. Lifting the victim from the ground by the hair
IX. Controlling Energy
1. Shoves
2. Head slams
3. Attacks to the head with objects
X. Knee Attacks
1. To the face
2. To the stomach
XI. Kicks
1. To the stomach (non-contact)
2. To the face, kneeling (non-contact)
2. To the stomach on "all fours" (contact)
a. Kicking to the abdominal muscles
b. Reversing the energy
4. To the stomach on "all fours" (non-contact)
a. Attacker supplied knap
5. Face kick on "all fours"
a. Kicking to cupped hands
b. Kicking away from the face
c. Tilting the foot
6. Standing face kick
7. Kick to the chest while victim is on the ground
8. Martial arts kicks
a. Front side kick
b. Hitch/scissors kick
c. Crescent kick
9. Kicks to the crotch area
a. In profile
b. The kick to the buttock
XII. Rolls
1. Right shoulder roll
2. The "Irish Whip"
3. Over the shoulder from the back choke
4. From a run
5. Overhead throw
a. Feet on the pelvic bones
XIII. Falls
1. Forward fall
2. Backward fall
3. Feinting
4. Tripping (heel hook)
5. Foot shove
XIV. Throws
Videos 241
1. Out of heel hook trip

2. "Hip roll"
XV. Lifts and Carries
1. Fireman's carry
2. "Back-breaker"
XVI. Choreography
1. Fifteen (15) do's and don'ts for choreographers
XVII. An Unarmed Fight
1. At performance tempo
2. Done in slow-motion with blow-by-blow commentary by Mr. Boushey
XVIII. Conclusion
2. Partnering
4. Have fun!
4. Hoff, Michael and Natan Katzman, executive producers. Deadly Duels.

A Non Fiction Presentation of a Michael Hoff Productions and an A La
Carte Communications Production, 1996; Art and Design: Fox Lorber
Associates, Inc., 1997. **D, V, M, R, E**
Michael Hoff also serves as director for this three tape video series on the
evolution of dueling in Europe and America:
Duels ofChivalry (ISBN: 1-57252-073-6)

Duels ofHonor (ISBN: 1-57252-074-4)
Dueling in the New World ( ISBN: 1-57252-075-2)
This video serves as an excellent introduction to the origins, development, and

decline of dueling in Europe and America. This series of three video tapes,
originally aired on The Discovery Channel, will be of interest to fight directors,
directors, actor/combatants, dramaturgs, costumers, and weapons-makers-a
highly informative resource useful to a wide variety of personnel. Each tape
runs approximately 50 minutes in the VHS format. The entire 3 tape series (or
individual tapes within the series) may be obtained through Virgin Records in
New York City (telephone: 212-921-1020 or 212-332-0400). This set of three
video tapes, narrated by noted actor Stacey Keach, is similar in style to a variety
of programming produced by The Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel,
and The History Channel. The production values are relatively high in that
careful attention has been paid to finding appropriate locations, procuring
respected scholars to serve as commentators, locating primary print sources and
artwork, creating historically accurate costumes and weaponry, as well as
engaging qualified fight directors to stage a variety of reenactments of notorious
duels (albeit several of them are shot in some stylized fashion such as slow
motion or in the jerky "MTV" type style involving skipped frames) . The
historian or dramaturg will, undoubtedly, find the wealth of information offered
of significant use. The fight director may long for more and lengthier fight
sequences and a respite from the "talking-heads" which comment throughout.
Still, all in all, a fine resource which attempts to encompass the entirety of the
Age of Dueling. The three videos include:
TAPE J: DUELS OF CHIVALRY

The first entry in the series:
"...covers approximately one thousand years in the development of

the duel. It begins in the sixth century BC and extends into the
sixteenth century. This installment focuses on duels during the
Age of Knighthood. It begins by exploring the origins of the duel
in the Teutonic tradition of "trial by combat" and moves forward
through the decline of knightly chivalry and the birth of the
modem gentleman." (Promotional Material)
Famous duels discussed and, in some cases, reenacted include but are not
limited to the following:
1. From Sweden, the vicious Holmganga knife duel

2. The absurd duel between Chevalier Maquer versus Mondidier's dog
3. La Chastaigneraye, the finest French swordsman of the time versus Jamac,
and the origin of the "coup de Jamac"
This first installment will be of interest to those who wish to gain insight into the
broadsword and shield style of combat prevalent during the Dark and Middle
Ages as well as into the Chivalric Knight, his protective suit of armor, and the
variety of weapons he employed.
TAPE 2: DUELS OF HONOR

The second entry in the series explores,
"...the ancient values and ethics of combat expressed in the new

codes of fencing throughout Europe, from the sixteenth century
Renaissance through today. It discusses the genesis of the
challenge or "cartel," the choosing of seconds and their
government and responsibilities, the crafting and selection of
swords and pistols...how duelists fought and how they died."
(Promotional Material)
Dramatic segments include, but are not limited to, the following:
I. A reenactment of the famed duel between Barons Von Ropp and

Trautmansdorf in which Trautmansdorf unwittingly kills the object
of his affection when she becomes involved in the duel by
attacking him-while disguised as a man
Videos 243
2. The deadliest duel "au mouchoir," a duel fought with a pistol in the
right hand and the left hand holding a shared handkerchief, a single
yard apart
3. Duels of today, young men in Austria continuing the amazing
tradition of the Mensur, the bloody student duel
4. Also contained in this segment is a reenactment of the famous duel

involving the actress La Maupin and how she defeated three
challengers-killing all three-following an incident at a party
where she appeared dressed as a man and insulted a woman's
honor
This second entry will be of most use to those interested in the rapier and dagger
duels of the European Renaissance and the small-sword duels of the eighteenth
century.
TAPE 3: DUELING IN THE NEW WORLD

Attempts to capture,
"...the spirit of the European aristocrat warrior reincarnated in the

United States as Southern gentlemen and outlaws of the Wild
West...see how throughout e history, politicians, poets, soldiers,
editors, and even doctors dueled and often died proving their
courage." (Promotional Material)
Bizarre and politically charged duels include but are not limited to the
following:
1. The pistol duel between Vice President Aaron Burr and former Secretary of
State Alexander Hamilton
2. The match between future president Andrew Jackson and famed duelist
Charles Dickenson
3. The infamous and bloody melee involving Jim Bowie and his famous knife
on the Vidalia sandbar near Natchez, MS
4. The California Gold Fields where gold fever created a dueling mania
The list of luminati, both professional and amateur, lending their wealth of
knowledge and experience to this project is quite impressive and includes
historians, curators of arms and armor, authors, weapons-makers, fight directors,
and medical doctors. Noted experts which appear on-camera include:
Ewart Oakeshott-Francois Billacois-Hank Reinhardt-Matthew Galas-

Simon Fearnhamm-David Edge-Lewis Shaw-Dr. Alfred Csarnetzki-
Professor Sydney Anglo--Professor Robert Nye-R.C.Woosnam-Savage-Dr.
Steven Hughes-J. Christoph Auhnger--Maitre R. Van Oeveren-Pit Piepen,
Ph.D.-Dr. B. Wyatt-Brown- Prof. Joanne Freeman-Dr. Todd Groce-
Gaspar "Buddy" Stall-Dr. Anthony Hodges-Frank Wheeler-John

Boessenacker Hunter-Kevin Mullen
The following fight directors contributed by staging fights for the three
tape series:
Hank Reinhardt-Dan Speaker-Mike Loades-Brad Waller-Dexter Fidler-

Mark Boohr-Peter Haldres
Although the [mal installment, Dueling in the New World, primarily deals with
dueling during the nineteenth century in America, there is significant discussion
on dueling during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Dramatized
reenactments include one rapier and dagger sequence fought between two
servants near Plymouth Rock and a sabre sequence fought between two British
"Redcoat" officers during the Revolutionary War. A very interesting
documentary on how dueling made it's way the New World and who embraced
it when it arrived.
5. Johnson, Raoul, instructor. Combat for the Stage. Indianapolis, Ind.:

D.V.C., Inc., Theatre Video Series, 1989. **H, U, R, T, E**
Combat for the Stage will be of interest to fight directors and instructors of
combat for the stage. Raoul Johnson is an Associate Professor of Theatre at
Loyola University in Chicago. Professor Johnson includes safety in the
selection of fireanns and swords for the stage, unarmed combat, and
choreographing swordplay for the stage. Accompanying the video is a ten page
"Teacher's Guide" which serves as an outline and offers other instructional aids.
The color video with some subtitles runs approximately 96 minutes in length,
and is available in the VHS format. Combat for the Stage is produced by
D.V.C., Inc., P. O. Box 30054, Indianapolis, IN 46230 (317-575-8015), and is
available through Insight Media, 121 West 85th Street, New York, NY 10024
(telephone: 212-721-6316 or 800-233-9910). Professor Johnson has produced a
video which serves as an introduction to fireanns selection, safety, and use.
Also covered is sword selection and use, unarmed combat technique, and
theatrical fencing. The basic structure of the video follows:
I. Use and selection of stage guns-real weapons vs. stage weapons

II. Use and selection of swords
1. Parts of the sword
2. What is a combat worthy sword
3. The correct sword for the time period
III. Unarmed combat and choreography
1. Types of blows
2. Margin of safety (distance)
3. Telegraphing the blow (cueing)
4. Stage falls
Videos 245
IV. Armed combat choreography (blow sequences)

I. Blow sequences
2. Distance
3. Contact
V. Armed combat choreography (breaks)
1. Types of breaks
2. Reflecting the character
3. Rehearsing
VI. Reviewing a choreographed sword fight
Professor Johnson occasionally advocates a problematic technique such as a slap

to the neck intended to read as a slap to the face. Unfortunately, blows to the
neck are always somewhat risky; and, generally, a slap to the neck looks like a
slap to the neck-not to the face. The intent behind the blow can become
somewhat muddled for the audience. Similarly, Professor Johnson's sword
thrusts and cuts often appear to lack clear intent. He appears to be cutting to his
partner's blade instead of selling that the intent is to strike the body. It is
somewhat reminiscent of the old theatrical swordplay routines that were handed
down from generation to generation; repetitive patterns established to aid the
combatants in their attempt to strike each other's blades. Unfortunately, that is
what it often looked like to the audience, two actors trying to hit each other's
blades. Finally, his video covers neither "knaps" (the sound of the blow landing
on the body) nor fencing footwork.
6. Leong, David S. and J. Allen Suddeth, producers/instructors. Unarmed

Stage Combat I: Learning the Basics. New York: Combat Masters
International; Produced at GHS-TV Studios, Germantown, Tenn., 1993.
**H, U**
David S. Leong and J. Allen Suddeth are two of eleven Fight Masters certified
by the Society of American Fight Directors. The SAFD is an organization
founded by Fight Master David Boushey in 1977 (see Boushey's Combat for the
Stage video series annotation) dedicated to the ongoing improvement of
aesthetic and safety standards in the combat arts. These two professional fight
directors offer a series of three tapes on unarmed stage combat. Unarmed Stage
Combat I: Learning the Basics is the first of the three instructional videos. This
video is a "must have" for fight directors and instructors of unarmed stage
combat and will be of profound use to actors and directors. The color video runs
approximately 45 minutes in length in the VHS format. Accompanying the
video is a 9 page study guide entitled Tips for Teachers and Performers: A Study
Guide. Available through Insight Media, 2162 Broadway, New York, NY
10024 (Telephone: 212-721-6316 or 800-233-9910; www.insight-media.com).
Leong and Suddeth, according to the introductory section of each video, have
staged the violence for over 50 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, over
500 television shows, and for hundreds of professional regional theatres. Each
video begins with the two of them executing a short fight in an alley that leads to
an introduction which stresses safety and "not rushing the learning process," and
which explains their "indexing" system. The viewer can ascertain the video
page number and then fast-forward to the specific technique they wish to
examine. What follows is an outline of the material covered in video number 1:
Learning the Basics, including video page numbers. The letters "CMI" in
parentheses is a designation for "Combat Masters International:"
I. (CMI 1) Expanded Terms Section:

a. Attacker
b. Contact
c. Victim
d. Non-contact
e. Fighting distance
f. Pulling energy
g. Breath
h. Reversing energy
I. Tension/relaxation
j. Timing
k. Eye contact
1. Punch breakdown
m. Stance
n. Balance
o. Cueing
II. (CMI 2) Tricks of the Trade: Getting Ready
1. Preparing your work space
2. Rehearsal clothing
3. Selecting partners
III. (CMI 3) The Full Speed Fight
1. Executed by Leong and Suddeth
IV. (CMI 4) Pushes and Pulls
1. Explicated using students
a. Small push
b. Big push
c. Pull
V. (CMI 5) Making Knaps
1. Clap knap
2. Slip hand knap
3. Shared knap
VI. (CMI 6) The Stage Slap
1. Forehand slap
2. Backhand slap
VII. (CMI 7) Tricks of the Trade: Rehearsing Fights
1. Slow motion
2. Working out the details
3. Phrasing
4. Limiting scope of rehearsal
5. Check your distance
Videos 247
6. Control increase of tempo

7. Breaks
VIII. (CMI 8) Punching Techniques
1. Right hook
2. Left hook
IX. (CMI 9) Staging Falls
1. Back fall
2. Front fall
X. (CMI 10) Tricks of the Trade: Staging Fights
XI. (CMI 11) Putting It All Together: Up Tempo
Student Fight
1. Fight masters critique and work the student fight
The instruction is top notch and the production values are excellent for the
following reasons:
1.) Such production elements as the split screen help to clarify and facilitate the
process of instruction. For example, you see a punch delivered from side-
view (so the viewer can see the margin of safety between hand and face)
and simultaneously (but on the other side of the screen) you see the
technique from the audience's point of view.
2.) Sound quality, including music and special effects (such as knaps during
the introductory fight sequence) are appropriate, effective, and well
executed.
3.) The settings are appropriate; the actors are not overpowered by the
background and everything is properly lit. Everything is shot in theatres or
in the studio (except the introductory fight sequence) so the problems that
sometimes accompany location shooting (in terms of lighting and sound)
are not apparent.
Having two instructors helps present two similar, yet different, approaches to the
material. It is interesting to note such safety measures as having the students
call out the speed at which the technique will be executed before initiating. One
of the strengths of the video is the use of students of varying ages (high school
and college age) throughout. This helps drive the point home that you do not
have to be a professional stuntrnan to learn to fight on the stage. This is clearly
one of the best instructional videos available on unarmed stage combat.

Stage Combat II: Perfecting the Fundamentals. New York: Combat Masters
**H, U**
For biographical information on Fight Masters Leong and Suddeth, information

on how to obtain their series of three instructional tapes, and critical
commentary on production values, the reader should refer to the annotation on
their first segment Stage Combat I: Learning the Basics. What follows is an
outline of the material covered in Unarmed Stage Combat II: Perfecting the
Fundamentals, including video page numbers:
I. (CMI 1) Abbreviated Terms Section

II. (CMI 2) The Full Speed Fight
III. (CMI 3) Exercise Combination #1
1. Wrist grab with release
2. Arm lock behind the back
3. Push away
4. Clothes grab with release
IV. (CMI 4) Tricks of the Trade: "Acting and Intention"
V. (CMI 5) Exercise Combination #2
1. Right and left hook combinations
2. Action-reaction-action
3. Duck
VI. (CMI 6) Tricks of the Trade: "Combat Safety"
VII. (CMI 7) Exercise Combination #3
1. Non-contact stomach punch
2. Uppercut punch with clap knap
VIII. (CMI 8) Tricks of the Trade: "Partnering"
IX. (CMI 9) Exercise Combination #4
1. Strangle hold
2. Hair pull
3. Push away
X. (CMI 10) Exercise Combination #5
1. Crescent kick
2. Drop to the knees
XI. (CMI 11) Tricks of the Trade: "Performance Anxiety and Stage Fright"
XII. (CMI 12) Putting It All Together: Up Tempo Student Fight
The level of difficulty is elevated in this second video, thus increasing the
possibility for injury. In this video the instructors interact with the combatants
emphasizing how to anticipate possible problems and articulating avoidance
strategies as techniques are taught. "Action- reaction- action is also
introduced; a technique for safely cueing one ' s partner before engaging in
potentially dangerous choreography.

Stage Combat III: Mastering the Techniques. New York: Combat Masters
**H, U**
For biographical information on Fight Masters Leong and Suddeth, information

on how to obtain their series of three instructional tapes, and critical
commentary on production values, the reader should refer to the annotation on
Videos 249
their first segment Stage Combat I: Learning the Basics. What follows is an
outline of the material covered in Unarmed Stage Combat III: Mastering the
Techniques, including video page numbers:
I. (CMI I) Abbreviated Terms Section

II. (CMI 2) The Full Speed Fight
III. (CMI 3) Exercise #1
I. Backhand slap
2. Choke hold from behind
3. Elbow strike
4. Push away
IV. (CMI 4) Tricks of the Trade: "The Value of Strikes and Reactions"
I. Character
2. Motivation
3. Psychological/physical profile
V. (CMI 5) Exercise Combination #2
I. Clothing grab
2. Left hook
3. Duck
4. Right hook
5. Right hook block
6. Uppercut punch with slip hand knap
VI. (CMI 6) Tricks of the Trade: "The Fight Captain and Fight Calls"
VII. (CMI 7) Exercise Combination #3
I. Contact stomach punch
2. Straight right punch with slip hand knap
3. Kick to the stomach with shared knap
VIII. (CMI 8) Tricks of the Trade: "Padding"
IX. (CMI 9) Putting It All Together: Up Tempo
Student Fight
Tape three features techniques which involve more sophisticated contact;

grappling techniques, increased sensitivity to timing, and additional applications
of action-reaction-action. Also offered are suggestions on various speeds of
rehearsal, use of eye contact for cueing and safety; and specialty techniques such
as chokes, breaks, and reversal of energy. Each tape in the series culminates in a
combat scene acted out on a proscenium stage and viewed from the angle that an
audience member would experience it.
9. Loades, Mike, instructor. The Blow By Blow Guide to Swordfighting in

the Renaissance Style. London: Running Wolf Productions, 1992.
**H, M, R, T, E**
Mike Loades, a London based fight director and instructor of stage combat,
offers an instructional video which includes an historical overview and technical
instruction focusing primarily on the rapier and dagger. The video will be of
most use to fight directors, instructors of theatrical swordplay, directors, actors,

and dramaturgs. The actors who appear in the video are frequently dressed in
period costuming, which may be an attraction to the costume designer. The
color video runs approximately 96 minutes in the VHS format. Contact the
American distributor: Gregory Hoffman, 171 Pier Ave, Suite 257, Santa
Monica, CA (telephone: 310-396-8389. In Great Britain contact: Running Wolf
Productions, P. O. Box 916, London, SE16 IEH. Mr. Loades, who has served as
combat master at seven London drama schools, has produced a very handsome
video tape which offers both an historical overview of the development of the
sword from an implement of war to an article of civilian dress subject to the
whims and fancies of fashion. The video also offers insight into various
alternative fighting styles involving weapons which supplemented the rapier,
such as the dagger and the cloak. Mr. Loades insists that just as an actor
searches for truth in acting, the actor should also seek historical accuracy in
fighting style. Instructors may appreciate the section which shows the viewer
how to adjust a competitive/sport weapon so as to approximate the length and
heft of a stage rapier. An outline of the video follows:
I. History of Dueling (with voice over)

1. Medieval
2. Renaissance
3. Academies (ancient and modem)
II. Interview with Mike Loades
1. Truth in acting
2. Truth in fighting
III. Adapting a Sport Weapon for the Stage
IV. The Wallace Collection (of arms)
1. "Espada ropera" (the rapier)
2. Swords and the military; swords and civilians
3. George Silver's Paradoxes ofDefence (1599)
V. Basic Principles ("B-L-O-O-D")
1. Balance
a. Stance
b. Passing
c. Sword precedes the body
2. Line
a. Delivering a cut
3. Eye contact
a. Constant eye contact
b. Use of peripheral vision
4. Distance
a. Cuts
VI. Targeting
1. Establishing intent
2. "In-distance" cuts
VII. Daggers
1. Parrying
Videos 251
2. Main gauche
3. Spring loaded
4. Sword breakers
5. Flamboyant designs
VIII. The Italian "Scratch"
1. "Stramazone"
IX. Rhythm
1. Articulating the rhythm
2. Completing the move
X. The Stomach Cut in Distance
1. Leaning "in" or lengthening the stride
2. Volte
XI. The Advent of the Lunge (the "stocatto lunga")
XII. Rapier and Cloak
1. Wrapping
2. Flinging/throwing
3. Trapping
XIII. Sword and Buckler
1. Targetslbucklers/shields
2. Deflecting the cut
3. Deflecting the point
XIV. The Sword Hanger
1. Belt and sling
2. Baldrick
3. Drawing the blade
4. Sheathing your blade
The viewer is given a concise history of the evolution of the sword interspersed
throughout the video. There is some very well thought out pedagogy in terms of
teaching students to precede their bodies with the weapon, or what some
American teachers call the "show then go." He also has some excellent ideas on
helping the student to maintain distance, or what is called "the fencing measure."
These are safe and well-designed exercises. Some instructors may take issue
with some of Mr. Loades other techniques, including:
1. Maintaining constant eye contact throughout the entire fight

2. Cutting within distance
There is a great deal of useful information in The Blow By Blow Guide to

Sword-fighting in the Renaissance Style and some very useful techniques,
however, some American instructors (especially those trained by the SAFD)
may find some of those techniques (e.g. constant eye contact) somewhat
problematic. The video will be most useful to the fight director who already has
a strong and safe technique and can make the adjustments necessary to insure
that the few problematic techniques Mr. Loades does advocate can be executed
in a safe fashion.
10. MacYoung, Marc "Animal" and Richard Dobson, instructors.

