Fighting, Weapons, and Military Books
Ancient Scottish
Weapons & Highland Targets & Shields – CD - $12.95
James Drummond. This Abode-readable disk contains the entire text and illustrations from the book. Publisher notes that this title is “…one of the most important guides to Highland armour, arms & equipment, shields, swords, dirks, powder horns, pistols, muskets, axes, brooches, and other items of dress… Many are pictured in detail…similar to the author’s more famous Weapons.” Scotpress
Art
of the Japanese Sword - $29.95
Kunihira
Kawachi & Masao Manake, trans Stephen Comee. Topics include Q&A about
Japanese swords, their care, making of a sword & the work of a swordsmith,
tales of famous swords, as well as 30pp of essays on swords, 20p color illos of
swords, and a list of museums in Japan, USA, & Canada where they may be
viewed. Tr pb, dw, 154pp. Antique Collectors
Backyard Blacksmith; traditional techniques for the modern smith - $24.95
Lorelei Sims. With an increasing interest & revival in the art of blacksmithing as a hobby, both men & women are becoming at-home smiths. Smithing is a simple, rewarding craft anyone can enjoy. Even beginners can produce useful & beautiful projects. This book shows you how, with some patience & a working knowledge of metals, basic tools, & techniques, blacksmithing can be easy to learn and a rewarding hobby. Through instructions & illustrations, readers will learn to make simple tools and useful items. Tr pb, 176pp, resources list, glossary, index. Color photos and b/w diagrams throughout. Quarry Books
Before the Mast: Life & Death on board the Mary Rose
- $100.00 
Edited by Julie Gardiner & Maggie Richards. Of the crew of nearly 500, fewer than 40 survived the ship’s sinking in 1545. Their bodies & belongings went to the bottom of the sea. More than 440 years later, excavation produced a huge collection of objects that make up a picture of what life was like on board. This book explores how the men lived through their remaining possessions, how they were fed, physick’d, their recreation & music. The barber-surgeon & carpenter’s cabins contain full toolkits for their trades, the ship’s galley the utensils for cooking & eating. An amazing look into Tudor life. HC, 760pp, hundreds of b/w illos. David Brown
Blacksmith’s
Craft: a primer of tools & methods - $19.95
Charles McRaven. “Setting up your own forge and crafting everyday
items is easier than you might think… The author guides you step-by-step through building
a simple forge, acquiring or crafting the basic tools, and learning the techniques
to get you started.” Tr pb, 247pp, brief glossary & biblio, index, numerous
b/w photos of tools & techniques. Storey
Complete Modern
Blacksmith - $19.95
Alexander G Weygers. Demonstrated, with lucid text & copious,
beautifully clear b/w illos, the basic tools & techniques that are
available for the modern blacksmith. Actually three books in one: The
recycling, use, & repair of tools’, ‘The Making of tools’, & ‘The
Complete Blacksmith’. This fascinating book covers everything from developing
the correct hammer & body motions for forging to creating tools such as
pliers & shovels & hardware such as hinges & door latches. Weygers
explains the hows & whys of inventing, improvising, & constructing
‘things’ out of ‘nothing’. (Pub note) Tr pb, 8-1/2x11, 300 pp. Ten Speed Press.
Estrella DVD - $25.00
Showing many battle scenes as
well as other aspects of this War. 45 minutes.
Great
Warbow: from Hastings to the Mary Rose - $44.95
Matthew Strickland & Robert Hardy. The excavation of the sunken Tudor ship The Mary Rose, with its treasure trove of material objects, has revolutionized our knowledge of longbows. Using this information, the authors have produced a major new study of the medieval longbow at war, going from its use in Anglo-Saxon and Viking times through the War of the Roses, and its declining use in Tudor England. Vivid, exciting, & richly illustrated, this book provides a fresh and authoritative account of one of the most feared and deadliest weapons of the Middle Ages. Greenhill
Italian Rapier Combat
- $39.95
Ridolfo Capo Ferro, edit Jared Kirby. This beautifully illustrated &
detailed manual gives a very real flavor of the panache of this expert in
swordsman-ship & mastery of that most lethal of weapons—the rapier. Ferro
was a legend in his own lifetime & his intricate & exact instructions
were copied & emulated throughout a Europe bewitched