Surviving A Street Knife Fight: Realistic Defensive Techniques. Boulder,
Col.: Paladin Press; A L.O.T.I. Group Production, 1992. **H, S, B, I, D, V,
M,R, T,E**
Mr. MacYoung, serving as spokesman, and Dobson as instructor, offer this

educational video on how to get out of a knife fight (preferably) in one piece.
This video will be useful to fight directors and instructors of stage combat
involved in staging and teaching knife fighting techniques for stage and screen.
The color video is approximately 70 minutes in length in the VHS format.
Contact: Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306 (telephone: 303-
443-7250; FAX 303-442-8741; or order toll free at 800-835-2246, ext. 21). Mr.
MacYoung begins this video by informing the viewer that his priority is to offer
the student some techniques which are of use right now, not after 20 years of
practicing in a dojo. He also reiterates that traditional karate training (including
kicks to the blade) can have tragic results in a knife fight. He then proceeds to
show why people get hurt and some possible ways to avoid getting cut or
stabbed. The focus is on defensive techniques. For the fight director and
instructor willing to put in the time and imagination it takes to adjust these
techniques to the stage, they will find Surviving a Street Knife Fight a valuable
resource. An outline of the material follows:
I. Introduction
1. Surviving the ambush/assassin
2. What a knife can do (a demonstration involving the laceration of a leg
of beef; what a knife can do to a person
II. Grips
1. "Peek-a-boo"
2. "Palm-job"
3. Oriental grip
4. "Balisong Boogie"
III. Dodging and Pivoting
1. Pole/axis
2. Removing the target
IV. Distance
1. Ambushes
2. Watch for closing
3. Low line thrust
4. Vital organs
5. Opening the conversation (the initial attack)
6. A "pro" never flashes
V. Footwork
1. When to and not to kick
2. Where to kick
3. "Railroad" stance
4. Blending the pivot and the step
Videos 253
5. "Crescent" vs. the straight back step

6. Back pedaling
VI. An Un-Choreographed Knife Fight
1. Practice with rubber knives and goggles
2. Learn to recognize attacks
VII. Blocking
1. Bad blocks
2. Slap/whip blocks
VIII. An Exercise
1. Pivoting and stepping
2. Add in blocks
IX. Sacrifice Blocks
1. Bong Sau (designed to save your life by taking the slash on the arm)
2. Don't fight-get away
3. Problems with the "wrist grab"
X. Using Your Environment
1. Get something longer than a knife
2. Get something the knife can stick in
3. Practice Monkey Kung Fu (throw things)
XI. Counter-Attacking
1. Neutralizing the attack first
2. Filipino triangle (male and female)
3. "Slipping off' before the counter-attack
XII. Angles and Lines
1. High, mid, and low lines
2. "Nine angles" of attack
3. Four quadrants of the body
4. Inside vs. outside lines
XIII. Dealing with the Law
1. Legal problems encountered with the kill
XIV. The Check
1. Neutralizing the hand
2. Taking the elbow
3. Slipping from the forearm to the wrist
XV.Stance Integrity
1. Pushing and pulling at 90 degrees to the stance integrity
2. Heel hooks (trips)
XVI. Review
1. Pivoting
2. Stepping (moving)
3. Distance
4. Blocking
5. Counter-attacking
Many of the techniques promoted by Mr. MacYoung and Mr. Dobson employ
tactics and principles which have evolved over centuries. A fight director could
conceivably use (with minor adjustments) some of the same techniques whether
the knife fight is set in the Bronze Age, the Renaissance, or even into the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This video is geared to teach real people
what to do when faced with real danger. Fight directors and instructors of stage
combat will have to carefully adjust the techniques for the stage. Those who are
not already well versed in adapting such techniques to the stage should probably
not attempt to do so without first seeking qualified training. Most of the
techniques are taught from the perspective that one person has a knife (the
ambusher, mugger, crack-head, etc.) and one person does not-you. Mr.
MacYoung and Mr. Dobson also have a video, Winning a Street Knife Fight,
which deals with offensive techniques. Production quality varies significantly
scene-to-scene. For example, the video makes liberal and creative use of
graphics, which aid in the digestion and assimilation of the material. Sound and
lighting are, for the most part, adequate, but the scenery occasionally looks
somewhat makeshift and shoddy. Mr. MacYoung has a winning sense of humor
and he and Mr. Dobson work quite effectively together. It is obvious they have
a great deal of experience in their field, obviously learned on the street. Mr.
MacYoung makes semi-frequent use of coarse language and the viewer should
be prepared for the occasional colorful phrase or expletive.
11. Morris, Charles H., instructor. Staged Fencing Techniques. Weslaco,

Tex.: Summit Productions, Inc., 1990. **H, R, T, E**
Staged Fencing Techniques is a video that will be of most interest to fight

directors and instructors of theatrical fencing technique. Mr. Morris has some
information that is worth imparting and, notwithstanding some shoddy
production values in the areas of lighting, sound, and setting, manages to
communicate this information. The color tape has a running time of
approximately 35 minutes in the VHS format. It also offers an accompanying
Guide Book (23 pages) with 27 illustrations (line drawings) by Lori Spradley.
The video is distributed by 1. E. Clark, Inc., Saint John's Road, Schulenburg,
TX, 78956-0246 (Telephone: 409-743-3232). Morris's breakdown of six basic
weapons groups could be useful in general discussions of stage combat training.
His "safety sweep" of the area (including a check of the floor, the flats and set,
and overhead grid), one might assume is common sense, but these things are
frequently taken for granted and are rarely emphasized enough in the classroom.
He also offers a simple technique for providing the beginning student with a
relatively safe way to get a derailed fight back on track when an actor-combatant
has gone blank on choreography. There are, however, three areas with which
some experienced choreographers might take issue with Mr. Morris. The first is
that Mr. Morris advocates cutting to the weapon as opposed to targeting specific
areas on the body and fencing out of distance. Second, although Mr. Morris
speaks of safety frequently, he can be viewed, on camera, placing a student's
point directly in line with his eyes. He also has the student thrust in a high line
that is near his face. Thirdly, when Mr. Morris is shown demonstrating his 12
parry positions he appears to execute a position in which his point is directly in
line with his partner's face. Mr. Morris includes a section of the video that
Videos 255
presents literature indicative of several historical periods and corresponding

weapons from those periods. Mr. Morris is writer, producer, and the primary
actor-educator in the video.
12. Quinn, Peyton, Marc "Animal" MacYoung, and Mike Haynack,

instructors. Barroom Brawling: The Art of Staying Alive in Beer Joints,
Biker Bars, and Other Fun Places. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1991. **H,
U**
Mr. Quinn (of Blitzkrieg Attacks: Knockout Blows from the Bouncer Trade), Mr.
MacYoung (of Surviving a Street Knife Fight), and their black-belt (aikido)
friend, Mr. Haynack, offer this informative video on how to transfer dojo
techniques to the reality of a barroom brawl. This "How-To" instructional video
will be of use to fight directors and instructors of unarmed stage combat. The
color video is approximately 35 minutes in length in the VHS format. Contact:
Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306 (Telephone: 303-443-7250;
FAX 303-442-8741; or order toll free at 800-835-2246, ext. 21). These three
instructors bring their martial arts skills to bear on a situation which many a
biker has probably faced, the barroom brawl, something which crops up fairly
regularly in television and film. Though these men are obviously trained in
eastern martial arts, they adapt these techniques to a very Western situation.
The thrust of the video is actually fairly simple, taking techniques learned in the
dojo and transplanting them successfully to the bar. An outline of the video
follows:
I. Opening: The Barroom Brawl

1. Hollywood vs. Reality
II. Self Defense-What is it?
1. First strategy-avoidance: "A fight avoided is a fight won."
III. Understanding the Ambusher
1. Shouting or "woofing" before the attack
a. "War-cry;" building up steam
b. Close distance
2. "Freeze" the victim
a. The most dangerous ambusher
3. No "woof' (no warning)
4. The blind side
5. He selects the time and place
6. Territoriality
a. Women
b. Money
c. EGO (the number one sore spot)
d. Personal space
IV. Some Fundamental Combat Techniques
1. Pushing and pulling
2. Using your environment as a weapon
V. Primary Combat Concepts (Techniques are physical manifestations of the

following concepts)
I. Relaxation (loose arms move more quickly)
2. Not contesting the power (flow with the attack and stepping off-line)
3. Economy of movement
4. Continuous attack (flow and the brush-hold-strike technique; using
predictable responses)
5. Attacking into the preparation for attack (taking advantage of the
"woof' or "hot interview," especially if outnumbered)
As Paladin Press produces books and videos which are geared for real people
dealing with real situations, the fight director or instructor will need to adapt the
techniques presented so as to be safely performed for the stage and screen. The
production values vary from effective use of graphics to excellent use of slow
and stop-motion. First, the instructors introduce and demonstrate a technique in
the dojo. Then they take us "on location," so to speak, and transfer that
technique into a barroom brawl situation. The three instructors are obviously
experienced in what they do and know how to teach it. As seems to be the case
with most of these Paladin videos, Barroom Brawling would probably be rated
PG-13 for language. An intrinsic part of "woofing" (see number III. in the
outline above) appears to be prolific use of profanity.
13. Quinn, Peyton, instructor. Blitzkrieg Attacks: Knock Out Blows/rom the
Bouncer Trade. Boulder, Co.: Paladin Press, 1993. **H, U**
Mr. Quinn, who has extensive experience in the martial arts (aikido, judo, and
karate), offers this instructional video on how to quickly effect the knock out.
The video will be of use to fight directors and instructors of unarmed stage
combat. The color video is approximately 50 minutes in length in the VHS
format. Contact: Paladin Press, P. O. Box 1307, Boulder, CO 80306 (telephone:
303-443-7250; FAX: 303-442-8741; or order toll free at 800-835-2246, ext. 21).
Mr. Quinn's presentation of the barroom environment and the Western tactics of
his "opponents" in these situations, make this video valuable to the student of
stage combat. An outline of the material covered follows :
I. Introduction
1. Mr. Quinn's credentials
2. Preemptive strike
3. Effecting the knock out/limiting the violence
4. The Rocky Mountain Camp
II. Four Types ofK. O.'s (knock outs)
1. Vascular knock out (knife hand blow to carotid artery)
2. Impact knock out (the "evangelist blow" to the forehead)
3. Torquing or brainstem knock out (the boxer's "left hook" or right
"cross")
4. Sensory overload/pain knock out (the stun gun; joint locks)
Videos 257
III. Total Reaction Time

1. Awareness for the need for action ("woofing" and the "hot interview")
2. Selection of the appropriate response
3. Execution of the response
IV. Tactical Concepts
1. Preemption
2. Trapping
3. Breaking balance
4. Using the environment as a weapon
V. Mechanics
1. Forward knife hand strike
a. "Chambering" of the blow
b. Hip rotation
c. Vocalizing (the "ki-ai") centering of the spirit
d. Perceiving predictable responses
2. Reverse knife hand strike
a. Watch for the "check"
3. "Evangelist" strike
a. Acceleration based blow
4. "Come see the stars" blow
a. Preemptive heavy blow
b. Setting up the K. O.
5. Step-brush-hold-strike sequence
a. The "check"
VI. Conclusion
1. Do light force K. O.'s always work?
2. Technique coupled with awareness and attitude
3. Problems begin with denial of being in a dangerous situation
a. You are in control or someone else is.
b. Change your mode of thinking when in danger.
c. The bully counts on your denial.
Mr. Quinn, in association with the people at Paladin Press, has put together a
very informative video. In setting up his barroom scenarios Mr. Quinn has his
actors use language appropriate to the barroom. Liberal use of graphics (even
computer generated images appear in this video) illustrating what happens
physiologically to the brain when an impact blow is used. Written graphics can
also aid in note-taking and assimilation of the material. Slow and stop-motion is
frequently used to aid in the analysis of situation and technique. The fight
director or instructor will have to put serious thought into adjusting these
techniques for stage and screen. But several of these techniques, applied with
proper reversal of energy and basic stage combat theory, can be the source of
some unique choreography for stage and screen.
14. Ransom, Ron, producer/director. The Stage Fight Director: A Look

Behind the Scenes with David Boushey. Leucadia, Ca.: Theatre Arts Video
Library, 1990. **R**
Set designer, Ron Ransom, serves as host and director for this examination of
the fine art of fight direction. The video will be useful to fight directors,
instructors of stage combat, directors, designers, actors, drarnaturgs, and any
instructor who is interested in introducing students to the various collaborative
artists of the theatre. The color video runs approximately 33 minutes in the
VHS format. Contact: Video Arts Theatre Library, 174 Andrew Ave., Leucadia,
CA 92024 (telephone: 619-632-6355 or 800-456-8285) or Insight Media, 2162
Broadway, New York, NY 10024 (Telephone: 212-721-6316 or 800-233-9910).
Mr. Ransom, while designing the set for Romeo and Juliet at the Utah
Shakespearean Festival, had the opportunity to work with fight director, David
Boushey. What follows is an outline of the material covered in the video:
I. Introduction
1. Utah Shakespearean Festival
2. Shakespeare's continued popularity
3. David Boushey
II. Interview #1 with David Boushey (Fight Director)
1. What a fight director does
2. Forty-three Romeo and Juliets
3. What Shakespeare does not give the fight director (stage directions)
III. Interview #2 with Tony Schmitt (Director)
1. Discusses the opening fight
2. How the fight sets up the play
IV. Interview #3 Ransom (Set Designer) and Boushey (Fight Director)
1. Discussion of the set, set pieces, and their practical use in the fight
2. Discussion of the costumes and the need for room in the arm-pits
3. Hats and capes
V. Fight Rehearsal #1 (week #1)
1. Tybalt and Benvolio
2. Slow motion and safety
3. Setting the fencing measure (distance)
4. Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD)
5. Notating the fight (writing it down)
VI. Interview #4 with David Boushey (Fight Director)
1. What the fight director looks for
a. Furthering the plot
b. Commenting on the characters
c. Spectacle
d. Movement patterns
e. Safety
f. Maintaining the intent
VII. Fight Rehearsal #2 (week #2)
1. Staying in your area
Videos 259
2. Watch out for the face

3. Introducing the Guards into the fight
4. Pole-arms and trips
VIII. Fight Rehearsal #3 (week #3)
I. Fighting at performance tempo
IX. Interview #5 with David Boushey (Fight Director)
1. Blood and hyper-realism
2. "Selling it" (acting the fight)
3. Ethics and fight direction
X. Interview #6 with Tony Schmitt (Director)
1. What the audience expects
2. What the audience knows
3. It's the acting
XI. Interview #7 with David Boushey (Fight Director)
1. Forty-three Romeo and Juliets
2. "Down and dirty" fighting
3. Compromising
4. The fight captain
XII. Montage Sequence
1. Rehearsal to Performance to Rehearsal again
2. Boushey's narration: spectacle and history lessons
This is a fascinating opportunity to watch a swordfight evolve from the first

rehearsal through performance. Mr. Boushey's insights are simultaneously
colorful and instructional. An excellent opportunity to examine the
collaborative effort (fight direction, direction, set design, costume design, and
acting) which goes into creating the spectacle required in the opening scene of a
production of Romeo and Juliet set during the Elizabethan period.
15. Still, Collin, director. Masters of Defence: Civilian Swords and

Swordsmanship in Europe 1500-1800. London: The Royal Armouries at the
Tower of London. An Optic Nerve Production, 1990. **M, R, T, E**
Masters ofDefence is the first of two pieces that appear on the same video tape,
the second being How A Man Schall Be Armyd. Masters ofDefence traces the
history of civilian swords and swordsmanship in Europe, between 1500 and
1800, when both were necessary not only for self-defense but for social status.
This video is an excellent resource for fight director, director, actor, costumer,
sword-maker, and drarnaturg. The color video runs approximately 20 minutes in
the VHS format. The tape begins with a sequence of two Olympic fencers
sparring in their protective clothing with modem electric foils and then segues
back to the origins of the sport. The video focuses on the sword in personal
combat as opposed to use in battle. It examines changes and developments in
swordplay over the 300-year period when the sword evolved from the heavy and
brutal weapon of the Middle Ages to the gentle and delicate piece of equipment
used in the aristocratic academies of the eighteenth century. The video utilizes
reproductions of woodcuts from the eras supplied by the R. C. Scott Library at

the Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow. Costumes, weapons, choreography,
setting, lighting, writing, cinematography, and scholarship are all of high
quality. The various weapons produced in each era are carefully described and
seen in the video. Not only are the weapons exhibited, but they are seen in
action in costume and on location in several choreographed sequences that serve
as excellent examples of personal combat from each period. The fights are
imaginatively arranged by John Waller, with the assistance of Rodney Cottier
and Mike Loades. The piece is written, produced, and directed by Collin Still.
The production truly manages to conjure the milieu of dueling with the sword
from 1500-1800.
16. Wilkinson, Anthony, director. How A Man Schall Be Armyed. London:

Royal Armouries of the Tower of London, 1990. **R**
How A Man Schall Be Armyd is the companion piece to Masters ofDefence and
appears on the same video tape. It will be of most use to the armorer, the fight
director, the actor, and the dramaturg. The running time is approximately 14
minutes for this color video available in the VHS format. This video shows how
a full armor of the Elizabethan period was put on, piece by piece, and also how
it was designed to give the maximum protection without restricting movement in
battle. During the fourteenth century full plate armor began to come into vogue,
and by the Battle of Agincourt (1415) it had been widely adopted. Full body
armor, according to this attractively produced video, then continued in use for
virtually two and a half centuries, from the age of Chaucer to the age of
Shakespeare. The armor in this video is from the end of that period, when full
body armor was on the wane, the age of Elizabeth 1. The weight of the armor is
discussed and the names for all of the various and separate pieces of armor are
articulated as we see a "skilled" servant dress his master for battle. Director,
Anthony Wilkinson, maintains exemplary production values; the entire video is
beautifully shot on location at Bodiam Castle in Sussex, England.
CHAPTERS
CONCLUSION
Shakespeare, as well as numerous other dramatists and screenwriters, has a

marked penchant for putting weapons in the hands of his characters at the
climax of his plays. Do we not go to the theatre and cinema, at least in part, to
voyeuristically experience the violence of life? Is it also not possible that we do
so in the hope of becoming better equipped to confront it? Some might even
suggest we do so in an effort to purge ourselves of the violent urges which are
intrinsic to the bestial side of our nature. Some might even ponder, "Is it
possible that there is something to that hoary old Aristotelian notion of
catharsis?" If this is in fact the case, then those of us who participate in creating
the illusion of violence on the stage and screen may very well be involved with
an issue which is at the very heart of the theatre experience.
Since undertaking the project, I have come to two profound epiphanies:
first, my contact with other scholars and practitioners in the field of stage
combat has reinforced my belief that there is, indeed, a serious need for this
resource; second, that a resource of this type has been far too long in
materializing. As I continue to meet and correspond with an ever-increasing
number of fight directors and teachers of stage combat, I have been led
inexorably to the conclusion that we all have "pet" resources upon which we rely
for information and inspiration. I have also observed significant overlapping of
resources from one person to the next. However, it also became clear that there
are myriad resources which remain virtually unknown to many fight directors
and teachers of stage combat. I frequently found myself musing, "How much
more effective might we be if more of us were aware of these resources and how
to acquire them?" As I began my research I soon discovered that concerns
voiced by some of my more academic colleagues that there might "not be
enough material to warrant such a study" have turned out to be completely
unfounded. I might liken this undertaking to that of dropping a pebble into the
waters of a still pond. Once the pebble was dropped the reverberations were
surprisingly profound, resulting in one "ring" or "wave" after another of

valuable resources surfacing; resources which have, in many cases, already
found their way into my work and the work of other teachers and
choreographers of stage combat. Yet hundreds more of these resources are
waiting to be discovered and utilized-as there is no viable way to make such a
resource as this exhaustive-only comprehensive. Thus the search goes on as
old materials continue to surface and new materials are produced.
This study concludes with the emergence of the firearm as the preeminent
weapon on both the battlefield and the field of honor. Though the focus of this
bibliography has been on unarmed combat and cut and thrust weapons, many of
the resources listed in this document include valuable information on early and
contemporary firearms . There are, however, thousands of additional resources
which would be of use to those involved in the utilization of firearms on the
stage and screen. Many scenes of violence, especially in the cinema, require the
actor to be trained not only in Asian and Occidental stage combat techniques,
but in the use of firearms (including semi and fully automatic weapons) as well.
It is my belief that a study of a similar nature to this one, but focusing on the use
and maintenance of firearms for the stage and screen would certainly be of use
to the modem fight director and stunt coordinator.
The last several years have seen the deaths of such young and rising film
stars as John-Erik Hexum and Brandon Lee, son of martial arts icon, Bruce Lee.
Brandon Lee died due to a tragic but preventable firearms accident he suffered
while filming a scene in the motion picture, The Crow. He was at the beginning
of what promised to be a stellar career. Lee's death might have been prevented
with additional training and safeguards. Hexum, the young star of a television
series, died when he jokingly placed his semiautomatic handgun to his temple
and pulled the trigger, thinking it was unloaded. It was not. It contained a
chambered 45 caliber blank. This young television star died due to his cavalier
attitude toward a firearm, a death which might have possibly been prevented had
he received more intensive firearms instruction for the stage and screen.
As long as firearms continue to be an intrinsic part of the stage and screen
actor's work, theatre educators have an obligation to prepare their students for
such challenges. There are a very limited number of workshops available for
actors and stunt-people interested in this specific aspect of theatre and cinema.
Just as fight directors, weapons-makers, and actor-combatants will undoubtedly
benefit from exposure to many of the resources listed in this bibliography, stunt
coordinators, fight directors, and actors could benefit from a bibliography of
resources focusing on the safe use and maintenance of firearms for the stage and
screen.
For better or worse, violence on the stage and screen will undoubtedly
continue to be a significant part of the theatre and cinematic experience for some
time to come. So long as human beings resort to violence to resolve conflict,
dramatists and screenwriters will continue to reflect that behavior in their art
forms. As long as violence is reflected in those art forms, the fight director's
expertise will be required. It has been an exhilarating, educational, and
gratifying undertaking to compile and annotate such an extensive list of
resources for the fight director, instructor of stage combat, and weapons-maker.
Conclusion 263
It is my sincere hope that this bibliography will be a practical aid to those of us

who regularly toil at safely creating the illusion of violence for the stage and
screen.
APPENDIX A
GLOSSARY
Advance. Sometimes referred to as "the fencing step." The leading foot steps
forward, followed by the trailing foot.
Ailette. A flat plate of leather or parchment, which could be square, round, or
diamond shaped, attached to the point of the shoulder. Worn between 1250-
1350 to display owner's coat-of-arms.
Aketon. A linen garment, usually padded and quilted and worn under or instead
of plate or mail.
Almain Rivet. A light munitions half-armor or corslet, made in Germany
during the early sixteenth century.
Anelace. Long dagger similar to the baselard. It had a narrow blade and was
popular during the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries.
Angon. A javelin patterned on the Roman pilum and used by the Franks.
Anime. The "splinted" cuirass or breast-and-back. It was composed of
horizontal lames (plates). Also called the "anima."
Armet. Fifteenth century helmet of Italian origin consisting of a skull, two
hinged cheek pieces which lock at the front, and a visor.
Arming doublet. A quilted garment worn under armor from the early fifteenth
century, equipped with points to attach mail gussets and pieces of armor.
Arminger. A squire.
Arming sword. A cut and thrust fighting sword that was part of the knight's
equipment for war.
Aventail. A curtain of mail attached by means of staples (vervelies) around the
base of a helmet (especially the bascinet) and covering the shoulders. Also
called camail (a French term) .
Avoidance. A movement intended to "dodge" an attack.
Awl-pike. Pike with long spike blade and a disc shaped guard below it.
Backsword. A sword with a single edged blade and a flat back edge.
266 Appendix A
Badelaire. Sixteenth century hanger with a broad blade and "S" shaped cross-
guard.
Balestra. A combination of a jump forward and a lunge. There are two counts
in this action: one-jump, two-lunge.
Ballock knife. Or dagger with a distinctive hilt having two rounded lobes
instead of quillons. Used from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries.
Barbote. A high bevor with a falling lame containing eyeslits; used in Spain.
Barbut. Also called barbute, barbuta. An open-faced shoulder-length Italian
helmet made in one piece; with a "T"-shaped face opening. Barbuta is an
Italian term.
Bard. A full horse armor, which could include a shaffron, crinet, peytral,
crupper and flanchards .
Bardiche. Pole-arm with a long, thin axe blade, usually crescent shaped.
Baselard. Dagger with blade of varying length and "I" shaped hilt, fourteenth to
fifteenth centuries.
Bases. Cloth skirts worn over armor in the sixteenth century.
Basinet. Also called bascinet, basnet. An open-faced helmet with globular or
conical skull enclosing the sides of the face and neck. Usually worn with
an aventail and occasionally a visor.
Bastard sword. See Hand-and-a-half sword.
Beat attack. A sharp "tap" against the middle or the foible of the opponent's
blade, with the object of opening a line, or provoking an attack.
Beat parry. A parry which clears the line by striking an attacking blade, as
opposed to blocking or redirecting the attacking blade.
Bellows visor. A modem term for a visor with horizontal ridges, such as on
"Maximilian" German fluted armors of the early sixteenth century.
Besagew. Defensive circular plate suspended over the wearer's armpit.
Bevor. Also called bavier or buffe. A chin-shaped defense for the lower face,
incorporating a gorget plate. The buff was an early sixteenth century
variant, worn strapped to an open-faced helmet such as the burgonet.
Bilbo. Type of Spanish cup-hilted military sword of the eighteenth century with
double edged blade.
Bill. Based on agricultural implements, the bill usually has a hooked blade with
spikes at top and rear.
Bind. A blade taking action which carries the opposing weapon diagonally
from high line to low line, or vice versa, across the body. The bind is a
prise de fer (taking of the blade).
Birnie. Also called a bymie. A mail shirt. See also Falling buffe or Buffe. See
also Hauberk.
Blueing. An oxidized blue surface on plate armor, produced through heat
treatment.
Blocked punch. A move that deliberately stops an incoming punch; usually
executed with the forearm or hand.
Boar spear. Spear with a wide, leaf-shaped blade. The head of this spear often
has a crossbar below the blade, just above where the shaft inserts into the
head.
Glossary 267
Bouche. Top notch cut in the top (dexter) comer of a shield, to rest the lance
when jousting.
Bowie. Used mainly for hunting. Originally American, circa 1830, now used
for any knife having a broad, heavy single edged blade with a clipped back
edge near the point.
Bracer. Early fourteenth century form of defense for the lower arm; also a term
for an archer's arm guard to protect the forearm from the bowstring.
Break fall . Any maneuver which dissipates the energy or force from a fall or
roll and gives the illusion of impact.
Breastplate. Plate armor protection for the front of the torso, to the waist. See
also Plackart.
Breaths. Holes or slits in the visor of a helmet or the lames of a falling buff or
bevor, for ventilation; also usually permitting a degree of extra vision.
Brigandine. A flexible body defense consisting of a large number of metal
plates riveted inside a cloth covering.
Broadsword. Sword having a straight, broad, double edged blade.
Buckler. A small round shield carried by infantry, and used in conjunction with
the broadsword.
Buffe. See Bevor and Falling buffe.
Burgonet. A light, open-faced helmet popular in the sixteenth century as an
alternative to the close-helmet for light cavalry. It was usually furnished
with a peak over the brow, a combed skull, and hinged ear- pieces. The
face opening could be closed by the addition of a falling buffe.
Butt end. The trailing end of the staff in the En Garde (on guard) position.
Byrnie. See Birnie.
Cabacete. A type of Spanish war hat (popular throughout fifteenth century
Europe) with a turned-down brim and an almond-shaped skull ending in a
stalk. See Morion.
Camail. See Aventail.
Cap-a-pied. Term derived from the French meaning "from head to floor."
Catchpole. Polearm with forked head similar to the agricultural pitchfork.
Celata. Open-faced Italian sallet, common in the fifteenth century.
Champ-clos. A ring, usually surrounded by a wooden barrier, in which two or
more equally matched armed combatants fought during a tournament.
Change beat. A change of engagement immediately followed by a beat attack.
Change of engagement. To release contact of the blades, and re-establish
contact in a new line.
Chape. A metal terminal, often decorated, for the bottom of a sword, knife or
dagger scabbard to protect it against wear or damage. Also metal strap-ends
on belts, horse harness, etc. See also Locket.
Chapel de fer. Also called kettle hat. A simple open-faced helmet with a wide
brim.
Chausses. Mail protection for the legs, either in the form of mail hose or strips
of mail laced round the front of the leg.
Cheeks. Contemporary term for "langets"; long strips of metal riveted to the
shaft of a weapon to attach, strengthen, or protect the head.
268 Appendix A
Cinquedea. Fifteenth to sixteenth century Italian dagger with a blade very

broad at the hilt and tapering to a sharp point.
Claymore. Scottish two-handed sword of the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries,
now generally accepted to include the Scottish basket-hilted broadsword.
Close-helmet. Helmet which, with a full visor and bevor, completely encloses
the head and face.
Cnight. Anglo-Saxon word meaning a retainer.
Coat armor. A quilted garment worn over armor in the fourteenth century.
Coat of fence. Also called fence, jack or brigandine. A doublet or tunic lined
with small metal plates or, more rarely, just padded with a stuffing of tow.
See also brigandine and jack.
Coat of plates. Also called a pair of plates or simply plates. A cloth garment
with a number of large plates riveted inside, worn in the fourteenth century.
Cod-piece. Fabric covering for the groin, latterly padded. Its counter-part in
armor could be either of mail, or more usually, plate.
Coif. A hood, usually of mail; by the twelfth century it often incorporated a
ventail.
Colichemarde. Type of small-sword blade which is broad for the first third of
its length, then tapers suddenly for the remainder.
Collar. See Gorget.
Contact strike. A blow delivered to a major muscle group. The energy of the
strike is pulled but contact is made.
Corps-ii-corps. Means "body to body". Describes the moment when the
combatants come in close contact and the weapons are immobilized.
Corslet. Also spelled corselet. A light half-armor popular in the sixteenth
century for general military use; consisted of a gorget, breast, back and
tassets, full arms and gauntlets; also be applied to the cuirass only.
Counter parry. A parry that begins in one line, travels a full circle to meet the
attacking blade in the original line. Counter parry two is sometimes called
the "Actor's Parry" because of the flashy appearance.
Coupe. A change of engagement that takes the blade around the opposing
blade's point. Sometimes called a "cutover."
Court sword. A form of small-sword used for dress purposes; still worn today.
Couteau-de-chasse. French hunting sword or hanger.
Couter. Also spelled cowter. Plate defense for the elbow.
Covered or closed. Said of a line of engagement, when the defender's weapon
prevents an attack to that line of engagement.
Croise. A blade taking action which carries the opposing weapon from a high
line to a low line, or vice versa, but on the same side as the engagement,
not diagonally across like a bind. The croise is a prise de fer technique.
Cross parry. A parry using both rapier and dagger held forte to forte so that the
blades cross, forming an open "V" to catch the attacking blade.
Cuirass. A backplate and breastplate designed to be worn together.
Cuir bouilli. Leather hardened by super saturating in water or boiled in molten
wax, and then dried over a former. Popular as a medium for embossing and
tooling.
Cuirie. Thirteenth century form of body defense, originally made of leather.
Glossary 269
Cuisses. Also called cuishes. Defenses for thighs.

Culet. Hooped plate defense for the rump, made of horizontal laminations.
Cut. An attack made with the sharp, or "true," edge of the blade. In the case of
theatrical swordplay, weapons do not actually have a sharpened edge. The
attack, nevertheless, is delivered with the edge of the blade which simulates
the sharp edge.
Cut across the head. A horizontal cut designed to look as if it will strike the
head if it lands. It may travel right to left or vice versa, and is avoided
usually by ducking.
Cut across the stomach. A horizontal cut designed to look as if it will cut the
stomach open if it landed. It may travel right to left or vice versa. The
wrist is often held to present the true edge.
Cutlass. Short, broad bladed sword with single edge and a semi-basket hilt,
normally associated with sailors.
Dagger. A diminutive form of sword, usually worn on the right hip, with a
short single or double-edged blade and a variety of hilt forms. Known in
fourteenth century England as a misericorde.
Damascening. Also called inlay. A process used for the decoration of metal
surfaces; usually silver or gold onto iron or steel.
Dart. The term usually applied to the short Roman javelin with a feathered end.
Deception of parry. The evasion of the partner's attempt to make contact with
the attacker's blade with a parry.
Demi voIte. A method of effacing the target by swinging the rear leg backward
and sideways, so that the trunk is brought 90 degrees in relation to the
attack.
Destrier. The war-horse of a knight.
Diagonal cut with avoidance. An off line cut to either the inside or outside
line. It may be a rising or falling cut. It is usually avoided by leaning to
the side away from the cut.
Dirk. General term applied to Scottish or naval daggers.
Disarm. The act of removing a combatant's weapon from the hand by force or
leverage.
Disengage. 1. The act of removing the blade from contact with the partner's
blade. 2. Passing the blade under that of the opponent in the high line, or
over it in the low line, and terminating on the side opposite to the original
engagement.
Double. An attack in any line that deceives a direct parry and a counter parry.
Ear Dagger. Fifteenth to sixteenth century dagger, the hilt having a pommel
shaped like two ears.
Elbow attack. Any attack giving the illusion of contact with the elbow.
Elbow gauntlet. The cuff of this gauntlet reaches the elbow, replacing both the
lower cannon of the vambrace and the couter.
Enarmes. Suspension loops or straps attached to the inside of the shield,
through which the knight passed his arm in order to carry it.
Engagement. When the blades are in contact with each other, they are said to
be "engaged."
En garde. Or "on guard." The basic "ready" position of sword fighters .
270 Appendix A
Envelopment. An attack on the blade that, by describing a circle, picks up the

opposing blade and brings it back to the original line of engagement. An
envelopment is a prise de fer.
Epee. Sharp pointed, originally French, dueling sword with long straight
triangular blade and cup hilt. Nowadays used blunted for fencing.
Espalier. An early English name for a light, usually laminated, shoulder
defense. It first appeared at the end of the thirteenth century.
Estoc. Fifteenth to seventeenth century long, stiff and sharply pointed sword,
the blade being square or triangular in section and the edges often blunt.
Exchange pieces. Supplementary pieces of armor which could be added to, or
exchanged with, those comprising a harness, in order to alter its purpose, for
instance, from the field to the joust.
Executioner's swords. Blunt-tipped (flat), broad bladed swords usually having
plain cruciform hilts with grips long enough to be used with two hands.
Sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, especially in German.
Eye contact. The technique of periodically looking in the partner's eyes during
the course of a fight, in order to assure continued communication between
partners and appropriately timed cueing of techniques.
Falchion. Short, curved, single edged sword, the medieval form sometimes
having a broad, cleaver-like blade.
Falling buCfe. Sixteenth century plate armor for the chin and lower face, similar
to the bevor but made of several lames (usually articulated by means of
sliding rivets) held in place by a spring catch or stud which, when released,
allowed the buff to fall, thereby exposing the face to permit better breathing
and vision.
Feint attack. Any attacking action deliberately intended not to land on a target.
The aim is to draw a reaction or a parry.
Fencing measure. The correct distance between combatants when engaged in
stage combat involving swords. The appropriate distance should be six to
ten inches out of distance for a hit when the taller of the combatants is in a
full lunge.
Field armor. Armor for war, that is, "for the field." Also called hosting armor.
Flail. Pole-arm or hand weapon with ball or bar attached to the head by a chain,
based on an agricultural implement.
Flamberge. Transitional rapier with shallow saucer-shaped guard and short
straight quillons, introduced circa 1600.
Flip/throw. An offensive movement which controls or appears to control the
victim's center, giving the illusion of having lifted them off their feet and
returning them to the ground.
Foil. Blunt edged thrusting sword with button point, used in fencing.
Fore end. The leading end of the staff in the "en garde" position.
Francisca. The Frankish throwing axe.
Gadlings. Protruding studs or bosses on the finger and knuckle joints of a
gauntlet.
Gambeson. A quilted, skirted doublet of cloth, often made of linen, stuffed
with tow, wool or grass. Worn by all classes either underneath a mail
shirt, on top of it, or as a separate defense on its own.
Glossary 271
Gamboised cuisses. Padded quilted thigh defenses worn in the thirteenth and
fourteenth century.
Garde-rein. Defense for a man's rump.
Garniture. An armor complete in itself but also with up to twenty or thirty
related interchangeable exchange-pieces or additional parts. An innovation
introduced in the sixteenth century.
Gauntlet. Defense for the hand, in the form of a glove. It could be of mitten
type or individually fingered; initially of mail (see muffler), then of plate.
See also Mitten gauntlet and Elbow gauntlet.
Gestesch. A form of joust fought with rebated lances in order to score points by
hitting one's opponent or shattering lances (the "joust of peace").
Gladius. Roman short sword (approximately two feet in length), two-edged
with a point.
Glaive. Pole-arm with curved, knife-like blade.
Glissade. An offensive action against an opponent's blade that applies lateral
pressure while moving forward. Sometimes referred to as a pressure glide,
or coule.
Godendag. Literally translated, "Good Morning" in German. Flemish pole-arm
of the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries with the emphasis on the axe blade.
Gorget. Also called a collar. Plate defense for the neck and top of the chest and
shoulders. Generally made in two parts joined by a hinge or pivoting rivet
on the left and a "keyhole" and stud to secure it on the right. Sixteenth
century examples often have a high, laminated neck and fittings to carry the
pauldrons.
Gothic. With regard to armor the term refers in particular to late fifteenth
century German armor, characterized by cusped attenuated lines and fluting,
often incorporated into fan-shaped designs.
Grand guard . A large reinforcing plate designed for the tilt, attached to the left
side of the breastplate to cover the left shoulder, the upper arm and
breastplate and the left side of the visor.
Graper. A stop behind the grip ofa lance.
Great helm. See Helm.
Greave. Also called schynbold or jamber. Plate defense for the leg from the
knee to ankle, initially protecting only the front, but later the whole lower
leg. Constructed of two plates hinged together and shaped to the contours
of the muscle. Schynbald and jamber are used in connection with the
earlier type.
Guige. Strap attached to the inside of the shield by which it could be slung
round the neck of the bearer.
Guisarme or gisarme. A pole-arm with the emphasis on the axe blade.
Gusset. In the fifteenth century, shaped pieces of mail sewn to the arming
doublet to cover the armpits and portions of the arm left exposed by the
plate defenses. In the early sixteenth century gusset also referred to
laminations at the armpit of the breastplate.
Habergeon or haubergeon. A short type of hauberk. The terms are often used
indiscriminateIy.
Halberd. Axe-headed polearm, usually with a rear and top spike.
272 Appendix A
Hand-and-a-half sword. A large double-edged sword having a long grip so

that it could be used with either one or two hands.
Hand parry. A defensive move where the hand (usually gloved) is used to
deflect, block, or seize an attack.
Hanger. Short, slightly curved or straight, single edged sword popular with
hunters; also used by naval officers and other ranks of European armies,
seventeenth to eighteenth centuries.
Hanging parry. A parry protecting the high lines with the hilt high and the
point angled down, such as a high parry of prime or a sloping head parry.
Harness. A term used in preference to "suit" when talking of a complete armor.
Hauberk. A mail shirt reaching to somewhere between the knee and hip and
invariably with sleeves. Hauberks could be made of other materials, such
as scale.
Haute-piece. Upstanding neck guard attached to the pauldrons.
Heading sword. See Executioner's Swords.
Heater shield. A form of knightly shield which appeared around 1270. Shaped
much like the base of a flat iron.
Helm, great helm. An all-enveloping helmet which enclosed the entire head
and face, reaching almost to the shoulders. Originally cylindrical in form.
Restricted to the joust from the mid-fourteenth century.
Holbein dagger. Sixteenth century dagger with short, leaf-shaped blade and
distinctive shaped hilt. The style was reintroduced for the Nazi daggers of
the twentieth century.
Holy water sprinkler. A form of mace with a spherical head bearing a number
of small spikes.
Hose. A cloth leg covering. In Norman times, very loose; by the fifteenth
century they fitted closely, the legs being joined.
Hosting armor. See Field armor.
Hunskull. An English corruption of the German hunsgugel (doghead), a
nickname for the pointed visors found on basinets of the late fourteenth and
early fifteenth centuries.
Hunting sword. Short single edged sword, sometimes with a curved blade,
used by hunters and usually having stag hom or ivory hilts with silver or
brass mounts.
Invitation. Any movement of the weapon or body intended to tempt the
opponent into an attack.
Jack. A jacket or doublet of fence either of linen stuffed with tow or lined with
small metal plates.
Jamb. Also called jamber, jambart or jambiere. An early medieval term for leg
armor (schynbald). See also Greave.
Javelin. General term for a light throwing spear.
Jedburgh staff. Form of Scottish pole-arm with the emphasis on the axe blade.
Joust. Mock combat between mounted knights, who charged each other with
couched lances. Jousts often took place within tournaments. Special armor,
weapons and equipment for the joust began to be introduced in the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Glossary 273
Jupon. A tight-fitting garment, usually padded, and worn over armor from c.
1350-1410. Often used to display the wearer's arms.
Kastenbrust. A modem term used to describe a particular type of angular
breastplate common in Germany between 1420 and 1450.
Kettle hat. An open-faced helmet consisting of a bowl with a broad brim,
resembling the "tin-hat" of the British army c. 1914-48.
Kick. An attack made with the foot.
Kidney dagger. See Ballock knife.
Kite-shaped shield. A large, elongated triangular shield with a rounded top
used throughout Europe from the tenth to the thirteenth century, commonly
associated with the Normans.
K1appvisier. A modem term for a globular visor worn in Germany in the
fourteenth century to accompany the basinet; it only covered the area of the
face left exposed by the aventail.
Knap. The sound created by one of the combatants, which mimics the contact
of the blow. Used for non-contact blows, i.e. clap knap, body knap, slip
hand knap, or shared knap.
Body knap. The sound made by striking a major muscle group on the
body. Either partner can make this knap.
Clap knap. The sound made when both hands clap together, usually made
by the victim.
Shared knap. The sound made when the attacker's open hand meets their
partner's open hand or major muscle group.
Slip hand knap. The attacker claps hands, and follows through during the
act of delivering the strike.
Knee attack. Any attack giving the illusion of contact with the knee.
Knuckle-guard or knuckle-bow. The curved guard of a sword hilt, designed to
afford some protection to the hand; a metal bar curving outwards from the
quillon block towards the pommel.
Lame. A narrow strip or plate of steel, sometimes used in armor to provide
articulations.
Lamellar armor. Armor consisting of small plates laced together to give a
rigid defense. Of Near Eastern origin, used throughout the Middle Ages in
eastern Europe, but not common in the West.
Lance. Originally a long (approximately fourteen feet in length and usually
made of ash, with a small steel head), plain spear used by cavalry. The
term eventually came to mean, in particular, the specially shaped medieval
cavalry weapons used both for warfare and jousting.
Landsknecht. A type of lightly armored German soldier (early sixteenth
century), usually of lesser-knightly rank.
Landsknecht dagger. Distinctive straight bladed dagger with a hilt which
tapers towards the quillons, used by the Landsknechts.
Landsknecht swords. Type of sword popular with the Landsknechts in the
sixteenth century and having distinctive figure of eight shaped quillons.
Left hand dagger. Sixteenth to seventeenth century dagger used with the
rapier, usually having a side ring guard and cruciform hilt.
274 Appendix A
Lines of attack (for right-handed combatant).

Inside line. The lines or parry positions protecting the combatant's left
side.
Outside line. The lines or parry positions protecting the combatant's right
side.
High line. The lines or parry positions protecting the combatant from the
waist up.
Low line. The lines or parry positions protecting the combatant from the
waist down.
Off line. 1. Any attack which is directed to a target away from the body. 2.
The relationship of combatants' bodies when the center lines of the
combatants are offset to the left, or to the right.
On line. 1. Any attack which is aimed directly to the combatant's body. 2.
The relationship of combatants' bodies when both partners' vertical center
lines are lined up, either face to face, back to back, or front to back.
Linstock. Pole-arm resembling a short pike but with two serpentine holders
below the head used to hold slow match for firing cannon.
Lists. An enclosure prepared for a tournament.
Livery. Among other things this term applies to the robes worn by the
adherents or servants of a lord, bearing his badge and in the tincture of his
coat of arms. This indicated the partisanship of an individual to a superior
and could be worn by people of any rank.
Lochaber axe. Scottish pole-arm with the emphasis on the axe blade, usually
having a hook at the top.
Locket. The top mount, usually made of metal, on a sword, knife or dagger
scabbard or sheath, designed to protect its mouth and also occasionally as a
point of suspension or fastening to a belt.
Long form. Sliding hand positions for quarterstaff utilizing the full length of
the staff for attack or defense.
Lucerne hammer. Hammer-headed pole-arm, popular with Swiss infantry in
both the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, balanced by a rear spike (fluke)
and with a second spike at the head of the shaft. Sixteenth and seventeenth
century examples often have a hammer head of coronel form.
Lunge. The "extended" leg position used as a method of reaching the opponent
on an attack. To lunge, the leading leg extends forward in a long step,
while the trailing leg stays in place.
Mace. A short club-like weapon, latterly with a flanged head, usually made of
steel.
Mail. A flexible defense constructed of inter-linked and riveted rings of metal,
the origin of which seems to be Celtic. Each link passes through four others
and the garment is shaped by the addition or subtraction of rings in
appropriate places.
Main gauche. Seventeenth century left hand dagger, usually having long
straight quillons and a broad triangular knuckle guard.
Manifer. A plate of defense for the lower part of the left hand and arm, usually
constructed in one piece and designed for the joust.
Glossary 275
Maul. Long handled mallet with a spike at the top, carried by English long-
bowmen.
Maximilian armor . A modem term applied to the style of early sixteenth
century armor characterized by narrow, parallel fluting, popular during the
reign of the Emperor Maximilian I (1494-1519) and thereafter until the
middle of the century.
Melee. Combat between two groups of knights as opposed to single combats
between two individuals. See also Tourney, which usually took the form of
a melee.
Misericorde. Narrow, sharp pointed dagger used to finish off dismounted
knights.
Mitten gauntlet. A gauntlet with articulated transverse lames covering the
fingers, rather than the fingers each being separately protected by a series of
articulated plates.
Morgenstern. Also see "Morning Star." Flemish flail of the fifteenth century
in the form of spiked ball attached to a haft by a chain; also a spiked
wooden club used by foot soldiers.
Morion. A sixteenth century development of the kettle hat, widely used by
infantry, consisting of a skull with a broad brim, flat or turned down at the
sides, but sweeping upwards into a peak at front and rear. There are two
main types: the so-called Spanish morion (cabasset) which was an almond-
shaped skull ending with a stalk-like projection, clearly derived from the
cabacete; and the comb morion which has a high central comb along the
apex of the skull.
Morning star. Also called morgenstern. A form of spiked club, popular in the
early sixteenth century.
Mortuary swords. Name given to seventeenth century basket-hilted
broadswords decorated with the head of England's Charles 1.
Moulinet/molinello. Means "little windmill" and describes the action of
pivoting the blade in circles in a diagonal, vertical, or horizontal plane.
Mourning sword. Small-sword with a plain hilt of blackened steel.
Muffler. A mitten-like extension to the sleeve of a hauberk with a hole in the
wrist so that the wearer could remove his hand.
Munnions. Articulated lames (often attached to the gorget) protecting the
shoulders and upper arms.
Nasal. Plate defense on early medieval helmets, often riveted to the bottom of
the skull to cover the nose and the middle of the face.
Noncontact strike. A blow delivered with the illusion of contact, properly
masked from the audience, with a well timed knap. A non-contact strike
always misses the target.
Panoply. The complete equipment of a soldier.
Pappenheimer. A rapier of Netherlandish design named after Heinrich, grafzu
Pappenheim, who participated in the Thirty Years War. It is a heavy
rapier with a form of swept hilt incorporating two large, pierced shell
guards. It is sometimes referred to incorrectly as a Walloon sword.
276 Appendix A
Parry. The defensive action of deflecting or blocking an attacking weapon.

What follows are the parries most commonly used in stage combat in this
country (for right-handed combatants):
Parry prime or parry 1. The hand is in half pronation with the point
down. Although the parry is intended to protect the left or inside line of the
body anywhere from the shoulders to the ankle, it is usually used against
attacks from the waist down. When used to protect the low line it is
sometimes referred to as the "watch parry" because the wrist position is
similar to looking at a wrist watch.
Parry seconde or parry 2. The hand is in pronation with the point down
protecting the low line on the right side..
Parry tierce or parry 3. The hand is in pronation with the point up
protecting the right, or outside high line (waist to head).
Parry quarte or parry 4. Hand is in supination with the point up
protecting the left, or inside high line.
Parry quinte or parry 5. The hand is in pronation protecting the head
from a downward vertical or diagonal cut. The hilt is on the right side of
the body; point extends to the left.
Parry sixte or parry 6. 1. Protecting the same area as a parry tierce or 3,
except the hand is held in supination. Usually used against a thrust. 2.
Protecting against a vertical or diagonal cut to the head. The hilt is on the
left side of the head, and the point extends to the right. Sometimes called a
"5-A" ("A" being a designation for "alternate").
Parry septime or parry 7. Protecting the low inside line with the hand in
supination.
Parry octave or parry 8. Protecting the low outside line with the hand in
supination.
Partizan. Pole-arm, first appearing in the early sixteenth century, with the
emphasis on the spear head, usually having upward curving projections
(flukes) at each side.
Pike. Long hafted spear with small head, often leaf-shaped and carried by
infantrymen. Pikes were used by the Flemings, the Swiss, and the Scotts
becoming as long as twenty-two feet from the sixteenth century.
Pass backward. The placing of the front foot in back of the rear foot.
Pass forward . The placing of the rear foot in front of the leading foot (a
walking step).
Pauldron. A laminated plate defense for the shoulder, extending at the front
and rear to protect the armpit.
Pavise. Large, usually rectangular shield carried by infantrymen and frequently
used in siege operations to protect archers. The largest pavises were
equipped with a prop to support them.
Pillow sword. Early form of small-sword with a slender, double edged blade
and a plain hilt.
Pilum. Heavy throwing spear used by the Romans.
Plackart. A plate reinforcement attached to the breastplate, which at first only
covered the lower half but latterly, especially on Italian armors, covered
nearly the entire breastplate.
Glossary 277
Poleaxe or pollaxe. A knightly staff weapon with an axe head balanced by a

rear spike (fluke) or hammer head and with spikes at the top and bottom of
the haft. It was used from the fifteenth century for foot combats and for
war.
Poleyn. A cup-shaped plate defense for the knee, usually equipped with a side
wing of heart shape.
Pommel. Also called pummel. A variously shaped counterweight to the sword
blade, sometimes riveted, but more often screwed on to the end of the sword
tang above the grip.
Pommel attack. An attack made, usually in close distance, with the pommel of
the weapon instead of the blade.
Poniard or poignard. Similar to a misericorde but smaller.
Prise de fer. A translation into English is, taking of the blade (or iron). Refers
to any controlling attack on the blade which takes an opponent's blade from
an existing line to a new one. Examples are a bind, envelopment, or croise.
Pronation. The position of the sword hand with the palm down.
Proof. Armor "of proof' is made sufficiently thick or hard to resist a shot from
bow or musket. The term first occurs in the texts of early medieval
romances.
Punch. An attack made with the fist.
Punto reverso. A point attack delivered from the attacker's inside line to the
partner's outside line with the hand often in supination.
Quillons. Term first used in the sixteenth century. The arms of the cross-bar on
a sword guard which protect the hand by preventing the opposing blade
from sliding down onto the fingers .
Quillon block. The central part of the guard of a sword, from which the
quillons spring; on early cross-hilted swords, the quillons and quillon-
block were made in one.
Quillon dagger. General term applied to daggers with cruciform hilts.
Quintain. A pivoted gibbet-like structure with a shield suspended from one arm
and a bag of sand from the other. Used to practice for jousting.
Ranseur. A form of Partizan.
Rapier. A sword with a long straight blade, introduced in the sixteenth century.
Originally designed for cut and thrust fighting, it gradually developed into a
purely thrusting weapon. Rapier hilts were often elaborate and may be
divided generally into swept hilt (a complicated guard consisting of
several thin metal bars), transition, and cup hilt.
Recovery backward. A standard recovery. To arrive at en garde (on guard)
position from a lunge by bringing the front foot backward. Often simply
referred to as "to recover" or the recovery.
Recovery forward . To arrive at en garde (on guard) position from a lunge by
bringing the rear foot forward.
Reinforced parry. A parry which utilizes the non-weapon hand as a brace to
increase the stability of the parry.
Rennen. A form ofjoust where the main object was to unhorse one's opponent,
although points were scored for the splintering of lances. It was fought with
pointed headed lances (the "joust of war").
278 Appendix A
Rennhut. A deep, one-piece sallet with a vision slit cut into it, specifically
designed for the rennen; sometimes equipped with a fluted brow reinforce
and a roller on its lower front edge.
Rerebrace. Plate armor for the upper arm.
Retreat. The rear foot steps backward, followed by the front foot. Sometimes
the retreat is also referred to as the "retire."
Ricasso. The part of the sword-blade nearest the hilt. It is usually thickened
and blunted to an oblong or rectangular section, allowing the finger to be
curled around it for a more secure grip.
Riposte. An attack immediately following a successful parry.
Rondache. See Buckler.
RondeI. Fourteenth to sixteenth century dagger with a thin blade and distinctive
hilt with a disc guard and pommel.
Runka. Also called a rawcon or a corseque. An early sixteenth century staff
weapon with a head having a long, straight central blade with two smaller
ones at its base projecting out from it at approximately forty five degrees
from the horizontal.
Sabaton. Sometimes called solleret by the French. A plate for defense for the
foot consisting of a number of lamenations across the foot, ending in a
toecap.
Sabre. A single edged, curved sword designed primarily for cutting, often with
false edge near the point on the back edge.
Sallet. A light helmet either fitted with a visor or open-faced, varying in form,
having a tail to protect the neck. In Germany it took a form somewhat like
a sou'wester, and in Italy that of a basinet. In England known as a salade.
Scabbard. Also called a sheath. The protective outer case for an edged
weapon, particularly swords and daggers. The term scabbard is generally
used for swords, and sheath for smaller blades such as knives and daggers.
Scarf sword. See Pillow sword.
Schiavona. A type of broadsword with a distinctive trellis and bar basket hilt,
used by Dalmatian mercenaries employed by Venice in the seventeenth to
eighteenth centuries.
Schlager. German dueling sabre of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with
a basket hilt and blunt edge and tip except for the last two inches near the
point.
Sciabola. Italian light, single edged sword with short false edge at the point.
Scramasax. Single edged Saxon sword from which the falchion was
descended.
Seax. Saxon knife with single edged blade.
Short form. A hand position for quarterstaff which divides the staff into three
equal sections.
Sidearm. Short sword worn especially by gunners, bandsmen and engineers
during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Side-ring. A modem term to describe the ring-shaped guard springing from the
quillon block at right angles to the quillons on swords of the late fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries.
Glossary 279
Sinclairsabel. Late sixteenth century Scandinavian sword with a long flat

curved blade and a triangular guard.
Skean Dhu. Small Scottish knife worn in the stocking top when in full dress.
Skeggox. Anglo-Saxon single-handed axe, used in hand-to-hand combat and
also as a missile.
Skull. The part of a helmet covering the top, back, and the sides of the head
above the ears. It can also denote a simple metal cap.
Slap. A blow usually delivered to the face with an open hand.
Small-sword. Light civilian sword with simple hilt, developed from and
succeeding the rapier. The slender thrusting blade was at first double edged
but from about 1700 on the hollow ground triangular section blade became
almost universal.
Solleret. See Sabaton.
Spangenhelm. A modern German term describing conical helmets constructed
of a number of segments riveted together; descended from Late Roman
prototypes.
Spadroon. A light cut and thrust sword with a stirrup hilt favored by officers of
the army and navy during the last eighteenth century. The spadroon has the
overall appearance of a small-sword, but actually is an earlier incarnation
with a flat, double-edged blade; as opposed to the colichemarde blade, or
the more traditional triangular hollow-ground small-sword blade
"Spanish" morion. See Cabasset and Morion.
Spatha. The long sword adopted by the Roman legions from the first century
A.D. onwards.
Spaudler. A light laminated defense protecting the point of the shoulder and
top of the arm, especially popular in Germany.
Spear. The oldest form of staff weapon, intended primarily for thrusting. The
war spear usually had a leaf-shaped or long, thin, triangular head.
Spetum. Staff weapon similar to a runka. The head consists of a long pointed
blade or tine with two upward-curving secondary blades extending
outwards on opposite sides from its base.
Spontoon. Miniature partizan with a leaf-shaped blade and a cross bar.
Originally a weapon, but from the seventeenth to the eighteenth centuries
(sergeants in British Army till 1831) carried as a staff of rank by officers
and NCOs (noncommissioned officers).
Spadroon..
Spurs. V-shaped metal goads strapped to the heel, used to drive the horse on.
Dating from early antiquity. Early medieval spurs were of simple prick
type; rowel spurs date from the very late thirteenth century.
Standard. A mail collar common in the fifteenth century.
Stechhelm. A "frog-mouthed" form of great helm which was worn specifically
for Gestesch (a form of jousting with rebated lances), bolted to the
breastplate.
Stechzeug. Armor designed for the Gestesch.
Stiletto. Seventeenth century dagger with thin blade, hilt and quillons often
being made in one piece with the blade.
Suit of armor. See Harness of armor.
280 Appendix A
Supination. The position of the sword hand with the palm up. The opposite of
pronation.
Surcoat. A flowing garment worn over armor from the twelfth century. It
could be sleeved or sleeveless, usually reaching the mid-calf. Later it was
shortened and in the fourteenth century developed into the jupon.
Sword breaker. Usually a parrying knife for use with the rapier, the back edge
being serrated to catch an opponent's blade, sometimes castellated to snap
the blade.
Sword stick. A walking stick with a sword blade concealed inside it, the handle
of the stick serving as the hilt.
Tang. The homogenous continuation of a sword or dagger blade, often passing
through and retaining the rest of the hilt (Guard, Grip and Pommel). By
the middle of the medieval period virtually all sword tangs passed through
the pommel and over it to secure and retain the hilt.
Target. Small circular or sometimes rectangular shield. Whereas the buckler
often has a single handle for the hand, the target often has two metal or
leather loops through which the forearm is slipped for further stability.
Tasset. A defense for the top of the thigh, hung from the fauld by straps to
cover the gap between cuisses and breastplate. First appeared in the
fifteenth century.
Thrust. An attack made with the point of the weapon.
Tilt. A barrier of wood covered in cloth to separate the jousters as they ran a
course. Introduced in the fifteenth century to stop head-long collisions.
Tonlet. Also called bases. A deep, hooped skirt of steel worn on armors
designed for foot combat from the late fifteenth to the early sixteenth
century.
Tournament. A mock combat, useful both for practice and entertainment
introduced as a formal occasion in the twelfth century.
Tourney. Also called in German freiturnier. Although originally implying
single combat, within the context of a tournament this term rapidly came
to signify a melee, either on foot or on horseback. See also Melee.
Traverse. Any foot movement that takes the combatant off-line.
Tuck. A contemporary English term for an estoc.
Two-handed sword. Large, double edged sword with a long hilt to enable it to
be swung with two hands. The swords usually have a second "grip" above
the quillons so that the sword may be "shortened" in crowded conditions.
Vambrace. Armor designed for the lower arm. The term can be applied to the
whole of the arm defense with the exception of the pauldron.
Vamplate. A circular plate of steel set in front of the grip on a lance to protect
the hand.
Vassal. An individual owing service and allegiance to his superior under the
feudal system.
Ventail. An integral flap of mail attached to the coif in the thirteenth century; it
could be drawn across the mouth to protect the lower face.
Visor. Protection for the eyes and face; a plate defense pivoted to the helmet
skull.
Glossary 281
Volant-piece. An English term for the reinforcing brow-piece on a helmet such

as the sallet.
Volte. A method of effacing the target by swinging the rear leg backwards and
sideways, so that the trunk is brought 180 degrees in relation to the attack.
Also referred to as, "Bum in the Face."
Voulge. Early form of halberd, introduced by the Swiss in the thirteenth
century.
Walloon sword. See Pappenheimer.
War hammer. Also called Martel and Horseman's Pick. A short-hafted
hammer used mainly in the late fifteenth centuries as a percussive weapon
by combatants on horseback. This horseman's pick combined a hammer
head with a long, curved pick-shaped fluke on the backside.
War hat. See Kettle hat.
White armor. A modem term for an armor of plain, polished steel without a
cloth or any other form of permanently attached covering.
Wrapper. An additional defense for the armet or, later, other helmets; it was
strapped to the front of the helmet and covered the lower half of the chin
and visor.
Wyvern. A legendary beast with the head of a dragon and the body of a
serpent. Attached by its head to a long staff, it was a traditional Norse
battle standard of the late Dark Ages, continuing to be used on the
Continent in the early Middle Ages.
Yield parry. A defensive movement immediately following a parried attack,
whereby the initial attacker gives way to a counter-attack while the blades
remain engaged. Also called a "Ceding Parry."
APPENDIXB
SELECTED FEATURE FILMS
The purpose of these brief commentaries is to inform the reader of cinematic

resources which they may wish to consult for information and inspiration
regarding period costumes, armor, weapons, and choreographic style.
Adventures of Casanova (1947). Director Arturo de Cordova proved an

excellent directorial stylist in his early days. Casanova leads the oppressed
people against their tyrannical ruler in eighteenth century Sicily.
Adventures of Don Juan (1948). Errol Flynn offers some of his better fencing,
while facing more than one opponent at a time. Some amusing drills are
presented by Don Juan's students. Flynn tries a little rapier and dagger in
the climactic duel on the staircase with villain Robert Douglas. The fights
were staged by Fred Cavens with Cavens doubling for Douglas. The
acrobatic leap from the stairs by Flynn and the subsequent kill with the
dagger, was restaged from the duel Cavens had staged for Alan Crosland in
the silent Don Juan (1926) .
Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Errol Flynn takes on the delightfully evil
Basil Rathbone (who claimed to fence for pleasure nearly every day). The
film features an excellent staircase fight sequence. Good example of sabre
technique done with aluminum broadswords. The film sports a nice
quarterstaff sequence between Flynn and Alan Hale (Little John). Early
master, Fred Cavens, staged the swordplay.
Against All Flags (1953). The film stars Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara, and
Anthony Quinn. Flynn is a dashing British soldier maneuvering among
buccaneers. Maureen O'Hara, as a pirate princess, shows she can handle a
rapier quite well. The climactic duel is between Flynn and a young
Anthony Quinn.
284 Appendix B
The Alamo (1960). John Wayne directs and stars as Davy Crockett. The final
battle is well worth waiting for. Cut and thrust weapons styles include
sabre, lance, and bayonet.
The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987). A television movie with James Arness
as Jim Bowie, Brian Keith as Davy Crockett, Raul Julia as Santa Anna,
Alec Baldwin as Col. Travis, and Lome Greene in a cameo as Sam
Houston. A somewhat trite rehashing of the last days leading preceding the
fall of the Alamo; the final battle (filmed by John Eisenbach) is well
coneived and filmed. Weapons styles include sabre, lance, and bayonet.
Alexander Nevsky (1938) . Sergei Eisentein and D. Vasilyev direct while
Prokofiev offers a stirring musical score. Set in 1242, the Prince of
Novgorod (Alexander Nevsky) leads his people in a desperate battle against
invading Teutonic Knights. Nevsky's serfs and warriors strategically
decide to make a stand against the Germans on the ice of Lake Peipus.
After nearly forty-five minutes of uninterrupted mayhem, the ice of Lake
Peipus opens up to swallow the heavier German forces who are in full
retreat. This film is virtually one lengthy battle scene. There is a great
deal here for those interested in armor, weapons (both aristocratic and
common), heraldry, etc. However, the actual fighting is generally framed
so closely that all you see are knights swinging broadswords and axes in
and out of frame, or huge masses of foot-soldiers crashing into each other.
There is a very interesting sequence in which the Germans have regrouped
and formed ranks with the first line kneeling behind their shields and the
second and third lines extending their lances beyond the first line. They
then repulse several attacks by the more lightly armored serfs. This film is
most interesting in its depiction of mass warfare strategy as opposed to
individual expertise in executing fight choreography. Considering German-
Soviet relations in 1938, it is no surprise to see Teutonic Knights depicted
as dropping live Russian babies into fire pits.
Anne of the Indies (1951). Lady pirate, Jean Peters, rapier in hand, fights well
with Louis Jourdan...but not well enough to win.
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946). Cornel Wilde, is featured as the son
of Robin Hood. Wilde won the American National Intercollegiate Fencing
Championships in 1934 and was a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Sabre
squad.
Black Arrow (1948). Louis Hayward stars in a film which offers some nice
jousting in the climactic tournament scene.
The Black Pirate (1926). Silent swashbuckler with Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as a
nobleman turned pirate. Fairbanks offers some energetic rapier work.
Black Shield of Falworth (1954). Tony Curtis (not very convincing) and Janet
Leigh star in this tale of usurpation and revenge. Medieval knights train
and the tournament scenes are of interest. A great deal of "boom and clang"
is dubbed onto the sound track.
The Black Swan (1942). Dashing pirate Tyrone Power, playing opposite a
beautiful Maureen O'Hara (no novice swords-woman herself--see Sons of
the Musketeers) offers some adequate rapier play in some nicely turned sea
battles. The final fight, between Power and a heavily doubled George
Selected Feature Films 285
Sanders, is slightly sped up and ranges over the entire ship while a battle is
ensuing.
Body and Soul (1947). John Garfield plays the lead and produces this gritty
film on the "boxing racket." Garfield fights his way out of the slums and
into the mob regaining his self-respect when he drops his opponent in the
ring.
Caesar and Cleopatra (1946). Claude Rains, Vivian Leigh, and Stewart
Granger. The film is a cinematic adaptation of G. B. Shaw's play. Stewart
Granger is afforded his first opportunity to wield a sword on-screen.
Captain Blood (1935). Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, and Basil Rathbone
are featured in the first "talkie" swashbuckler. This film serves as the
introduction of swashbuckling icon Errol Flynn, cup-hilt rapier in hand.
Captain Blood climaxes with an effective seashore duel on the rocks
choreographed by Fred Cavens.
Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter (1974). Captain Kronos is an unusual
blend of the horror and swashbuckling genres. A sword-wielding stranger
stalks a new breed of vampire. Fights directed by William Hobbs.
City of Conquest (1941) . The film stars James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, and
Arthur Kennedy. Cagney fights to pay for his younger brother's (Kennedy)
music lessons and goes blind after an opponent rubs rosin into his gloves
during the big fight.
Cleopatra (1963). This is a star-studded epic featuring Elizabeth Taylor,
Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, and Roddy McDowell. Taylor is the famous
queen of Egypt who seduces Julius Caesar and Marc Antony (Burton). The
film is renowned for being one of the most expensive and lavishly produced
flops in cinematic history. From a stage combat perspective, there are two
very interesting sequences. The first is a siege sequence in which Caesar
(Harrison) orders his soldiers to "form the turtle" (testudo) and destroy the
ballistas (catapults) which are pelting his walls with stones and fire. This
Iron Age "tank," made up of soldiers who create an armored box with their
shields (scutum), exits the fortress and inexorably makes its way toward the
enemy positions. The enclosed soldiers simply extend their spears (pilum)
through the cracks between the shields and pierce enemy soldiers who are
foolish enough to attack them. The second scene of interest is the famous
sea battle at Actium. In this sequence Antony and Cleopatra's ships clash
with those of Octavius and Pompeii in a doomed effort to save Egypt.
Conan the Barbarian (1982). Former world class body builder Arnold
Schwarzenegger stars in a film adaptation of Robert E. Howard's fictional
sword wielding warrior. This fantasy-adventure features a variety of
medieval-inspired weaponry (sword, spear, bow, axe, and war-hammer).
Conan shows a marked tendency to style (pose) and use Japanese (kendo)
cutting techniques.
Conan the Destroyer (1984). Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises as Conan the
barbarian warrior. Grace Jones wields an impressive quarterstaff while Wilt
Chamberlain prefers the battle axe. Arnold keeps to his fantasy
broadsword.
286 Appendix B
The Corsican Brothers (1941). This Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. version offers a
lengthy duel with Akim Tamiroff. Fred Cavens stages the small-sword
fight. He and his son, Albert, double frequently for the principals.
The Court Jester (1956). This film is an excellent blend of the sublime and the
ridiculous when it features Danny Kaye's climactic duel with Basil
Rathbone on the turrets of a castle. Strangely enough, though the story is
set during the medieval period--Rathbone and Kaye fence with rapiers. The
swordplay was set by Ralph Faulkner, who also doubled for Rathbone.
Rathbone was an excellent fencer, and was only doubled to allow Kaye
more freedom for some improvised comic bits of action that might have
proven somewhat dangerous for the classically trained Rathbone.
Crossed Swords (1954). Directors: Nato de Angelis and Milton Krim. The
story concerns a past-him-prime adventurer who foils an villainous Italian
counselor. Co-produced and shot in Italy starring Errol Flynn with Gina
Lollabrigida in her fourth film. Set in sixteenth century Italy with suitable
weapons of the period.
Crossed Swords (1978). Oliver Reed, Earnest Borgnine, George C. Scott, and
Charleton Heston in a remake of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper.
Rapier choreography is supplied by B. H. Barry. Reed offers, as he did in
Richard Lester's 1974 version of The Three Musketeers, some adroit rapier
and cloak.
The Crusades (1935) . Henry Wilcoxon wields a impressive hand and half
sword in the Third Crusade. Typical Cecil B. DeMille medieval
spectacular.
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). Jose Ferrer, directed by Stanley Kramer, captured
an oscar with his suitably theatrical style. The energetic duel at the Hotel de
Bourgogne between Bergerac and De Valvert (played by choreographer
Fred Caven's son, Albert--who quite dutifully allows Ferrer to take the spot
light) is in the typical sport fencing (sabre) style of Hollywood's Golden
Age of Swashbuckling. In this version we see Cyrano take on a crowd of
villains at the Port d' Nesle--with Fred Cavens doubling for Ferrer and
taking on, at least, eight at once.
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990). Gerard Depardieu as Cyrano. The fights (rapier
for Bergerac and Valvert in front of the Hotel de Bergonne and various
other Renaissance period weaponry, including farm implements, for the
battle scenes. Fights arranged and choreographed by William Hobbs.
Dangerous Liaisons (1990). John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer,
and Keanu Reeves in costume drama set just before the French Revolution.
Hobbs supplies a suitably dangerous (if framed very tightly) small-sword
duel for Malkovich and Reeves.
Destry Rides Again (1939). James Stewart is teamed up with Marlene Dietrich.
This time it's the women who end up flinging fists at one another. Marlene
Dietrich and Una Merkle duke it out in a two minute long, very vicious
fight.
Die Another Day (2002) Director Lee Tamahori supplies one of the weaker in
the James Bond juggernaut. Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry star with
Brosnan (Bond) and Gustav Graves (the villainous Toby Stephens) squaring
off in a rollicking and very physical saber fight (choreography by Bob

Anderson) that ranges far throughout a mansion...and results in a lot of
damage to the set-if not the characters. Anderson makes good use of
fencing doubles Jonathan Weeks, Ben Paul and Steve Paul.
Dodge City (1939). Errol Flynn in a well staged saloon brawl in that perennial
"cow-town," Dodge City.
The Duellists (1977). Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine fight a twenty year
long duel set against the backdrop of Napoleon's European campaigns and
the early Republic. There is a wide range of dueling offered in the film,
including small-sword, cavalry sabre (on foot and on horseback), and pistol.
The fights are supplied by William Hobbs. This early offering of director
Ridley Scott, is an excellent resource for costumes, weapons, and
choreography.
EI Cid (1961). Charleton Heston and a riveting tournament scene which
includes jousting, battle axe, single-handed broadsword (with Heston using
his saddle as a shield), and two-handed broadsword. Heston and Andrew
Cruikshank engage in a rather lengthy single-handed broadsword fight
supplied by Jean Heremans.
Excalibur (1973). John Boorman's rendition of the King Arthur legend. Nicol
Williamson as Merlin, Nigel Terry as Arthur, and Helen Mirren as
Morgana. William Hobbs stages the combat sequences. The final battle
between Arthur and Mordred is particularly brutal but stylishly
photographed. Excellent examples of fantasy armor are displayed.
Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). Combat highlights include Christopher
Plummer and Stephen Boyd in a pilum duel set in a large rectangular list
supplied by Roman soldiers stacking their shields (scutum) one on top of
the other.
The Four Musketeers (1973). Richard Lester offers a campy romp as a sequal
to The Three Musketeers with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard
Chamberlain, Frank Finley, Charleton Heston, Christopher Lee, Raquel
Welch, and Faye Dunaway. Some very creative fights are staged by
William Hobbs, including one on an iced over creek, still another in a
burning stable/barn, and a climactic rapier and dagger fight between
D'Artagnan and Rochefort in the chapel of a convent.
Genghis Khan (1965). Omar Sharif is supported by Stephen Boyd and James
Mason. The film is useful for its Mongol costumes, weapons, and milieu.
It also offers an interesting duel between Sharif and Boyd which begins
with lance on horseback and degenerates into sabre on foot.
Gentleman Jim (1942). Errol Flynn stars in this bio-flick loosely based on the
life and times of the polished nineteenth century pugilist Jim Corbett. Flynn
performs some stylish bare knuckle fighting.
Giant (1956). James Dean and Rock Hudson in a film as large as its setting,
Texas. Offers one of the truly great fist fights captured on film.
The Great John L. (1945). Greg McClure as John L. Sullivan in some very
exciting and often funny ring scenes.
The Great Race (1963). Tony Curtis as "The Great Leslie," Natalie Wood,
Jack Lemmon, and Peter Falk. The film offers some nice foil and sabre
288 Appendix B
sequences. The fencing is slightly sped up for effect. There is also a very
energetic and entertaining barroom brawl sequence set in the quintessential
mythic Westem-frontier-town ofBorracho.
Gunga Din (1939). Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. with some rough
and tumble swordplay (sabre) set in colonial India.
Hamlet (1948). Laurence Olivier (won the Oscars for best actor and picture)
and Terence Morgan (Laertes) offer some very impressive rapier and dagger
staged by Denis Loraine. Olivier utilizes the Salvini disarm during the
exchange of rapiers.
Hamlet (1990). Franco Zefferelli casts Mel Gibson in the role of the
melancholy Danish prince. Fight Director William Hobbs applies some
imagination and produces some creative swordplay with the medieval
broadsword--three different types (sizes) are utilized; the smallest set is
used in two-handed, double-fence style.
Helen of Troy (1955). Stanley Baker, Bridget Bardot, and Harry Andrews.
The classic story of the fall of Troy at the hands of Greek forces led by
Menelaus and Agamemnon. One of the highlights of the film is the single
combat between Hector and Achilles which begins on chariot with javelins
and climaxes on foot with club-butted spears. There is also an interesting
sequence in which the Greeks attempt to storm the walls of Troy with a
siege machine--right out of the Middle Ages-only to be repelled by Paris
and his Trojan forces. Another effective sequence is the ambushing of the
gate keepers by commandos hidden away in the Trojan horse. Excellent, if
not totally historically correct, action with sword, shields, spear, and
chariot. Costumers, armorers, and weapons-makers will find this film quite
helpful.
Henry V (1945). Sir Laurence Olivier directs and plays the young King Hal.
Broadsword, shield, and longbow are used in the exciting climactic battle
sequence at Agincourt. Useful for costuming, armor, weapons, and insight
into medieval battle strategy and technique..
Henry V (1990). Kenneth Branaugh directs and stars in this film adaptation of
Shakespeare's classic tale of the making of a king. This version sports a
nicely executed battle at Agincourt. The director makes good use of
meager resources and makes a little look like quite a lot. Broadswords,
pikes, and lots of longbow action at Agincourt.
Highlander (1986). Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown, and
Sean Connery. A sixteenth century Scottish warrior ends up in twentieth
century America pursued by his arch-enemy. An intriguing blend of
sparking broadswords, katanas, claymores and "MTV video"style.
Hook (1991). Robin Williams stars as Peter Pan with Dustin Hoffman as his
arch-nemesis, Captain Hook. Steven Spielberg's much ballyhooed telling of
the Peter Pan tale. Some cutlass and small-sword play, staged by Los
Angeles fight director Dan Speaker, near the end of the film.
If (1967). Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, The Royal Flash, Time
After Time and Blue Thunder) in his film debut about boys at an English
boarding school. There is an interesting sabre fight which occurs in the
school's gymnasium.
Iron Mistress (1952). Anthony Quinn in the New Orleans fencing salle with
Alan Ladd as Jim Bowie. The film offers an interesting knife versus sword
duel in a darkened room. Fight Director Fred Cavens makes a cameo
appearance as the fencing master.
Ivanhoe (1953). Robert Taylor, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor, and George
Sanders. A lavishly produced medieval costume drama. Yakima Canutt
staged the action sequences. The armor (full plate armor, as opposed to
chain-mail) is not historically accurate for the period. Taylor and Sanders
(or their doubles) participate in brutal joust. A fair amount of "boom-
clang" (to simulate the sound of the weapons bashing into the armor) is
added to the soundtrack.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Todd Armstrong and Gary Raymond star in
this rendition of the ancient Greek myth. Animated skeletons appear,
courtesy of Ray Harryhousen, to swordfight with live actors.
Julius Caesar (1953). Marlon Brando, James Mason, and John Gielgud in
Shakespeare's classic of intrigue in the Roman capitol and on the battlefield.
An excellent film for costuming and weapons, but there is not a great deal
to offer fight directors in terms of combat.
King Lear (1983). Sir Laurence Olivier in one of his later and greater
performances. William Hobbs offers some very impressive sword and
shield choreography in the climactic duel between Edmund and Edgar. The
costuming and settings are a creative blend of medieval and ancient Celtic
Britain.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Director Ridley Scott's epic treatment of the fall
of Jerusalem, in that period between the second and third Crusades, to the
famed Muslim leader Saladin. Sword master C.C. Smiff supplies the fights.
The most memorable sequence is when a posse attempts to arrest Belian
(Orlando Bloom). This fight involves Liam Neeson, Orlando Bloom, and
Kevin McKidd fighting off the bad guys. Broadswords abound.
The King's Thief (1955). Edmund Purdom in an interesting attempt to pinch
the Crown Jewels in seventeenth century London. The film offers some
nice rapier work in a fight staged in the Tower of London.
Ladyhawke (1984). Rutgar Hauer fights an evil Bishop (John Woods) in
medieval Europe. William Hobbs offers some very creative single and
double-handed broadsword. Overall style is medievaVfantasy-including a
rock 'n roll soundtrack. Co-stars Matthew Broderick and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The Last of the Mohicans (1992). Not the 1936 original with Randolph Scott,
or the 1977 remake with Steve Forrest, but a sumptuously filmed remake
with Daniel Day Lewis and Madeleine Stowe in the leads. James Fenimore
Cooper's classic tale of the French and Indian War in colonial America.
The fighting is simultaneously brutal and beautifully photographed. Nice
examples of combat with primitive Indian weapons and eighteenth century
firearms.
The Legend of Zorro (2005) This sequel to The Mask of Zorro (1998) reunites
director Martin Campell with stars Antonio Banderas (Don Alejandro de la
Vega/Zorro) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Elena, his long-suffering wife).
Rufus Sewell steps into the villainous shoes filled by Stuart Wilson in the
290 Appendix B
first film. This sequel does not quite live up to its prequel. It is a bit plot
heavy and sports many anachronisms. The heavy plot leaves less room for
the sort of spectacular sword-brawls present in the first film. Those fights
present, supplied by venerable sword-master Bob Anderson, are serviceable
but not as inspired as in the 1998 film. The high point of the film is a fight
that takes place on moving train.
Lives of a Bengal Lancers (1935). Gary Cooper stars with Franchot Tone, and
Richard Cromwell. Cooper and Tone are friends in the famous late
nineteenth century British Regiment. The action sequences (firearms,
sabre, and lance) in this film still put many later films to shame.
The Lord of the Rings (2001). The much ballyhooed and long-awaited
cinematic treatment of 1. R. R. Tolkien's classic trilogy of novels. Peter
Jackson served as director for all three films, The Fellowship of the Ring,
The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. All three films were shot
together but released over a two year period. Elijah Wood stars as Frodo,
with Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandolf, and a slew
of other high profile stars in a variety of roles. Once again veteran Bob
Anderson supplies the fights. Weapons and fighting styles include
broadsword, battleaxe, bow and arrow, and a variety of fantasy weapons. If
ever a film was a good fit for computer generated graphics, this is it. Those
looking for extended one-on-one fights that exhibit technical skill may be
somewhat disappointed. Most of the fights in this piece are one or two
blow kills with a quick edit to the next hero taking out yet another
indiscernible Ore. Lots of action...just not much definition.
Macbeth (1948). Orson Welles, who directs and plays the ambitious Thane of
Cawdor, offers some nice broadsword action.
Macbeth (1971). Roman Polanski directs Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Martin
Shaw. This film is often remembered because of its gory and brutal
violence. Useful for its period weapons and costuming.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1938). Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett, Alan Hale,
and Walter Kingsford star. Nice example of an early Hayward
swashbuckling vehicle. Hayward offers some energetic rapier work.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). Directed and written by Randall Wallace,
who also penned the screenplay for Mel Gibson's Braveheart. Leonardo
DiCaprio stars as twin brothers Louis XIV and Phillipe in this retelling of
the classic Alexandre Dumas tale of how a tyrannical French king is
replaced by his more compassionate twin. The famous four musketeers,
some twenty years after we were first introduced to them, are played by
John Malkovich (Athos), Gerard Depardieu (Porthos), Jeremy Irons
(Aramis), and Gabriel Byrne (D'Artagnon). Single rapier and rapier and
dagger fights are supplied by William Hobbs. Lavish sets and costumes c.
1660 France.
The Mark of Zorro (1920). Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Stars in what some critics
laud as his best work. Lots of sabre swordplay in that inimitable, highly
athletic style only Douglas Fairbanks could supply.
The Mark of Zorro (1940). Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone offer some
excellent swordplay. Some of the more pure sabre technique you will ever
see on film. Albert Cavens, son of Fred Cavens, doubled extensively for
Powers. The gravel-voiced Eugene Pallette once again dons a cassock and
sword (as he did in The Adventures of Robin Hood) and has a brief fight
with Rathbone.
The Mark of Zorro (1974). This made for TV movie stars Frank Langella.
The film ends with a showy sabre fight between the two primary
antagonists. But Langella and Ricardo Montalban (as Col. Esteban) don't
quite offer the energy and panache of their predecessors (Powers and
Rathbone).
The Mask of Zorro (1998). Directed by Martin Campbell. Stars Antonio
Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, and
Matt Letscher. Banderas stars as the masked crusader out to rid Spanish
California of injustice and tyranny twenty years after Zorro first appeared
on the scene. Anthony Hopkins is Don Diego de la Vega who has served
twenty years in prison for his earlier exploits as Zorro. He must now find a
suitable heir to his mantle-and finds one in a near- do-well bandit played
by Banderas. The highly athletic sword fights are supplied by veteran
Hollywood sword-master Bob Anderson. Many of the sword fight
sequences are longer than has become the recent standard in Hollywood,
which has recently tended to rely upon one or two cuts, a punch, and then
off to the next sequence. According to fight director Anderson, these fights
are closer in tone to the fights of the Golden Age of Hollywood
swashbucklers of the past and are more reminiscent of Douglas Fairbanks,
Sr.'s athleticism and use of humor.
The Master of Ballantrae (1953). Errol Flynn is involved in the revolution to
dethrone the Hanovers and place Bonnie Prince Charles on the throne of
England. Robert Louis Stevenson supplies the story and Paddy Crean
supplies the fights. Very nice ship-board duel between Crean (doubling for
Flynn) and Bob Anderson (doubling for Flynn ' s adversary) who has gone
on to a rather successful career as a fight director in his own right (The
Princess Bride and the 1993 Disney version of Three Musketeers) .
McLintock! (1963). John Wayne takes a shot at slapstick Western! The whole
town gets involved in a fantastic brawl. This is a very entertaining film
with some pretty funny "schtick" and comic combat routines (including a
fight at the top of a mud-slide).
The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954). Don Taylor, Reginald Beckwith, and
David King Wood star in a British version of Robin and his Merry Men.
Taylor is a sword wielding and properly cavalier Robin.
Mississippi Gambler (1953). Tyrone Power is involved in some impressive
affairs d' honeur involving the small-sword in 1850 New Orleans. An
excellent resource for costumes, weapons, and mise-en-scene of the ante-
bellum deep South. Fight Director Fred Cavens makes a cameo appearance
as the fencing master.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974). A wonderful parody of the "King
Arthur" legend and film geme. The broadsword fight between Arthur and
the Black Knight at the bridge especially stands out as particularly brutal--
and hilarious .
292 Appendix B
The Moonraker (1957). Cavalier George Baker versus Roundhead Peter Arne.
Well produced costume drama set in the 1650s and having to do with
followers of Charles Stuart. A competent final sequence is offered as the
hero attempts to fight (rapier) his way from an inn to the seashore, where an
escape ship awaits.
The Musketeer (2001). Peter Hyams directs this East meets West adaptation of
Dumas pere's classic. Justin Chambers stars as D'Artagnan with Tim Roth
doing duty as the heavy, Febre "the man in black." Hong Kong style wire-
work is utilized in a somewhat ridiculous climactic fight staged on ladders
teetering to and fro. Pascal Lopez serves as sword master.
Pirates (1986). Roman Polanski's multi-million dollar flop filmed in Tunisia.
Walter Matthau stars as a wooden-legged pirate after a golden Aztec
throne. Rapier and cutlass fights are supplied by William Hobbs. The
rapiers have the historically accurate heavy, double-edged blade as opposed
to the thinner epee blades of the 1930s and 1940s. Hobbs choreography
reflects a newer penchant for shorter blade sequences coupled with punches
and kicks.
The Prince and the Pauper (1937). An athletic and much praised Errol Flynn
in Mark Twain's famous story. Flynn dispatches his old friend, Alan Hale,
in a rapier fight in a forest.
Prince Valiant (1954). Robert Wagner fights with James Mason while taking a
tum as the famed cartoon prince in a typical Twentieth Century Fox
cardboard costumer. The film offers sword, scramasax, and spear work
supplied by Jean Heremans.
The Princess Bride (1989). Carey Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, and
Wallace Shawn star. Canadian fight director Robert Anderson stages some
very entertaining, if somewhat tongue-in-cheek, rapier work with Mandy
Patinkin and Carey Elwes. Both actors are very impressive as they fight left
handed, only to later reveal that they are actually both right handed.
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937). Ronald Colman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and
David Niven star. Colman is forced to impersonate his cousin who is king
of a small Ruritanian country. Colman and Fairbanks use lighting, good
direction, and camera angles to get the maximum effect out of their sabre
fight with minimum effort. The climactic sabre fight is staged by the late
Ralph Faulkner who appeared in the role of Bersonin.
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952). A lavish remounting of the Ronald
Colman/Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. classic with James Mason and Stewart
Granger. The film is valuable for examining the Prussian military milieu,
including costuming, weapons, and mise-en-scene. Jean Hereman staged
the sabre duel between Mason and Granger in Zenda Castle.
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939). Errol Flynn and Betty
Davis star. Michael Curtiz once again directs Errol Flynn with vigor and
style. The costumes, armor, weapons, and acting are great.
The Purple Mask (1955). Tony Curtis, Gene Barry, and Angela Lansbury star.
A very athletic Tony Curtis as a nineteenth century sword wielding
nobleman out for justice. Tony has some interesting shots in the salle d'
armes, and a fast moving duel around the base of "Madame la Guillotine."
Quentin Durward (1955). Robert Taylor stars as a dashing hero in the fifteenth
century France of Louis XI. He manages to come to life, just before the
end of the film, in a noisy bell-tower fight.
Raging Bull (1980). Robert De Niro, in what many critics believe to be one of
the greatest performances in cinematic history. Martin Scorsese directs De
Niro, Joe Pesci, and Cathy Moriarty is this "bio-pic" on the life and career
of Jake La Motta. The boxing in this film is beautifully photographed,
though graphically brutal. De Niro trained very hard at boxing for over a
year before filming began.
Red River (1948). John Wayne is the boss on a cattle drive during which
Montgomery Clift leads a rebellion and takes over. Wayne and Clift have a
rip roaring fist fight when the drive finishes in Abilene.
Red Sonja (1985). Brigette Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger star in this
"Conan-esque" sword and sorcerer movie. Arnold and Brigette have a
fairly lengthy fight (all in fun of course). The film offers plenty of fantasy
broadsword action.
Richard III (1955). Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, and Ralph Richardson star
in this Olivier directed production. There is some very impressive combat
work on the field at Bosworth. Olivier took an all-too-real arrow in the
calf! The film offers impressive armor, weapons, combat, and excellent
acting as well.
Robin and Marian (1976). Richard Lester directs as he visits Sherwood Forest
when an older, but not necessarily wiser, Robin has returned from the
Crusades. Sean Connery is Robin, Nicol Williamson is Little John, and
Robert Shaw gives a great turn as the Sheriff of Nottingham. William
Hobbs stages a very brutal duel with broadsword, shield, and battle axe
between Robin and the Sheriff.
Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (1992). Kevin Costner stars with Alan
Rickman. The film offers some broadsword, bow, and some quarterstaff as
well. The final fight between Costner and Rickman sees more blows
landing on the set than on the blades.
Rob Roy (1950). Richard Todd and Glynis Johns star in one of Disney's
drearier films. Todd leads a Scottish clan in an uprising against England's
King George during the eighteenth century. The battle sequences are
impressive, probably due to the fact that a Highland regiment supplied the
extras.
Rocky (1976). Sylvester Stallone wrote the script and had the good sense to
hold on to it until he was signed to play the lead role. The final fight
between Rocky and Apollo Creed is a bit heavy on blows to the head, but
the fight definitely delivers emotionally.
Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1956). John Derek, Diana Lynn, Alan Hale, and
George Macready star. John Derek is the son of Robin Hood fighting for
the Magna Carta with his broadsword on horseback.
Romeo and Juliet (1936). Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer star. This
version is well cast and well acted throughout. Basil Rathbone (Tybalt) and
John Barrymore (Mercutio) supply some impressive rapier and dagger
work.
294 Appendix B
Romeo and Juliet (1962). A Bolshoi Ballet production. This rendition offers
some superb action and a red-headed, left-handed Tybalt offers up some
red-hot rapier play. Useful for study for fight directors involved in staging
swordplay for the ballet.
Romeo and Juliet (1966). Legends Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev star
for the Royal Ballet. Fight directors may find observation of the fights
useful if they are involved in staging fights for the ballet.
Romeo and Juliet (1968). Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey star, ably
supported by Milo O'Shea, John McEnry, and Michael York. A nice
example of the early Agrippa style rapier at work. Whiting as Romeo and
Michael York as Tybalt fight it out in the town square after Mercutio is
accidentally killed by Tybalt.
The Royal Family (1930). Cyril Gardner, Frederick March, Ina Claire, and
Charles Starett star. An entertaining cinematic translation of the
Kaufman/Ferber play about a theatrical family that bears an uncanny
resemblance to the Barrymores. March is great fun in his John Barrymore
role. The film offers an impressive fencing lesson scene.
The Royal Flash (1975). Malcolm McDowell, Britt Eckland, Alan Bates, and
Oliver Reed. McDowell (of A Clockwork Orange fame). An energetic,
bordering on the slap-stick, sabre fight between McDowell and Bates is
staged by William Hobbs.
Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948). Stewart Granger and Joan Greenwood star.
Granger is a count who falls for the wrong woman--the fiancee of the future
George I of England. He ends up dead...but not until after some
entertaining swordplay.
Scaramouche (1952). Stewart Granger, Mel Ferrer, and Janet Leigh star.
Granger is out to avenge his brother's death. The only problem is he cannot
fence and the villain can, excellently. Stewart Granger loses to Mel Ferrer
in a well-contrived fencing salle scene as Ferrer literally strips the plastron
off of him. Granger gets his revenge on the ledges of the balcony, high
above the seats of the Ambigu Theatre in eighteenth century Paris. The
swordfights, still considered some of the best in cinematic history, were
staged by Belgian fight director Jean Heremans. The Ambigu Theatre
fight runs an incredible six minutes and thirty seconds.
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982). Not the original with Leslie Howard, but a
television movie starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymore, and Ian
McKellan. The film offers a nicely staged, if somewhat repetitious, sabre
duel between Andrews and MacKellan after the Pimpernel mysteriously
avoids the firing squad. The weapons used in the duel aren't really accurate
for the period (German sabres), but the fight is still entertaining. The
costumes and the sets are impressive. The sabre fight is done with what are
essentially adjusted competitive weapons not the heavy bladed cavalry
sabres of the Napoleonic ear.
The Sea Hawk (1940). Errol Flynn stars as a privateer for Queen Elizabeth I.
The film offers a lively blend of costumes, swordplay, romance, and
adventure on the high seas. It also offers some nicely staged boarding
scenes. The climax offers a nifty duel between Flynn and Henry Daniell
in which Flynn cuts all the lit candles in the room.
The Seven Percent Solution (1976). Herbert Ross directs Nicol Williamson as
Sherlock Holmes. This is a new Sherlock Holmes adventure (penned by
director Nicholas Meyer) which happens when Holmes is tricked into
visiting Freud to treat his cocaine addiction. It also offers a great climactic
sabre duel on top of a moving train between Holmes and his Prussian
antagonist (Jeremy Kemp).
Shane (1953). Alan Ladd is the mysterious stranger, Jack Palance is the villain,
and Brandon De Wilde the young boy Shane befriends. The film offers a
great shootout between Ladd and Palance and a tremendous fist fight when
the local boys in the saloon decide to give Shane a rough time over
ordering a soda.
Sodom and Gomorrah (1962). Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli, and Stanley
Baker star. Granger shows Baker that the (quarter) staff can be stronger
than the sword.
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956). Paul Newman stars in this "bio-pic"
based on the life of middleweight champion Rocky Graziano. Newman is
charming, in an ingratiating way, in the role and is lithe and moves well in
the fighting sequences.
Sons of the Musketeers (1952). Cornel Wilde and Maureen O'Hara star. The
fathers are too old, so the sons (and a daughter) must answer the Queen's
call. A nice fencing lesson scene, with Maureen O'Hara bettering her
master. Cornel Wilde is suitably triumphant in final duel on staircase. The
film was also released under the title At Sword's Point. Fight Director Fred
Cavens makes a cameo appearance as (what else?) the fencing master.
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965). John Wayne and Dean Martin star. Typical
but lively Western with the Duke, Dean, and Earl Holliman as brothers out
to avenge their mother's death. The film offers moments of humor
including a great brawl between the brothers.
The Son of Monte Cristo (1940). Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett, and George
Sanders star. This is a formula swashbuckler offered up in the typical
1940s studio style. Louis Hayward keeps busy battling with Sanders over
Bennett. Nice sabre fight on the staircase between Sanders and Hayward.
Set in the early French Republic.
Spartacus (1961). Kirk Douglas and Jean Simmons star with Tony Curtis and
Laurence Olivier. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film is based on an
actual historical incident. Kirk Douglas stars as the gladiator who leads a
slave rebellion against Rome. Woody Strode and Douglas engage in an
impressive net and trident (Retiarius) versus short sword (Thracian) fight in
the gladiatorial arena. The battle scenes are engrossing as the slaves and
gladiators (unarmored) must battle against the heavily armored Roman
Legions. Some of the battle tactics the slaves and gladiators utilize, such as
rolling flaming logs downhill and into the advancing Legions, are
interesting to note. The film also depicts gladiatorial training scenes which
take place in the "Ludi" (training school) under the guidance of a gnarled
and merciless Lanesta (head trainer).
296 Appendix B
The Spoilers (1914). A silent version with William Farnum and Tom Santaschi
in the Western brawl to end all brawls.
The Spoilers (1922). Another silent version of the 1914 original. This time
Milton Sills and Noah Beery brawl away in the mud and the blood.
The Spoilers (1930). This is the first "talkie" version of the classic. Paramount
hired Farnum and Santaschi as consultants so as to recreate the now famous
mud brawl; only this time with William Boyd and Gary Cooper in the
roles.
The Spoilers (1942). This time its John Wayne and Randolph Scott at each
others throats. They pretty well destroy a saloon before they burst through
the doors, out into the streets of the Klondike mining town that serves as the
setting for the story. A truly great example of the barroom brawl.
The Spoilers (1955). One more time around for this classic; this time in color,
and starring Rory Calhoun and Jeff Chandler. This version does not quite
have the punch of the earlier versions--but still has plenty of muddy
punches to spare.
Sword of Lancelot (1963). Cornel Wilde stars in another retelling of the Arthur
Legend with lots of broadsword action and scenery.
Taras Bulba (1962). Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner star. Curtis and Brynner as
sixteenth century Cossacks at war with the Poles. Lots of Cossack sabre
and Polish lance at work in the battle scenes.
Three Hundred Spartans (1962). Richard Egan stars with Ralph Richardson,
Diane Baker, and Barry Coe. Egan and his 299 hoplites attempt to hold
Thermopylae against the Persians. The film offers some nice Spartan
phalanx and "wedge" work with sword, shield, and spear.
The Three Musketeers (1939). Don Ameche stars with the Ritz Brothers. A
musical retelling of the musketeer story (reasonably faithful to the plot)
with a likable Ameche cast as D'Artagnan. Those in need of costume and
weapons information will find it of some use. The swordplay in this
picture, as might be expected, tends to stress the comic.
The Three Musketeers (1948). Gene Kelly shows how dancing helps with
fencing footwork. Jean Heremans staged the swordplay. The impressive
fight between the musketeers and the Cardinal's men at the beginning of the
film was filmed at Busch Gardens in Pasadena, Ca. This duel held the
record for the longest duel on the screen...until Heremans set a new record
with Scaramouche. The viewer can spot Heremans fighting with, and
losing to, Kelly on the beach. Kelly's athletic dancing style, which
emphasizes a strong, vigorous line, translated well into swordplay.
The Three Musketeers (1973). Richard Lester places tongue firmly in cheek
and leads D'Artagnan (Michael York), Athos (Oliver Reed), Aramis
(Richard Chamberlain), and Porthos (a padded and stack-heeled Frank
Finley) through the paces. Flashy fights are staged by William Hobbs and
include rapier and dagger, rapier and cloak, rapier and lantern, rapier and
dirty clothes, rapier and just about anything imaginable.
The Three Musketeers (1993). Keiffer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, and Tim
Curry star. All the character's names are there--but the story bears little
resemblance to the Dumas classic. Comedy still reigns supreme in this
version that features some of the Hollywood "Rat Pack." Some interesting
fights (perhaps more for the way in which they have been filmed rather than
the choreography) staged by Robert Anderson of The Princess Bride fame.
Tom Jones (1963). Tony Richardson directs Albert Finney, Susannah York,
Lynn Redgrave and David Warner. This is a lavishly produced adaptation
of Henry Fielding's novel about the exploits of a rowdy eighteenth century
English playboy. The film offers eighteenth century small-sword work,
including a rather unorthodox encounter involving small-sword versus
quarterstaff. Yet another fight is a somewhat vigorous duel in which both
participants are armed with small-swords.
The Tower of London (1939). Basil Rathbone as the power-crazed Richard III.
This film is non-historical drama, not horror. A nice practice sequence with
poleaxe is offered in the armory.
Troy (2004). Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, and Peter O'Toole star in
Wolfgang Petersen's lavish adaptation of Homer's Iliad. Fight direction is
supplied by Richard Ryan. The climactic spear and sword fight between
Achilles (Pitt) and Hector (Bana) is, perhaps, one of the most creative one-
on-one fights ever filmed.
Valley of the Kings (1954). The story meanders a bit, but focuses on Robert
Taylor attempting excavations in Egypt on tombs of the ancient pharaohs.
Taylor duels with sword and shield against a Tuareg chief.
The Vikings (1958) . Kirk Douglas, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, and Earnest
Borgnine star. The film offers a great deal of action, including a rousing
final broadsword combat between Curtis and Douglas on the castle turret.
Famed Fight Director Paddy Crean makes an appearance and is
unceremoniously dispatched by Tony Curtis.
The War Lord (1965). Well done adaptation of Leslie Steven's The Lovers.
The obsessed Charleton Heston is excellent as an eleventh century Norman
overlord. Included is a rousing siege of a castle keep and some excellent
medieval combat with the broadsword, axe, and various other weapons of
the period.
APPENDIXC
SUPPLIERS OF PERIOD STAGE WEAPONS

AND ACCOUTREMENTS
Alan Meek
180 Frog Grove Lane
Wood Street Village
Guildford, Surrey
England GU3 3HD United Kingdom
011-44-148-323-4084
Theatrical weapons for stage and screen.
The Armoury/American Fencers Supply

1180 Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-863-7911
Competitive and theatrical weapons; videos and publications.
Arms and Armor

1101 Stinson Blvd. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
612-331-6473
Theatrical weapons, historical re-creations; memorabilia.

300 Appendix C
Art of the Sword

761 Calusa
El Cerrito, CA 94530
415-526-3755
Theatrical weapons.
Belle and Blade

124 Penn Ave.
Dover, NJ 07801
201-328-8488
Theatrical weapons.
Blade, Inc.
212 West 15 th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-620-0114
Competition fencing equipment; limited period arms available.
The Collector's Armoury, Inc.

800 Slaters Lane
P.O. Box 1061, Dept. CA
Alexandria, VA 22313
703-684-6111
Historical recreations and theatrical weapons .
Eiler Robert Cook

P.O. Box 188
Etowah, NC 28729
704-692-0323
Theatrical weapons.
Fiocchi Sword Cutlery

305 E. State St.
Athens, OH 45701
740-593-4263
Theatrical weapons
Suppliers of Period Stage Weapons and Accoutrements 301
Gratzner Period Accoutrements

P.O. Box 12023
Marina Del Rey, CA 90295
310-823-2050
Accoutrements such as belts, frogs, hangers, scabbards, etc.
Dennis L. Graves: Swordcutler

255 St. 41st St.
Boulder, CO 80303
303-494-4685
Theatrical weapons and historical re-creations.
Mark Haney
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
916-944-0252
Theatrical weapons including handmade broadswords.
Lundegaard Armoury
P.O. Box 287
Crompond, NY 10517
914-271-9798
Theatrical and custom fantasy weapons.
Museum Replicas/Atlanta Cutlery

2143 Gees Mill Rd., Box 840
Conyers, GA 30207
800-241-3664
Historical re-creations, weapons, period costumes, and publications.
Ramshead Armoury
P.O. Box 653
Champaign, IL 61820
217-351-7232
Theatrical weapons.
Rogue Steel
3738 Blanchan Ave.
Brookfield, Illinois 60513
708-485-2089
Theatrical Weapons
302 Appendix C
Stages Unlimited, Inc.

635 Dee Road
Park Ridge, IL 60068
312-698-6545
Theatrical weapons for stage and screen.
Triplette Competition Arms

162 W. Pine St.
Mt. Airy, NC 27030
919-786-5294
Competition weapons and equipment, theatrical weapons, videos, and
Steve Vaughan
800 Vernal Road
Attica, NY 14011
716-474-1160
Custom made theatrical weapons; rental and sales.
Vulcan's Forge
Lewis Shaw, Proprietor
330 W. 23rd. St.
Baltimore, Md. 21211
410-340-1461
Theatrical weapons and historical re-creations.
Weapons of Choice
4075 Browns Valley Rd.
Napa, CA 94558
707-226-2845
Theatrical cut and thrust weapons.

APPENDIXD
SELECTED PUBLISHERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND

PERIODICALS
PUBLISHERS
Bantam Doubleday Dell

School and Library Marketing Department
1540 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Request the Complete College Catalogfor All Academic Disciplines.
Delta Press, Ltd.

P. O. Box 1625 Dept. V34
215 S. Washington St.
EI Dorado, AR 71731
1-501-862-4984
FAX: 501-862-9671
Request their current catalogue of publications, including books and

videos.
Loompanics Unlimited
P. O. Box 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Request their current catalogue (which they refer to as A Sampler of

Unusual Books from the Best Book Catalogue in the World).
304 Appendix D
Paladin Press
P. O. Box 1307
Boulder, CO 80306
303-443-7250
1-800-835-2246 ext. 21 (to place orders)
Request their current catalogue of publications, including books and

videos.
Stackpole Books (U.S. distributor for Osprey, Ltd.)

5067 Ritter Rd.
Mechanicsburg, PA
Phone: 800-732-3669
Fax: 717-796-0412
Request their Osprey publications brochure, which lists their complete Men-
at-Arms, Elite, and Campaign Series of publications. They also regularly
publish the Stackpole Military Publications Catalogue. This publisher is
an excellent resource for the fight director, director, actor-combatant,
dramaturg, or costumer interested in historical research.
Webster's Unified
333 Post Road West
Westport, CT 06889
Request information on the Combat and Survival Series.
DISTRIBUTORS
Barnes & Noble

126 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
Request their catalogues on Ancient, Classical, and Medieval History.
The Military Book Man, Ltd.

29 East 93 rd Street
New York, NY 10128
(212) 348-1280
Military, naval, and aviation history. Out-of-print and rare books.

Selected Publishers, Distributors, and Periodicals 305
Rutgers Book Center

127 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
201-545-4344
Request the complete Rutgers Bookcenter Catalogue.
PERIODICALS
Armor. (Journal of the U.S. Cavalry Association), u.S. Army Armor Center,
Attention: ATSB-MAG, Fort Knox, KY 40121; (502) 624-2249.
ISSN: 0004-2420.
This bi-monthly journal contains analysis of military history, research

and development related to military hardware, tactical doctrine of
mobile warfare, and logistics.
Army: Combat Forces Journal. Association of the U.S. Army, 2425 Wilson
Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 841-4300. ISSN: 0004-2455.
Each monthly edition is devoted to the military arts and sciences and
examines defense, current events, and military history.
Council on America's Military Past Journal. Council on America's Military

Past, Box 1151, Fort Meyer, VA 22211; (602) 299-0359.
A quarterly journal offering scholarly articles on military history.
The Fight Director: Journal of the Society of British Fight Directors. Steve
Wilsher, Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.
North Campus 205 Humber College Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M9W 5L7
416-675-6622 ext. 2915
Note: The Society of British Fight Directors has recently split into two new
organizations, the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat, and the
British Academy of Dramatic Combat. However, past editions of The Fight
Director would remain an invaluable resource for the fight director. This
organizational journal contains a wide variety of articles which examine
such diverse topics as the history of personal combat, the history of
weapons (edged and firearms) , famous duelists, well known swordsmen of
the stage and screen, book and video reviews, weapons maintenance, and
306 Appendix D
information on the former Society of British Fight Directors and its

membership.
The Fight Master: Journal of the Society of American Fight Directors.

Linda McCollum, editor, Department of Theatre, 4505 Maryland Parkway
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5044 (702-895-3662)
This organizational journal is published in the Fall and Spring of each year.
For a sampling of the range of articles please see the annotation for The
Fight Director.
Infantry. "Infantry School Quarterly," Infantry Magazine, Box 2005, Fort

Benning, GA 31905-0605 (404-545-2350). ISSN: 0019-9532.
This quarterly magazine offers articles on various military subjects but

takes as its primary focus infantry organization, weapons, equipment,
tactics and techniques, and relevant historical subjects. An excellent
resource for those involved in researching the individual infantryman and
the tactics and strategies of the battlefield.
Military History. Empire Press, 105 Louden St., SW, Leesburg, VA 22075
(703) 771-9400. ISSN: 0889-7328.
This bi-monthly magazine offers vibrant and accurate articles on military

history. It brings several land, sea, and air battles (from ancient history to
modern warfare) to life in each issue.
Naval History. U.S. Naval Institute, Preble Hall, Annapolis, MD 21402 (301)
268-6110. ISSN: 1042-1920.
A quarterly journal devoted entirely to naval history and warfare at sea.
Journal of Military History. Society for Military History, c/o Virginia

Military Institute, Lexington, VA (703) 464-7468. ISSN: 0026-3931.
A scholarly journal devoted to articles and reviews on various aspects

of military history.
APPENDIXE
BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND VIDEO TITLES BY CATEGORY

AND HISTORICAL PERIOD
These titles are organized so as to facilitate the reader's attempt to locate specific
bibliographic entries by category or historical period. Each category is listed in
order along with the page number the category begins on in this appendix.
Titles are listed alphabetically within each category appearing in the
bibliography. Each title is then followed by the appropriate entry letter and
number (e.g. "A46" would be the forty-sixth entry in the "Articles Chapter;"
similarly, "B57" would be the fifty-seventh entry in the "Books Chapter;" and
"VIO" would be the tenth entry in the "Videos Chapter." The page number for
the entry is also included in each entry. What immediately follows is a "table of
contents" for this chapter.
Stone Age 308

Bronze Age 308
Iron Age 310
Dark Ages 312
Viking Period 314
Middle Ages 316
Renaissance 319
Transition Period 324
Eighteenth Century 325
Unarmed Combat 331
"How-To" Publications 332
308 Appendix E
STONE AGE
Ballard, Rae Ellen. "Alan Meek: Arms and Armor." Theatre Craft Magazine.
(A 4) p. 207.
Byam, Michelle. Arms and Armor. (B 28) p. 60.
Coe, M., P. Connolly, A. Harding, V. Harris, D. J. La Rocca, A. North, T.
Richardson, C. Spring, and F. Wilkinson. Swords and Hilt Weapons.
(B 38) p.71.
Demmin, Auguste. An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour (from the
Earliest Period to the Present Time) . (B 43) p. 78.
Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. (B 47) p. 82.
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons: An International Encyclopediafrom 5,000 B.C
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p.98.
Howard, John T. , Jr. "The Bloody Knife." Theatre Crafts Magazine. (A 33)
p.222.
Lacombe, M. P. Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. (B 79) p.
116.
MacYoung, Marc "Animal." Knives, Knife Fighting, and Related Hassles: How
to Survive a Real Knife Fight. (B 83) p. 121.
MacYoung, Marc "Animal" and Richard Dobson. Surviving A Street Knife
Fight: Realistic Defensive Techniques. (V 10) p. 252.
Mayes, Jim. How to Make Your Own Knives. (B 90) p. 130.
Peterson, Harold L. Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World (from
the Stone Age til 1900). (B 107) p. 146.
Reid, William. Arms Through the Ages. (B 112) p. 152.
Sanchez, John . Blade Master: Advanced Survival Skills for the Knife Fighter.
(B 116) p. 155.
Sietsema, Robert. Weapons and Armor. (B 118) p. 157.
Steiner, Bradley 1. No Second Chance: Disarming the Armed Assailant.
(B 125 p. 164.
Stone, George Cameron. A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use
ofArms and Armor in All Countries and All Times. (B 126) p. 166.
Styers, John. Cold Steel: Technique ofClose Combat. (B 127) p. 166.
Tarassuk, Leonid and Claude Blair (eds.). The Complete Encyclopedia ofArms
and Weapons. (B 130) p. 171.
Tunis, Edwin. Weapons: A Pictorial History. (B 138) p. 178.
Wilkinson, Frederick. Arms and Armour. (B 151) p. 195.
Wilkinson-Latham, Robert. Swords in Color. (B 154) p. 197.
Wise, Arthur. The Art and History ofPersonal Combat. (B 157) p. 200.
Wise, Terence. European Edged Weapons. (B 160) p.203.
BRONZE AGE
Allanson-Winn, R. G. and C. Phillips-Wooley. Broad-Sword and Single-Stick.

(B 2) p.32 .
Books, Articles, and Video Titles by Category and Historical Period 309
(A 4) p.207.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Medieval Weaponry (Segment #1) .
(V I) p. 233.
BulI, Stephen. An Historic Guide to Arms and Armor. (B 26) p. 58.
Cassidy, William. The Complete Book ofKnife Fighting. (B 31) p. 63.
Cassin-Scott, Jack. The Greek and Perian Wars 500-323 B.C. (B 32) p.96.
Coe, M., P. Connolly, A. Harding, V. Harris, D. 1. La Rocca, A. North, T.
(B 38) p.71.
Cook, Brian F. "Footwork in Ancient Greek Swordsmanship." The
Metropolitan Museum Journal. (A 13) p.212.
Earliest Period to the Present Time). (B 43) p. 78.
Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Waifare. (B 47) p.82.
Edmond, James (ed.). Violence in Drama. (B 110) p. 149.
Grancsay, Stephen. Arms and Armor. (B 56) p. 94.
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons: An International En cyclopedia from 5,000 B.C.
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p. 98.
Holden, Matthew. The Legions ofRome. (B 69) p. 106.
Howard, Jr., John T. "The Bloody Knife." Theatre Crafts Magazine. (A 33)
p.222.
Hrisoulas, Jim. The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection.
(B 71) p. 107.
Koch, H. W. History of Waifare. (B 78) p. 115.
116.
Latham, Sid. Knifecraft. (B 81) p. 119.
Lane, Richard. Swashbuckling. (B 80) p. 117.
Martinez, 1. D. The Swords ofShakespeare. (B 87) p. 125.
Mayes, Jim. How To Make Your Own Knives. (B 90) p. 130.
Norman, A. V. B. A History of War and Weapons, 449-1660: English Warfare
from the Anglo-Saxons to Cromwell. (B 100) p. 139.
the Stone Age till 1900). (B 107) p. 146.
Sanchez, John. Blade Master: Advanced Survival Skills for the Knife Fighter.
(B 116) p. 155.
Sekunda, Nicholas and McBride, Angus. The Ancient Greeks. (B 117) p. 156.
Simkins, Michael. Warriors ofRome. (B 122) p. 162.
Snodgrass, A. M. Arms and Armour of the Greeks. (B 123) p. 162.
310 Appendix E
Steiner, Bradley J. No Second Chance: Disarming the Armed Assailant.

(B 125) p. 164.
ofArms in All Countries and All Times. (B 126) p. 166.
Treece, Henry and Ewart Oakeshott. Fighting Men. (B 136) p. 176.
Trevino, Rafael and Angus McBride. Rome's Enemies (4) : Spanish Armies.
(B 99) p. 138.
Turner, Sir James. Pallas Armata: Military Essayes of the Ancient Grecian,
Roman, and Modern Art of War Written in the Years 1670 and 1671.
(B 141) p. 180.
von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Armorial Adjuncts." The Metropolitan Museum
Journal. (A 49) p. 230.
Vuksic, V. and Z. Grbasic. Cavalry: The History ofA Fighting Elite. (B 145)
p.186.
Warry, John. Alexander 334-323 B.C.: Conquest of the Persian Empire.
(B 149) p. 193.
Wilcox, Peter and G. A. Embleton. Rome's Enemies (1): Germanics and
Dacians. (B 150) p. 194.
Wilkinson, Frederick. Swords and Daggers. (B 152) p. 195 .
Wise, Arthur. The Art and History ofPersonal Combat. (B 157) p. 200
Wise, Arthur. Weapons in the Theatre. (B 158) p.201.
IRON AGE

(B 2) p. 32.
(A 4) p. 207.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Medieval Weaponry (Segment #l).
(V 1) p.233.
Bull, Stephen. An Historic Guide to Arms and Armor. (B 26) p. 58 .
Byam, Michelle. Arms and Armor. (B 28) p. 60 .
Cassidy, William. The Complete Book ofKnife Fighting. (B 31) p. 63 .
(B 38) p.71.
Earliest Period to the Present Time) . (B 43) p. 78.
Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. (B 47) p.82 .

Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion. (B 55) p.92.
Grant, Michael. Gladiators. (B 57) p. 93 ..
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons: An International Encyclopediafrom 5,000 B.C.
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p. 98.
Holden, Matthew. The Legions ofRome. (B 69) p. 106.
p.222.
Hrisoulas, Jim. The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection .
(B 71) p. 107.
Koch, H. W. History of Warfare. (B 78) p. 115.
Lacombe, M. P. Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
(B 79) p. 116.
Lane, Richard. Swashbuckling. (B 80) p. I 17.
to Survive a Real Knife Fight. (B 83) p. 12I.
Mayes, Jim. How To Make Your Own Knives. (B 90 p. 130.
Newark, Tim. The Barbarians. (B 96) p. 135.
Nicolle, David and Angus McBride. Rome's Enemies (4): The Desert Frontier.
(B99) p. 138.
(B 116) p. 155.
Sekunda, Nicholas and Angus McBride. The Ancient Greeks. (B 117) p. 156.
Simkins, Michael and Ron Embleton. The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan.
(B 121) p. 161.
Simkins, Michael. Warriors ofRome. (B 122) p. 162.
Snodgrass, A. M. Arms and Armour ofthe Greeks. (B 123) p. 162.
(B 125) p. 164.
Trevino, Rafael and Angus McBride. Rome's Enemies (4): Spanish Armies.
(B 99) p. 138.
312 Appendix E

Roman, and Modern Art of War Written in the Years 1670 and 1671.
(B 141) p. 180.
Vuksic, V. and Z. Grbasic. Cavalry: The History of A Fighting Elite. (B 145)
p.186 .
Wagner, Eduard. Cut and Thrust Weapons. (B 146) p. 190.
Warry, John. Alexander 334-323 B.C.: Conquest of the Persian Empire.
(B 149) p. 193.
Wilcox, Peter and G. A. Embleton. Rome's Enemies (1): Germanics and
Dacians. (B 150) p. 194.
Wise, Terence and Richard Hook. Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265-146
B.C. (B 159) p.202 .
Wise, Terence. European Edged Weapons. (B 160) p.203 .
DARK AGES

(B 2) p.32.
Ashdown, Charles. Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages. (B 7) p.37.
Baldick, Robert. The Duel: A History ofDueling. (B 12) p. 42 .
(A 4) p.207 .
Blackmore, Howard L. Arms and Armour. (B 17) p.47.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Medieval Weaponry (Segment #1).
(VI) p. 233.
Bull, Stephen. An Historic Guide to Arms and Armor. (B 26) p. 58.
Cassidy, William. The Complete Book ofKnife Fighting. (B 31) p.63.
(B 38) p.71.
Donovan, Frank R. The Vikings. (B 45) p. 80.
Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Waifare. (B 47) p. 82.
Edge, David and John Miles Paddock. Arms and Armor ofthe Medieval Knight:
An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages. (B 49)
p. 84.
Forrest, Kris L. and Peter Story Pentz. "Constructing Broadswords for the
Theatre." Theatre Crafts Magazine. (A 22) p. 217 .
Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion. (B 55) p. 92.

Graves, Dennis. "A Discussion of Sword Nomenclature." The Fight Master:
Journal ofthe Society ofAmerican Fight Directors. (A 29) p. 220.
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons: An International Encyclopedia from 5,000 B.C
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p.98 .
Hardy, Robert. Longbow: A Social and Military History. (B 61) p.99.
Heath, Ian and Angus McBride. Byzantine Armies 886-1118. (B 65) p. 118.
Hobbs, William. Stage Combat: "The Action To The Word." (B 67) p. 143.
Hoff, Michael and Natan Katzman (ex. Prods.) Deadly Duels: A Three Video
Set. (V 4) p. 241.
Holen, Rick. "Outfit an Army for Under $100." Theatre Crafts Magazine.
(A 31) p.221.
p.222.
Hrisoulas, Jim. The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection .
(B 71) p. 107.
Hutton, Alfred. The Sword and the Centuries, or Old Sword Days and Old
Sword Ways. (B 73) p. 109.
Keegan, John. The Face ofBattle. (B 75) p. III.
Koch, H. W. History of Warfare. (B 78) p. liS .
Lacombe, M. P. Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
(B 79) p. 116.
Latham, Sid. Knifecraft. (B 81) p. 119
to Survive a Real Knife Fight. (B 83) p. 121 .
Fight: Realistic Defensive Techniques . (V 10) p. 252.
Marshall, Dorothy. "Fighting the Myth of Metal." Theatre Crafts Magazine.
(A 36) p. 223 .
Marshall, Dorothy and Deborah Levin. "Knitting Chainmail." Theatre Crafts
Magazine. (A 37) p. 223.
Marshall, Henry. Stage Swordplay or "So you want to be Errol Flynn ?" (B 85)
p. 123 .
Martinez, J. D. The Swords ofShakespeare. (B 87) p. 125.
Mclan, R. R. and James Logan. The Clans of the Scottish Highlands. (B 92)
p. 131.
Nicolle, David and Angus McBride. The Age ofCharlemagne. (B 97) p. 136.
Oxenstierna, Count Eric. The Norsemen. (B 104) p. 143.
Palfy-Alpar, Julius . Sword and Masque. (B lOS) p. 143 .
Payne-Galway, Sir Ralph. The Crossbow. (B 106) p. 145.
314 Appendix E
(B 116) p. 155.
(B 125) p. 164.
Treece, Henry and Ewart Oakeshott. Fighting Men . (B 136) p. 176.
Tunis, Edwin. Weapons: A Pictorial History. (B 138 p. 178.
p. 186.
Wilkinson, Frederick. Arms and Armour. (B 151) p. 195 .
Wilkinson, Frederick. Swords and Daggers. (B 152) p. 195.
Wise, Arthur. Weapons in the Theatre. (B 158) p. 201.
Wise, Terence. European Edged Weapons. (B 160) p. 203 .
VIKING PERIOD

(B 2) p.32.
Ashdown, Charles. Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages. (B 7) p.37.
Baldick, Robert. The Duel: A History ofDueling. (B 12) p. 42.
(A 4) p.207.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Medieval Weaponry (Segment #1) .
(V 9) p.233.
Cassidy, William. The Complete Book ofKnife Fighting. (B 31) p.63.
Richardson, C. Spring, and F. Wilkinson. Swords and Hilt Weapons .
(B 38) p.71.
Donovan, Frank R. The Vikings. (B 45) p. 80.
Theatre." Theatre Crafts Magazine. (A 22) p. 217.
Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion . (B 55) p. 92.

to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p.98.
Hardy, Robert. Longbow: A Social and Military History. (B 61) p.99.
Hobbs, William. Stage Combat: "The Action To The Word." (B 67) p. 143 .
Set. (V 4) p.241.
(A31) p.221.
p.222.
Hrisoulas, Jim. The Complete Bladesmith : Forging Your Way to Perfection.
(B 71) p. 107.
Keegan, John. The Face ofBattle. (B 75) p. III .
(A 36) p. 223 ..
Marshall, Henry. Stage Swordplay or "So you want to be Errol Flynn?"
(B 85) p. 123.
McIan, R. R. and James Logan. The Clans of the Scottish Highlands . (B 92)
p. 131.
Oakeshott, R. Ewart. European Weapons and Armour. (B 103) p. 141.
Oxenstiema, Count Eric. The Norsemen . (B 104) p. 143.
Palfy-Alpar, Julius. Sword and Masque. (B 105) p. 143.
Payne-Galway, Sir Ralph. The Crossbow. (B 106) p. 145.
(B 116) p. 155.
(B 125) p. 164.
ofArms in All Countries and All Times . (B 126) p. 166.
316 Appendix E

and Weapons . (B 130) p. 171.
p.186.
Wise, Arthur. Weapons in the Theatre. (B 158) p. 20 I.
Wise, Terence. European Edged Weapons. (B 160) p.203 .
MIDDLE AGES
Allanson-Winn, R. G. and C. Phillips-Wooley. Broad-Sword and Single- Stick.

(B 2) p.32.
Allcock, Hubert. Heraldic Design: Its Origins, Ancient Forms and Modern
Usage. (B 3) p. 33 .
Ashdown, Charles. Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages. (B 7) p. 37.
Aylward, J. D. The English Master ofArms, from the Twelfth to the Twentieth
Century. (B 9) p. 39.
Baldick, Robert. The Duel: A History ofDueling. (B 12) p.42.
(A 4) p.207.
Barber, Richard. The Knight and Chivalry. (B 14) p.44.
Behlmer, Rudy. "Swordplay on the Screen." Films in Review. (A 6) p.208.
Blackmore, Howard L. Arms and Armour. (B 17) p. 47.
Blair, Claude. European Armour. (B 19) p. 80.
(V I) p.233.
Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters ofFence. (B 33) p.65.
Clements, John. Renaissance Swordsmanship. (B 36) p.69.
Clephan, R. Coltman. The Tournament: Its Periods and Phases. (B 37) p.70.
(B 38) p.71.
Conwell, Charles. "A Museum for the 21 st Century." The Fight Master. (A II)
p.21O.
Conwell, Charles. "Of Fights and Films: A Conversation with William Hobbs."
The Fight Master. (A 12) p. 2 I I.

Dillon, Jr. , Robert. Towards a Theatrical Hoplology. (B 44) p. 79.
"Dueling in the Time of Brantome." The Quarterly Review. (A 18) p. 215.
Dufty, Arthur Richard. European Armour in the Tower of London. (B 46)
p.81.
Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. (B 47) p.82.
Edge, David and John Miles Paddock. Arms and Armor ofthe Medieval Knight:
An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages. (B 49)
p.84.
Evered, Derek. "A Tactical Course At Sabre." Fencing. (A 20) p.216.
Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion . (B 55) p.92.
Grancsay, Stephen. "The Armor of Galiot De Genouilhac." The Metropolitan
Museum ofArt Papers. (A 28) p. 219
Gravett, Christopher. Hastings 1066: The Fall of Saxon England. (B 58)
p.97.
Gravett, Christopher and Richard Hook. Medieval Siege Warfare. (B 59)
p.98.
Hammer, L. "Ralph Faulkner: The Last Swashbuckler." American Fencing.
(A 30) p. 220.
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons: An International Encyclopedia from 5,000 B.C.
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p. 98.
Hardy, Robert. Longbow: A Social and Military History. (B 61) p. 99
Heath, Ian and Angus McBride. Byzantine Armies 886-1118. (B 65) p. 118.
Hindley, Geoffrey. Medieval Warfare. (B 66) p. 103.
Hobbs, William. Fight Directionfor the Stage and Screen. (B 67) p. 104.
Set. (V 4) p.241.
(A 31) p. 221.
Holmes, M. R. Arms and Armour in Tudor and Stuart London . (B 70)
p. 107.
p. 222.
(B 71) p. 107.
Hutton, Alfred. The Sword and the Centuries, Or Old Sword Days and Old
Jeffreys, Steven. A Medieval Seige. (B 74) p. 110.
Keegan, John. The Face ofBattle. (B 75) p. Ill.
Kiernan, V. G. The Duel in European History; Honour and the Reign of
Aristocracy. (B 76) p. 113 .
318 Appendix E

116.
Loades, Mike. The Blow By Blow Guide to Swordjighting in the Renaissance
Style . (V 9) p.249.
MacYoung, Marc "Anima1." Knives, Knife Fighting, and Related Hassles: How
Marshall, Dorothy. "Fighting the Myth of Meta1." Theatre Crafts Magazine.
(A 36) p. 223.
Marshall, Dorothy and Deborah Levin. "Knitting Chainmai1." Theatre Crafts
Magazine. (A 37) p.223 .
Marshall, Henry. Stage Swordplay or "So you want to be Errol Flynn?" (B 85)
p. 123.
Martinez, J. D. The Swords ofShakespeare. (887) p. 125.
McIan, R. R. and James Logan. The Clans of the Scottish Highlands. (B 92)
p. 131.
Newark, Tim. The Barbarians . (B 96) p. 135.
Nickel, Helmut. "Some Heraldic Fragments Found at Castle Montfort/Starken-
berg in 1926, and the Arms of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights."
The Metropolitan Museum Journal. (A 44) p. 227.
Nicolle, David and Angus McBride. The Age ofCharlemagne. (B 97) p. 136.
Nicolle, David and G. A. Embleton. Italian Medieval Armies. (B 98) p. 137.
Norman, A. V. B. A History of War and Weapons, 449-1660. (B 100) p. 139.
Oxenstierna, Count Eric. The Norsemen. (B 104) p. 143.
Palfy-Alpar, Julius. Sword and Masque. (B 105) p. 143 .
Payne-Gallway, Sir Ralph. The Crossbow. (B 106) p. 145.
Pyhrr, Stuart. "European Armor from the Imperial Ottoman Arsena1." The
Metropolitan Museum Journal. (A 46) p. 228.
Richards, Jeffrey. Swordsmen of the Screen : From Douglas Fairbanks to
Michael York. (B 113) p. 152.
Rothero, Christopher. The Armies ofCrecy and PoWers. (B 115) p. 154.
(B 116) p. 155
(B 125) p. 164.
Still, Collin. Masters of Defence: Civilian Swords and Swordsmanship in
Europe 1500-1800. (V 15) p. 259 .

Suddeth, 1. Allen. Fight Directing for the Theatre. (B 128) p. 167.
and Weapons . (B 130) p.17\.
Tunis, Edwin. Weapons: A Pictorial History. (B 138) p. 178 .
Turnbull, Stephen. The Book of the Medieval Knight. (B 139) p. 178.
von Volborth, Carl-Alexander. Heraldry: Customs, Rules and Styles. (B 144)
p. 185.
p.186.
Wagner, Eduard. Medieval Custume, Armour and Weapons. (B 146) p. 241.
Walker, Donald. Defensive Exercises; Comprising Wrestling, Boxing, Defence
Against Brute Force, By Various Means; Fencing and Broad Sword, with
Simpler Methods; The Gun, and its Exercise; The Rifle, and its exercise.
(B 148) p. 19\.
Wilkinson-Latham, Robert. Phaidon Guide to Antique Weapons and Armour.
(B 153) p. 197.
Willers, Johannes. "Armor of Nuremburg." Gothic and Renaissance Art in
Nuremburg, 1300-1500. (A 50) p.230.
Wise, Terence and Gerald Embleton. Medieval European Armies. (B 161)
p.204 .
RENAISSANCE
Alaux, Michel. Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. (B 1) p. 31.

(B 2) p. 32.
"American Pole Arms or Shafted Weapons." The Bulletin of the Fort
Ticonderoga Museum. (A 1) p. 205.
A New Book ofSports. (B 4) p. 34.
Annis, P. G. W. Naval Swords: British and American Edged Weapons 1660-
1815. (B 6) p.36.
"A 'Non-boring' History ofStage Combat.. " The Fight Master. (A 2) p.206.
Asquith, Stuart and Chris Warner. New Model Army 1645-60. (B 8) p.38.
Aylward, J. D. The English Master of Arms, from the Twelfth to the Twentieth
Century. (89) p. 39.
320 Appendix E

(A 4) p.207.
Barbasetti, Luigi. The Art ofthe Sabre and Epee. (B 13) p.43.
Barthop, Michael and G. A. Embleton. The Jacobite Rebellions 1689-1745.
(B 15) p. 46.
Behlmer, Rudy. "Swordplay on the Screen." Films in Review. (A 6) p.208.
Blair, Claude. "A Royal Swordsmith and Damascener: Diego de Caias." The
Metropolitan Museum Journal. (A 7) p. 208.
Blair, Claude. European and American Arms circa 1100-1850. (B 18) p.48.
Bosenquet, Henry T. A. The Naval Officer's Sword. (B 20) p. 51.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Elizabethan Weaponry (Segment #2).
(V 2) p.236.
Bowers, Fredson. Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy 1587-1642. (B 21) p.53.
Bowers, Fredson Thayer. "Middleton's Fair Quarrel and the Duelling Code."
The Journal ofEnglish and Germanic Philology. (A 8) p. 264)
Bryson, Frederick R. The Sixteenth Century Italian Duel. (B 23) p. 56.
Brzezinski, Richard and Richard Hook. The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1):
1nfantry. (B 24) p. 56.
Brzezinski, Richard and Angus McBride. Polish Armies 1569-1696 (1) . (B 25)
p.57.
Burt, Payson. Of Paces. (B 27) p. 58.
Byrnes, Joe. "Technical Talks." American Fencing. (A 9) p.209.
Carlyle, Thomas. English and Other Critical Essays . (B 29) p. 6l.
Cass, Eleanor Baldwin. The Book ofFencing. (B 30) p. 62.
Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters ofFence. (B 33) p.65.
Chartrand, Rene and Francis Back. Louis XIV's Army. (B 35) p. 68.
Clements, John. Renaissance Swordsmanship. (B 36) p. 69.
(B38) p.7!.
Conwell, Charles. "A Museum for the 21 51 Century." The Fight Master.
(A II) p.210.
The Fight Master. (A 12) p. 211.
Cornish, Paul and Angus McBride. Henry VIII's Army. (B 39) p. 73.
Council, Norman. When Honour's at the Stake. (B 40) p. 74.
Craig, Horace S. "Dueling Scenes and Terms in Shakespeare's Plays."
Publications in English. (A 14) p.212 .
Crean, Patrick. "Working with Errol Flynn." The Fight Master. (A 15)
p.213 .
Crosnier, Roger. Fencing with the Foil. (B 42) p.75.

Dillon, Robert, Jr. Towards a Theatrical Hoplology. (B 44) p. 79.
"Dueling in the Time of Brantome." The Quarterly Review. (A 18) p.215.
Dufty, Arthur Richard. European Armour in the Tower of London . (B 46)
p.81.
Edelman, Charles. Brawl Ridiculous: Swordfighting in Shakespeare's Plays.
(B 48) p.83 .
"'En guarde': An Illinois court case has a lesson about stage combat for actors
and directors." Dramatics Magazine. (A 19) p.215.
Gaugler, William M. "Labat and the Development of the French School, Parts I
and II." American Fencing. (A 23 & 24) p.217-18.
Gaugler, William. "The Italian Formula for Success." American Fencing.
(A 25) p.218.
Girard, Dale Anthony. Actors On Guard. (B 54) p. 90.
Goodacre, E. B. "The Duel in 'Hamlet'." The London Times Literary
Supplement 1//1/34. (A 26) p. 218.
Goodacre, E. B. "The Duel in Scene in 'Hamlet'." The London Times Literary
Supplement 2/8/34. (A 27) p.219.
(A 30) p. 220.
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons : An International Encyclopediafrom 5,000 B.C.
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p. 98.
Hayward, J. F. Swords and Daggers. (B 64) p. 102.
Hobbs, William. Stage Combat: "The Action To The Word." (B 67) p. 143 .
Set. (V 4) p. 241.
Holmes, M. R. Arms and Armour in Tudor and Stuart London . (B 70) p. 107.
Hotson, Leslie. "The Adventure of Single Rapier." The Atlantic Monthly.
(A 32) p. 221.
Howard, John T., Jr. "The Bloody Knife." Theatre Crafts Magazine. (A 33)
p. 222.
(B 71) p. 107.
John, Evan. "The Duel in 'Hamlet'." The London Times Literary Supplement
1/25/34. (A 34) p.222 .
Johnson, Raoul. Combat for the Stage. (V 5) p.244.
Aristocracy. (B 76) p. 113.
322 Appendix E
Kist, 1. B. Jacob de Gheyn: The Exercise of Arms; A Commentary. (B 77)

p. 114
Lacombe, M. P. Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. (B 79)
p. 116.
Loades, Mike. The Blow By Blow Guide to Swordfighting in the Renaissance
Style. (V 9) p. 249.
Manley, Albert. Complete Fencing. (B 84) p. 122.
p. 123.
Martinez, 1. D. "A Tale of Jealousy, Swordplay, and a Certain Italian." The
Fight Master. (A 38) p. 224.
Martinez, J. D. "Englishman to the Core, Gentleman by Birth, Swordsman by
Choice." The Fight Master. (A 39) p. 224.
McCollum, Linda Carlyle. "The Fencing School in Blackfriars." The Fight
Master. (A 41) p.226.
McElroy, Mary and Kent Cartwright. "Public Fencing Contests on the
Elizabethan Stage." Journal ofSports History. (A 42) p. 226.
p. 13 I.
Miller, Douglas and G. A. Embleton. The Landsknechts. (B 93) p. 132.
Mitchell, Lee. "The Fencing Scene in Hamlet." The Philological Quarterly.
(A 43) p. 227.
Morris, Charles H. Staged Fencing Techniques. (V 11) p.254.
Morseberger, Robert. Swordplay and the Elizabethan and Jacobean Stage.
(B 94) p. 133.
Norman, A. V. B. The Rapier and Small Sword, 1460-1790. (B 101) p. 140.
North, Anthony. European Swords. (B 102) p. 141.
Palfy-Alpar, Julius. Sword and Masque. (B 105) p. 143 .
Payne-Gallway, Sir Ralph. The Crossbow. (B 106) p. 145.
Pitman, Brian. Fencing: Techniques ofFoil, Epee, and Sabre. (B 107) p. 189.
Pyhrr, Stuart. "European Armor from the Imperial Ottoman Arsenal." The
Metropolitan Museum Journal. (A 46) p.228.
Richards, Jeffrey. Swordsmen of the Screen: From Douglas Fairbanks to

Michael York. (B 113) p. 152.
Roberts, Keith and Angus McBride. Soldiers of the English Civil War (1)
Infantry. (B 114) p. 154.
(B 116) p. 155.
Shipley, Elizabeth. "Pistol's for Two...Tea for One." The Fight Master. (A 48)
p.229.
Silver, George. Paradoxes ofDefence. (B 119) p. 158.
Silver, George. The Works of George Silver: Comprising "Paradoxes of
Defence" and "BrefInstructions Upon My Paradoxes ofDefence". (B 120)
p.160.
Sprague, Arthur Colby. Shakespeare and the Actors: The Stage Business in His
Plays (1660-1905). (B 124) p. 164.
Steiner, Bradley J. No Second Chance: Disarming the Armed Assailant. (B 125)
p.164.
Europe 1500-1800. (V 15) p.259.
Stone, George Cameron. A Glossary of The Construction, Decoration and Use
Suddeth, 1. Allen. Fight Directingfor the Theatre. (B 128) p. 167.
Szabo, Laszlo. Fencing and the Master. (B 129) p. 170.
and Weapons. (B 130) p.171.
Tarassuk, Leonid. Parrying Daggers and Poniards. (B 131) p. 172.
Thimm, Carl. A Complete Bibliography of Fencing and Duelling. (B 132)
p. 173.
Thornbury, G. W. Shakespeare's England; or Sketches ofour Social History in
the Reign ofElizabeth (in Two Volumes). (B 133) p. 173.
Tincey, John and Richard Hook. The Armada Campaign 1588. (B 134) p. 174.
Tincey, John and Angus McBride. Soldiers of the English Civil War (2):
Cavalry. (B 135) p. 175.
Turner, Craig and Tony Soper. Methods and Practice of Elizabethan
Swordplay. (B 140) p. 179.
Roman, and Modern Art of War Written in the Years 1670-1671. (B 141)
p.180.
Valentine, Eric. Rapiers: An Illustrated Reference Guide to the Rapiers of the
Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, and their Companions. (B 143)
p. 185.
p.186.
324 Appendix E

(B 148) p. 191.
Wilkinson, Anthony. How A Man Schall Be Armyed. video. p. 319.
(B 153) p. 197.
Wilson, Dover. "The Duel in 'Hamlet'." The Times Literary Supplement
1/18/34. (A 51) p.230.
Wise, Arthur. Weapons in the Theatre. (B 158) p. 201.
TRANSITION PERIOD
Alaux, Michel. Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. (B I) p.31.

(B 2) p.32.
Ticonderoga Museum . (A 1) p. 205 .
1815. (B 6) p.36.
Aylward, 1. D. The English Master ofArms, from the Twelfth to the Twentieth
"A 'Non-boring' History of Stage Combat.." The Fight Master. (A 2) p.206.
(A 4) p.207.
Barbasetti, Luigi. The Art ofthe Sabre and the Epee. (B 13) p.43.
(B 15) p.46.
Behlmer, Rudy. "Swordplay on the Screen." Films in Review. (A 6) p.208 .
Bosenquet, Henry T. A. The Naval Officer's Sword. (B 20) p. 51 .
(V 2) p. 236.
Brzezinski, Richard and Richard Hook. The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1):
Brzezinski, Richard and Angus McBride. Polish Armies 1569-1696 (1). (B 25)
p.57.

Byrnes, Joe. "Technical Talks." American Fencing. (A9) p.209.
Carlyle, Thomas. English and Other Critical Essays. (B 29) p. 61.
Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters ofFence. (B 33) p. 65.
Chartrand, Rene and Francis Back. Louis XIV's Army. (B 35) p. 68.
Clements, John. Renaissance Swordsmanship. (B 36) p.69.
Coe, M., P. Connolly, A. Harding, V. Harris, D. 1. La Rocca, A. North, T
(B 38) p.71.
Crean, Patrick. "Working with Errol Flynn." The Fight Master. (A 15)
p.213.
Crosnier, Roger. Fencing with the Foil. (B 42) p.75.
Dufty, Arthur Richard. European Armour in the Tower of London. (B 46)
p.81.
Dupuy, Col. T N. The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. (B 47) p. 82.
and II." American Fencing. (A23&24) p.217-18.
(A 25) p.218.
Girard, Dale Anthony. Actors On Guard. (B 54) p. 90.
(A 30) p. 220.
to 2,000 A.D. (B 60) p. 98.
Hayward, 1. F. Swords and Daggers. (B 64) p. 102.
Howard, John T, Jr. "The Bloody Knife." Theatre Crafts Magazine. (A 33)
p.222.
Hrisoulas, Jim. The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Peifection.
(B 71) p. 107.
Johnson, Raoul. Combat for the Stage. (V 5) p.244.
Kiernan, V. G. The Duel in European History,' Honour and the Reign of
Lacombe, M. P. Arms and Armour in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. (B 79)
p. 116.
326 Appendix E

Latham, Sid. Knifecraft. (B 81) p. 119
Style. (V 9) p.249.
MarshalI, Henry. Stage Swordplay or "So you want to be Errol Flynn?"
(B 85) p. 123.
Martinez, 1. D. The Swords ofShakespeare. (B 87) p. 125.
p. 131.
Morris, Charles H. Staged Fencing Techniques. (V II) p.254.
Morseberger, Robert. Swordplay and the Elizabethan and Jacobean Stage.
(B 94) p. 133.
Oakeshott,R.Ewart. European Weapons and Armour. (B 103) p.141.
Pitman, Brian. Fencing: Techniques ofFoil, Epee and Sabre. (B 108) p. 146.
Ransom, Ron. The Stage Fight Director: A Look Behind the Scenes with David
Boushey. (V 14) p. 258.
Reid, WilIiam. Arms Through the Ages. (B 112) p. 152.
Richards, Jeffrey. Swordsmen of the Screen: Douglas Fairbanks to Michael
York. (B 113) p. 152.
Roberts, Keith and Angus McBride. Soldiers of the English Civil War (1):
(B 116) p. 155.
Shipley, Elizabeth. "Pistol's for Two ...Tea for One." The Fight Master. (A 48)
p. 229.
Plays (1660-1905). (B 124) p. 164.
Steiner, Bradley J. No Second Chance: Disarming the Armed Assailant. (B 125)
p.164.
StilI, Collin. Masters of Defence: Civilian Swords and Swordsmanship in
Europe 1500-1800. (V 15) p. 259.

Suddeth, J. Allen. Fight Directingfor the Theatre. (B 128) p. 167.
and Weapons. (B 130) p.17l.
p. 173.
Tincey, John and Angus McBride. Soldiers of the English Civil War (2):
Cavalry. (B 135) p. 175.
Roman, and Modern Art of War Written in the Years 1670-1671. (B 141)
p.180.
p.186.
(B 148) p. 191.
Wilkinson-Latham, Robertk. Phaidon Guide to Antique Weapons and Armour.
(B 153) p. 197.
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
A1aux, Michel. Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. (B 1) p.31.

Allanson-Winn, R. G. and C. PhiIlips-Wooley. Broad-Sword and Single- Stick.
(B 2) p.32.
Ticonderoga Museum . (A 1) p.205.
Andrews, Donna T. "The Code of Honour and Its Critics: The Opposition to
Duelling in England, 1700-1850." Social History. (A 3) p.206.
Angelo, Domenico. The School ofFencing. (B 5) p. 35.
1815. (B 6) p.36.
"A 'Non-boring' History of Stage Combat.." The Fight Master. (A 2) p.206.
Aylward, J. D. The English Master ofArms, from the Twelfth to the Twentieth
Aylward, J. D. The House ofAngelo. (B 10) p.40.
328 Appendix E
Aylward, 1. D. The Small-Sword in England: Its History, Its Forms, Its Makers,
and Its Masters. (B 11) p. 41.
(A 4) p.207.
Barbasetti, Luigi. The Art ofthe Sabre and the Epee. (B 13) p.43 .
(B 15) p. 46.
Barthop, Michael and Angus McBride. Marlborough's Army1702-11. (B 16)
p.46.
Behlmer, Rudy. "Swordplay on the Screen." Films in Review. (A 6) p. 208.
Bosenquet, Henry T. A. The Naval Officer's Sword. (B 20) p. 51.
The British Code of Duel: A Reference to The Laws of Honour, and the
Character ofGentleman. (B 22) p. 54.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Elizabethan Weaponry (Segment #2) .
(V 2) p.236 .
Byrnes, Joe. "Technical Talks." American Fencing. (A 9) p. 209.
Cassidy, William. The Complete Book ofKnife Fighting. (B 31) p. 63 .
Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters ofFence. (B 33) p. 65.
Chartrand, Rene and Francis Back. The French Army in the American War of
Independence. (B 34) p. 67.
"The Code of Duelling." Chambers's Journal. (A 10) p.21O.
(B 38) p. 71.
Conwell, Charles. "A Museum for the 21 st Century." The Fight Master. (A 11)
p.21O.
The Fight Master. (A 12) p. 211.
Crosnier, Roger. Fencing with the Foil. (B 42) p. 75.
Darling, Anthony D. "Weapons of the Highland Regiments." The Canadian
Journal ofArms Collecting. (A 16) p. 214.
Davis, Oglivie H. "The Belt Axe." Muzzle Blasts. p.214.
Dillon, Robert, Jr. Towards a Theatrical Hoplology. (B 44) p. 79.
Dupuy, Col. T. N. The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare. (B 47) p. 82.
Evered, Derek. "A Tactical Course At Sabre." Fencing. (A 20) p. 216.
Fawcett, William (Adjutant General). Rules and Regulations for the Sword
Exercises ofthe Cavalry. (B 50) p.85 .
Fosten, Bryan. Wellington's Infantry (1). (B 51) p. 87.
and II." American Fencing. (A 23 & 24) p. 217-18...
(A 25) p.218.
Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion . (B 55) p. 92.
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Harding, David (ed.). Weapons: An International Encyclopedia from 5,000 B.C.
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Harrington, Peter. Culloden 1746. (62) p. 101.
Haythornwaite, Philip and Bryan Fosten. Frederick the Great's Army (1):
Cavalry. (B 63) p. 101.
Hayward, J. F. Swords and Daggers. (B 64) p. 102.
Set. (V 4) p.241.
Hogg, Ian V. and John H. Batchelor. Armies of the American Revolution.
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p.222.
(B 71) p. 107.
Johnson, Raoul. Combat for the Stage. (V5) p.244.
Kiernan, V. G. The Duel in European History,' Honour and the Reign of
Lattimer, John K. "Sword Hilts By Early American Silversmiths." Antiques
Style. (V 9) p. 249.
Fight: Realistic Defensive Techniques. (V 10) p.252.
p. I23 .
May, Robin and G. A. Embleton. The British Army in North America. (B 89)
p.129.
330 Appendix E
McCollum, Linda Carlyle. "No, By God, I Won't: The Richard

Sheridan/Thomas Mathews Duels." The Fight Master. (A 40) p. 225.
p. 13l.
Morris, Charles H. Staged Fencing Techniques. (V II) p.254 ..
Neumann, George C. Swords and Blades of the American Revolution. (B 95)
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Norman, A. V. B. "Some Eighteenth Century Civilian Swords." The Scottish
Art Review. (A 45) p. 228.
Pitman, Brian. Fencing: Techniques ofFoil, Epee, and Sabre. (B 107) p. 189
Reid, Stuart and Bryan Fosten. Wellington's Highlanders . (B Ill) p. 15l.
Richards, Jeffrey. Swordsmen of the Screen: From Douglas Fairbanks to
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Roper, William L. "With Cutlass and Sword." The Marine Corps. Gazette.
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(B 116) p. ISS.
Shipley, Elizabeth. "Pistol's for Two...Tea for One." The Fight Master. (A 48)
p.229.
Plays (1600-1905). (B 124) p. 164.
Steiner, Bradley 1. No Second Chance: Disarming the Armed Assailant.
(B 125) p. 164.
Europe 1500-1800. (V 15) p.259.
Suddeth, 1. Allen. Fight Directingfor the Theatre. (B 128) p. 167.
and Weapons. (B 130) p. 17l.
p. 173.
p. 186.

Simpler Methods; The Gun, and its Exercise; The Rifle, and its exercise. (B
148) p. 191.
Wilkinson-Latham, Robertk. Phaidon Guide to Antique Weapons and Armour.
(B 153) p.197.
Wilson, John Lyde. The Code of Honor: or Rules for the Government of
Principals and Seconds in Duelling. (B 156) p. 199.
Wise, Terence. European Edged Weapons. (B 160) p. 203.
UNARMED COMBAT
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Unarmed Combat. (V 3) p.238.

Craven, Kurt. 101 Sucker Punches. (B 41) p.74.
Franco, Sammy. Street Lethal: Unarmed Urban Combat. (B 52) p. 88.
Gambardella, Dr. Ted. Fight for Your Life: Secrets of Street Fighting. (B 53)
p.89.
Girard, Dale Anthony. The Fight Arranger's Companion. (B 55) p.92.
Hunt, M. Briggs and Norman Miller. Beginning Wrestling. (B 72) p. 108.
Johnson, Raoul. Combat for the Stage. (V 5) p. 244.
Leong, David and 1. Allen Suddeth. Unarmed Combat I: Learning the Basics.
(V 6) p. 245.
Leong, David and 1. Allen Suddeth. Unarmed Combat II: Perfecting the
Fundamentals. (V 7) p.247.
Leong, David and 1. Allen Suddeth. Unarmed Combat III: Mastering the
Techniques. (V 8) p. 248.
MacYoung, Marc "Animal." Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right: Surviving on the
Wild Side ofthe Street. (B 82) p. 120.
Martinez, Joseph. Combat Mime: A Non- Violent Approach to Stage Violence.
(B 86) p. 124.
Martone, John. Handbook ofSelf-Defense. (B 88) p. 128.
McCallum, Paul. A Practical Self-Defense Guidefor Women . (B 91) p. 130.
Quinn, Peyton. Barroom Brawling: The Art of Staying Alive in Beer Joints,
Biker Bars, and Other Fun Places. (V 12) p.255.
Quinn, Peyton. Blitzkrieg Attacks: Knock Out Blows from the Bouncer Trade.
(V 13) p. 256.
Quinn, Peyton. Bouncer's Guide to Barroom Brawling: Dealing with the Sucker
Puncher, Streetjighter, and Ambusher. (B 109) p. 148.
332 Appendix E

(B 125) p. 164.
Umbach, Arnold and Warren R. Johnson. Wrestling. (B 142) p. 183 .
(B 148) p. 191.
Wilson, Jim and Paul Evans. Commando Fighting Techniques. (B 155) p. 198.
"HOW-TO" PUBLICATIONS
Alaux, Michel. Modern Fencing: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. (B I) p. 31.

BalIard, Rae ElIen. "Slings and Arrows--B. H. Barry, Fight Director." Theatre
Craft Magazine. (A 5) p. 207.
(V 9) p.233.
(V 2) p. 236.
Boushey, David L. Combat for the Stage: Unarmed Combat. (V 3) p.238.
Byrnes, Joe. "Technical Talks." American Fencing. (A 9) p.209.
Clements, John. Renaissance Swordsmanship. (B 36) p. 69.
Craven, Kurt. 101 Sucker Punches. (B 41) p.74.
DilIon, Robert, Jr. Towards a Theatrical Hoplology. (B 44) p. 79.
Evered, Derek. "A Tactical Course At Sabre." Fencing. (A 20) p.216 .
Everson, WilIiam K. "Stunt Men: They Should Be As WelI Known As the Stars
For Whom They Often Double." Films in Review. (A 21) p. 216.
Fawcett, WilIiam (Adjutant General). Rules and Regulations for the Sword
Exercises ofthe Cavalry. (B 50) p.85.
Franco, Sammy. Street Lethal: Unarmed Urban Combat. (B 52) p. 88 .
GambordelIa, Dr. Ted. Fight for Your Life: Secrets of Street Fighting. (B 53)
p.89.
Gaugler, WilIiam. "The Italian Formula for Success." American Fencing.
(A 25) p.218.
Girard, Dale Anthony. Actors On Guard. (B 54) p.90.
Hobbs, WilIiam. Stage Combat: "The Action To The Word." (B 67) p. 143.
(A31) p.221.
p. 222.

(B 71) p. 107.
Hunt, M. Briggs and Norman Miller. Beginning Wrestling. (B 72) p. 108.
Johnson, Raoul. Combat for the Stage. (V 5) p. 244.
Leong, David and 1. Allen Suddeth. Unarmed Combat I: Learning the Basics.
(V 6) p.245.
Leong, David and J. Allen Suddeth. Unarmed Combat II: Perfecting the
Fundamentals. (V 7) p.247.
Leong, David and 1. Allen Suddeth. Unarmed Combat !II: Mastering the
Techniques. (V 7) p. 248.
Style. (V 9) p. 249.
MacYoung, Marc "AnimaL" Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right: Surviving on the
Wild Side ofthe Street. (B 82) p. 120.
MacYoung, Marc "AnimaL" Knives, Knife Fighting, and Related Hassles : How
(A 36) p. 223.
Marshall, Dorothy and Deborah Levin. "Knitting Chainmail." Theatre Crafts
p.123.
Martinez, Joseph. Combat Mime: A Non-Violent Approach to Stage Violence.
(B 86) p. 124.
Martone, John. Handbook ofSelf-Defense. (B 88) p. 128.
Mayes, Jim. How to Make Your Own Knives. (B 90) p. 130.
McCallum, Paul. A Practical Self-Defense Guidefor Women . (B 91) p. 130.
Morris, Charles H. Staged Fencing Techniques. (V 11) p. 254.
Pitman, Brian. Fencing: Techniques ofFoil, Epee and Sabre. (B 108) p. 146.
Quinn, Peyton. Barroom Brawling: The Art of Staying Alive in Beer Joints,
Biker Bars, and Other Fun Places. (V 12) p.255.
Quinn, Peyton. Blitzkrieg Attacks: Knock Out Blows from the Bouncer Trade.
(V 13) p. 256.
Quinn, Peyton. Bouncer's Guide to Barroom Brawling: Dealing with the Sucker
Puncher, Streetfighter, and Ambusher. (B 109) p. 148.
Ransom, Ron. The Stage Fight Director: A Look Behind the Scenes with David
Boushey. (V 14) p.258.
(B 116) p. 155.
Silver, George. Paradoxes ofDefence. (B 119) p. 158.
334 Appendix E
Silver, George. The Works of George Silver: Comprising "Paradoxes of

Defence" and "BrefInstructions Upon My Paradoxes ofDefence". (B 120)
p.160.
(B 125) p.164.
Suddeth,1. Allen. Fight Directingfor the Theatre. (B 128) p. 167.
Szabo, Lazslo. Fencing and the Master. (B 129) p. 170.
Umbach, Arnold and Warren R. Johnson. Wrestling. (B 142) p. 183.
(B 148) p. 191.
Wilson, Jim and Paul Evans. Commando Fighting Techniques. (B ISS) p. 198.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Angelo, Domenico. The School ofFencing. New York: Land's End Press, 1971
(reprint of 1787 edition, which was an English translation of the 1763
original in French).
Ashdown, Charles. Armour and Weapons in the Middle Ages. London: The
Holland Press, 1925 (facsimile edition 1975).
Aylward, J. D. The English Master ofDefence from the Twelflh to the Twentieth
Century. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1956.
Baldick, Robert. The Duel: A History of Dueling. New York: Spring Books,
1965 .
Blair, Claude. European and American Arms circa 1100-1850. New York:
Crown Publishers, Inc., 1962.
Bryson, Frederick R. The Sixteenth Century Italian Duel. Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press, 1938.
Buchanan-Brown, 1. Cassell's Encyclopedia of World Literature. New York:
William Morrow, 1973.
Cassin-Scott, Jack. The Greek and Persian Wars 500-323 B.C. Men-at-Arms
Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1977.
Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters of Fence. London: George Shumway,
Publisher, 1885 (3rd edition printed 1969).
Coon, Carlton S. The Story ofMan. New York: A. Knopf, 1955 .
Demmin, Auguste. An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour (From the
Earliest Period to the Present Time). Translated by C. C. Black, M. A.,
London: George Bell and Sons, 1901.
Edge, David and John Miles Paddock. Arms and Armor ofthe Medieval Knight.
New York: Crescent Books distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc., 1988.
Grant, Michael. Gladiators. New York: Delacorte Press, 1967.
Harding, David (ed.). Weapons : An International Encyclopediafrom 5,000 B.C.
to 2,000 A.D. London: Galley Press, 1984.
336 Selected Bibliography
Hobbs, William. Stage Combat: "The Action to the Word." New Y ark: St.
Martin's Press, 1980.
Sword Ways. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1973.
Aristocracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Koch, H. W. History of Warfare. New York: Gallery Books, 1981 .
Marshall, Henry. Stage Swordplay or "So you want to be Errol Flynn?"
Tarrytown, NY: Marymount College, 1977.
Martinez, 1. D. Combat Mime: A Non-Violent Approach to Stage Violence.
Chicago: Nelson-Hall, Publishers, 1982.
Nicolle, David and Angus McBride. The Age of Charlemagne. Men-at-Arms
from the Anglo-Saxons to Cromwell. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell
Company, 1966.
____. The Rapier and Small Sword, 1460-1820. New York: Arno Press,
1980.
Oakeshott, R. Ewart. European Weapons and Armour. North Hollywood, CA:
Beinfeld Publishing, Inc., 1980.
Palfy-Alpar, Julius. Sword and Masque. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis, Co., 1967.
Peake, Harold and Herbert John Fleure. The Horse and the Sword. New Haven:
Yale University Press, 1933.
Reid, William. Arms Through the Ages. New York: Harper and Row,
Publishers, 1976.
Secunda, Nickolas Victor and Angus McBride. The Ancient Greeks. Elite
____. The Army of Alexander the Great. Men-at-Arms Series. London:
Osprey Publishing, 1984.
Silver, George. Paradoxes of Defence. Oxford: Humphrey Milford, Oxford
University Press, 1933 (facsimile of 1599 original).
Simkins, Michael. Warriors ofRome. New York: The Blandford Press, 1988.
Snodgrass, A. M. Arms and Armour of the Greeks. Ithaca, NY: Cornell
University Press, 1967.
of Arms and Armor in All Countries and All Times . New York: The
Southworth Press, 1934; reissued New York: Jack Brussel, Publisher, 1961.
Tarassuk, Leonid. Parrying Daggers and Poinards. Blue Diamond, Nev.:
Society of American Fight Directors, 1987.
Turner, Craig and Tony Soper. Methods and Practice of Elizabethan
Swordplay. Carbondale, Ill: Southern Illinois University Press, 1990.
Warry, John. Alexander: 334-323 B.C. Campaign Series. London: Osprey
Publishing, 1991.
Wilcox, Peter and Angus McBride. Rome's Enemies (2): Gallic and British
Celts. Men-at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1985.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1981.
Selected Bibliography 337
Wise, Arthur. The Art and History of Personal Combat. Greenwich, Conn.:
Arma Press, 1972.
____. Weapons in the Theatre. London: Longman's, Green and Co., Ltd.,
1968.
Wise, Terence and Angus McBride. Ancient Armies of the Middle East. Men-
at-Arms Series. London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1981.
Wise, Terence and G. A. Embleton. Saxon, Viking and Norman . Men-at-Arms
PERIODICALS
Craig, Horace S. "Dueling Scenes and Terms in Shakespeare's Plays."

Publications in English, Univ. of Calif., vol. 9, no. I, 1940, pp. 1-27.
"Duelling in the Time of Brantome." The Quarterly Review, vol. 194, July-Oct.
1901, pp. 435-450.
McElroy, Mary and Kent Cartwright. "Public Fencing Contests on the
Elizabethan Stage." Journal of Sports History, vol. 13, no. 3, 1986, pp.
193-211.
Mitchell, Lee. "The Fencing Scene in Hamlet." The Philological Quarterly,
vol. 16, 1937, pp. 71-73.
INDEX
Achilles, 3 Biddle, A.J.D. , 63-64, 167

Agincourt, 13, 17 Blazonry, 33-34
Agrippa, Camillo, 19, 31 , 66, 90, 198-199 Blocks, 35, 89, 128, 149, 165, 170, 198
Ajax, 3 Bonetti, Rocco, 39-40
Alexander the Great, 65, 156-57, 163, 193 Boushey, David, 236-41
Alfieri , Francesco, 67, 90, 201 Bow, 49, 67, 79, 82, 100, 104, 145, 152,
Alia mazza (duel), 18 158, 179,191,194, 197
Angelo, Domenico, 28, 35, 40-41 Boxing, 75, 191-92
Angelo, Harry, 35, 40-41 Breakdowns, 99, 108-109
Applegate, Rex, 63-64 Broadsword, 10, 12-13, 16, 18, 20, 22,
Armor, 2-16, 29 25 , 27
Arrows, 2, 6, 8, II, 13; arrowheads, 2-3, 5 Bronze, 3-7, 10
Artillery, 38, 47-48, 68-69, 79, 83,98, Bronze Age, 3-5, 10
101,106, 113,117,132, 176,182,191, Buckler, 17, 19,21,23
204 Burton, Sir Richard, 40
Attacks on the blade, 32, 77 Byzantium, 72, 82, 103-04, 187-88
Auxiliaries, 7,11 , 74 , 110,139, 161,181
Axe, 11-14, 16 Cannon, 49, 79, 98, 101, 158, 179, 204
Capo Ferro, Ridolfo, 59, 66, 90, 200
Backsword,49, 110 Castle, Egerton, 21, 25 n. 38, 65
Ballock knife, 50 Castles, 98, III, 139, 152, 179, 186
Barbarian, 8, 10-1 I Cavalry, 9, 11 , 25-26
Battle-axe, 11-13, 16 Cavalry saber, 32, 72, 85, 87 , 192, 196
Bayonet, 32-33, 50, 72, 78, 106, 113, Cavens, Fred, 153
134-35, 146,167,173,197-98,203 Celts, 10-11
Beat, 77, 91-92 Chain mail , 18
Berserkers, 12 Challenge, 54-55, 61 , 71-72, 75, lIS,
Besnard, Charles, 67 174,181 , 199
340 Index
Champion, 15 Disarm, 40, 128, 144, 164-166, 180, 199

Champs c!os, 18 Domenico Angelo, 35, 40-41
Chariot, 82, 176 Dragoons, 38,47, 69,102,176,182,188-
Charlemagne, I 1-12 89
Charles II, 36, 139 Drills, 33, 43 , 58, 62-63, 87-88, 105, 123.-
Chastaigneraie, 18, 27, 110 24, 144, 149, 154
Chivalry, 42, 44, 45,109, I II , 139, 142, Duel, 35, 40-43, 53-56, 58, 61-63, 65-66,
179, 186 70-72, 109-10, 114, 116, 133-34, 144,
Choke, 89,128,149,198 158,161,168,173-74,180,185, 190,
Cinquedea, 50, 146 199-201,203; duelists, 31, 35,40,53,
Claymore, 67 62, 74, 93, 99, 105, 109
Coat-of-arms, 33-34 Duel of Chivalry, 42
Code Duello, 42, 53, 114, 134, 161 , 199 Dusack,66
Code of Honor, 18,54,74, 199,200
Colichemarde, 27, 52, 67, 110 Elbow strike, 89
College of Heralds, 13 Elizabeth I, 53, 133, 158, 174
Copper, 3, 5 Engagement, 32, 44, 60, 66, 76-77, 113,
Counter attack, 32 136, 175-76
Counter parries, 44 Epee, 31-32, 43-44, 62-63, 76, 78, 122,
Coup de Jarnac, 26-27, 71 144, 147-48
Crecy, 13 Estoc, 14, 16
Crossbow, 14 Evasions, 128
Cross punch, 89
Crusades, 45, 58, 72, 82, 84, 98, 115, 179 Fabris, SalvatoI', 66, 90, 167
Cudgel, 33, 90, I 10, 126, 192, 199 Fairbairn, W.E., 63, 64
Cuir bouilli, 6-7, 14 Faubert, H. 39
Culloden, 46, 101 Faulkner, Ralph, 62, 153
Cut, 33, 36, 41-42, 44, 47-48 , 62, 66, 69, Fechtbuch, 190
70, 72, 76, 78, 83, 85-88, 91-92, 105- Federfechter, 66
07, 113, 123-24, 133-35, 148, 152, Fencing measure, 70, 76
156,158,161,170,180, 184,190-91, Fencing strip, 32
196, 198,201-02 Flags, 38, 57, 73, 133, 191 , 204
Cutlass, 35, 37,123,135 Flail, 78, 118
Flamberge, I 10, 142
Dagger, 34-35, 47 , 49-50, 60, 65-67, 69, Fleche, 32, 76
7 I -73, 78, 84, 90-9 I, 95-96, 102-03, Flint, 2-3, 5
107-08, 110, 119, 124, 126, 130, 134- Flynn, Errol, 69, 123
35,140,142, 146, 152, 158,161-62, Foil, 31, 44, 53, 62, 66-67, 75-77, 122,
170, 172-74, 180, 184-85, 195-98, 200, 144, 147, 156,192
203 Folding knives, 64, 146
Damascening, 49, 140,203 Footwork, 32, 59, 88, 91, 118-19, 123,
Danet, Guillaume, 67 144,148,171,180
Dark Ages, 10- 12 Forging blades, 107-08
Deception of parry, 91 Franks, II
De Jarnac, Sieur, 18,26-27,71, 110 Frederick the Great, 102
De Narvaez, Don Luis Pacheco, 66
Di Grassi, Giacomo 19-20 Gauntlets, 51, 82,157,184
Dirks, 36-37 5 I-52, 72, 146, 198 Giganti, Nicoletto, 66
Index 341
Girard, Dale, 70, 90, 92, 120 Jeronimo, 35, 39-40, 133
Girard, Pierre Jacques Francois, 66-67, Joan of Are, 100, 204
70, 79, 90-93, 170 Judicial combat, 14, 15, 18
Gladiator, 9, 26
Gladius, 6-8 Karate, 75 , 80, 90, 120, 128, 131
Gothic, 38, 48, 51, 82, 188, 195 Kettle hat, 51
Greaves, 4, 6, 9 Kick, Kicking, 88-89, 125, 131, 156, 192
Greece, 55, 64, 72, 117, 163, 193,200, Kill, 53-54, 70, 91,149, 167,201
202 King John, 84
Grinding blades, 108 King Lear, 74,84, 127, 145
Grip, 32, 64, 76, 91, 108, 121-22, 144, Knife, 50, 63-64, 73, 78, 90, 95, 107,
148,156,165,180 119-22, 12~ 128-31, 135, 14~ 149,
Gustavus Adolphus, 56, 83 155-56,165,167,199
Knights, 9-16, 18, 44-45, 50, 74, 84-85,
Halberd, 50, 60, 74, 78, 104, 133-35, 141, 96-97, 104, 109-10, 114, 138, 142,
152, 159, 204 153,155,178-79,186,188,195,204
Hamlet, 53, 63, 74, 79-80, 84, 127, 133-
34,145,164,201-02 Labat, 67
Hand-axe, 2 Lance, 10, 12-14, 16
Hanger, 36, 48-49, 52, 72, 102, 107, 134- Landsknecht, 50, 74, 132-33, 146
35, 141 Lanesta, 9, 17
Harald Hardraada, 12-13 L' Ecole des Armes, The School ofArms,
Hastings, 47, 97, 139 35,40-41,67,201
Hauberk, 13-15 Lists, 55, 71-72, 99,110,123,132
Hector, 3 Lombards, 11
Helmet, 3-7, 9, 12-13, 15 Longbow, 60, 83, 100-01, 145, 177, 204
Henri II, I 10 Lorica segmentata, 7
Henry IV, part 1,74,92, 126 Louis XIV, 47, 68-69
Henry V, 84 Ludi,9
Henry VIII, 48, 71, 73, 82, 107 Lunge, 32, 34,44, 66
Heraldry, 33, 116, 185-86 Luxbruder, 66
Heremans, Jean, 154
Hittites, 4, 6 Macbeth, 79-80, 84, 127, 164, 201-02
Hollywood, 59, 69,141 Mace, 50, 78, 84, 95, 104, 142
Homer, 3-4 Mac Young, Marc, 120-21
Hook punch, 89, 156 Main gauche, 50, 67
Hope, William, 39, 67 Marozzo, Achille, 19
Hoplite, 5, 8 Marshall, Henry, 33, 123
Hoplology, 79-80 Martinez, J. D., 124-26, 170
Horse armor, 82, 95, 158 Marxbruder, 66
Hussars, 57, 69, 102, 189 Mass fights, 105
Hutton, Alfred, 40, 160 Masters of Defence, 17, 22-23, 26
Maupin, La, 243
The Iliad, 3 McBane, Donald, 39
Iron Age, 4, 8 Medieval, 33, 37-39, 48-51,67, 73, 80-
81,84-85,96,98-99,104, 111,114-15,
Jacobite Rebellion, 46, 101, 132 136-37,141,145-46,150-51 , 153,178,
Javelin, 5-6, 8, 11 190-91, 197, 204
342 Index
Melee, 10, 14, 25 Quintain,9

Middle Ages, 10-12, 16, 18
Military fork, 78 Rapier, 8, 17-22,27-28; development of,
Military swords, 37, 52, 197 20,25-26; origin of, 17; rapier play,
Misericorde, 14, 16 21-23,28
Missile weapons, 60 Rathbone, Basil, 20, 69
Molinello, moulinet, 43-44 Renaissance, 36, 39-40, 42, 55, 58-59,
Morions, 51, 82 64-65, 69-70, 72-73, 78, 80-81, 83, 96-
Morning star, 50, 78 97,99, 107, III, 115-16,138, 140-41,
Musketeer, 47,57,68-69, lOS, 153-54, 172, 187, 198, 200
175,177,188 Retiarius, 9
Myrmillo,9 Revolution, American, 105-06, 129, 134-
35
Napoleon Bonaparte, 31, 83, 88, 113, 116 Richard Ill, 33, 84, 92, 126, 179, 202
Naval swords, 36-37, 51-53, 73 Riposte, 32, 34-35, 44, 76-77, 123, 144,
New Model Army, 38-39 147-48
Norman, 37,47,71,74,84,97,108,137, Roman Legions, 60, 161, 203
139-40, 179, 188, 196, 202, 205 Rome, 72, 84, 92-93, 104, 106, 117, 138,
Notation fight, 105, 125, 168, 202 150,161-62, 177, 194-95,200,202-03
Romeo and Juliet, 84, 127, 145, 158,201-
Obsidian, 2 02
Odysseus, 3 Rondel, 50, 146
Olympic, 31,62-63, 145 Roundhouse kick, 89
Orchestrating the fight, 105, 150
Oriental Arms, 58, 145, 153, 166, 196 Sabre, 31-33, 43-44, 62-63, 72, 76, 78,
85,87, 110, 113, 122-23, 134-35, 147-
Pappenheimer hilt, 142, 196 48, 190, 192-93, 196
Parry, 31-33, 35, 39,43-44,70,76,87, Sainct Didier, Henri de, 66
89,91, lOS, 119, 144, 147-48 Saint George, 86
Peloponnesian War, 4-6 Salute, 43, 62-63, 144
Persian Wars, 64-65 Samnite, 9, 78
Phalanx,S Saviolo,Vincentio, 66, 159, 180
Pike, 50, 56, 58, 78, 82-83, 88, lIS, 133- Saxon, 37, 96-97, 102, 137, 139, 189,
34,141,159,167,173,176-77,182, 194-96,204
204 Schiavona, 50
Pilum, 7-8 Scramsax, 50
Pirates, 81, 153 Sea fights, 93
Playing the prize, 39-40 Shakespeare, William, 79
Poitier, 13 Sheath,48-50, 108, 120, 122, 130, 135, 140
Poleaxe, 14 Shield, 2-5, 7-9, 12-14, 19
Polyens, 15 Shillalah, 33
Positions of the hand, 44 Short swords, 158
Prises de fer, 77 Silver, George, 35, 39,40, 66, 110, 140,
Punch, 74-75, 88-89,120-21,128,149, 158-60,180
170,202 Silver hilts, 42
Single Stick, 32
Quarterstaff, 32-33, 124, 126, 170 Skull-cap, 13, 15
Quillons, 67 Slapstick, 75
Index 343
Slash,64, 131, 156, 165, 176 Takedowns, 108-09, 184

Slin&4~ 65,7~ Ill, 177, 178 Tal hoffer, 167, 190
Slipping, Slip, 35, 60, 81, 89,149 Testudo,8
Small-sword, 35-36, 40-42, 47-48, 59-60, Thibault, Girard, 66
72, 95, 102, 116, 123-24, 134, 140-42, The Three Musketeers , 68, 104, 153
196,200, 204 Thrust, 35-36, 41, 44, 47-48, 61-62, 64,
Society of American Fight Directors 69-70,72,76,83,87-89,91-92, 105-
(SAFD), 59, 90, 92, 117, 123-24, 126- 07, 113, 123, 129, 133-35, 152, [56,
27, 167, 172, 200 158-59, 161, 154, 170, 180, 184, 190-
Spadroon, 36, 67, 134-35 91 , 196, 198,201-02
Spanish swordplay, 24 Tilting armor, 61, 71, 82
Spear, 2, 4-5, 9-13 Tomahawk, 50, 106, 134-35
Spontoon, 78, 134-35 Tournament, 14, 16
Stance, 39, 59, 64, 76,88,91, 109, 121- Transition rapier, 65, 67, 126, [96
22,149,180,184,199 Triba[ Arms, 58
Star system of foot-work, 59-60, 152, 186 Troy, 84, 200
Steps, 59, 130; linear, 59; lunging, 59; off
line, 59; passing, 59 Uniforms, 38-39, 46, 56, 68-69, 73, 88,
Stilletto, 50 98,100, 106, 154, 162, 175-76, 187,
Stocatta, 20 190
Stomp, 89, 125 Uppercut punch, 89
Stone Age, 1-3
Stop-hit, 76 Viggiani, 66
Strokes, 104-05 Vikings, 12
Styers, John, 63-64, 167 Von Pappenheim, Gottfried Heinrich, 140,
Suddeth, 1. Allen, 113, 167-70,200, 194
Surcoat, 13
Swashbuckler, 66, 91, 118, 152-54 Wardes, 34, 159
Sweep, 68, 89, 104, 199 War hammer, 50, 78,142, 196
Switchblade, 64 War scythe, 78
Sword, 2-4, 7-8, 13, 17-19,23,26; Wilde, Cornel, 69
bronze, 10; development of, 5, 9-10, William the Conqueror, 12
14,26-28; iron, 6, 10; practice with, 9, Wound, 53, 70, 91, 112-13
17,22,26; variety of, 8,10-12 Wrestling, 75 , 108,183-84, 191-92
Sword cutler, 52
Sword knots, 37, 85 Yielding parries, 44
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MICHAEL KIRKLAND is Chairman, Department of Theatre Arts, Regent

University, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and an SAFD Certified Teacher.

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STAGE COMBAT

Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon, First Supplement: A Catalogue-Index to Productions

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Bibliographies and Indexes in the Performing Arts, Number 29

Kirkland, J. Michael, 1943-

The paper used in this book complies with the

I. A Brief History of Arms, Armor, and Combat

B. Selected Feature Films 283

C. Suppliers of Period Stage Weapons and

D. Selected Publishers, Distributors, and Periodicals 303

E. Books, Articles, and Video Titles by Category

Selected Bibliography 335

I offer my sincere gratitude to those whose efforts significantly contributed to

gentleman-scholar, encouraged me to follow my passions, my dreams, and

In the Introduction to his Schools and Masters of Fence (1885),

In annotating resources, I have chosen to include only those I believe to

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

"S" for Stone Age (Prehistory through 3,000 B.C.)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARMS, ARMOR, AND COMBAT

Although man's early bones are scarce, the product of his

2. Flint is the material which one finds most commonly referred to in

3. 1. Buchanan-Brown, ed., Cassell's Encyclopedia of World Literature (New

The equipment for battle was varied. Some used an enormous

There appears to have been virtually no uniformity of weapons, armor,

4. John Warry, Alexander: 334-323 B.C., Campaign Series, (London: Osprey

.. .in the Archaic period, which preceded the Classical, Greek

8. Robert Wilkinson-Latham, Phaidon Guide to Antique Weapons and Armour

Wilkinson-Latham places the spread of iron at or around 1200 B.C. However,

This fantastic growth, despite an unexpectedly sturdy resistance

In Ancient Rome the soldiers wore leather tunics (often mounted

10. Julius Palfy-Alpar, Sword and Masque (Philadelphia: F. A. Davis,

Michael Simkins and G. A. Embleton. The Roman Army from Hadrian to

Another striking advance made by the Italian masters of the

Of the different kinds of gladiators, the Myrmillo and the Samnite

The impact of these innovations on warfare is clearly reflected in subsequent

Celtic warriors were primarily thought of as swordsmen in the

19. Wise and Embleton, 10-16.

On 25 September Harald Hardraada, the last great Viking leader,

coat of arms communicated copious information about a knight's ancestors,

Increased defence has always produced new weapons designed to

During the thirteenth century the hauberk tended to be replaced by the

Combat was employed by the nobility in determining guilt or innocence in

22. Edge and Paddock, 94-135.

It was the concept of personal defence by heavy armour that the

True, by the middle of the fifteenth century it was probably safe

23. A. Wise, 33-34.

vagabonds"-and actors!-and such a classification did not

24. A. Wise, 35.

In the knightly days single combats were confined to the champs

Early in the sixteenth century, publications on fencing began to appear on the

29. Palfy-Alpar,9. Diego de Valera had actually published a book in Spain in

The whole fight was energetic, with a good deal of general

33. In his The English Master ofArms, 1. D. Aylward discusses the

Even when the London Masters of Defence obtained their long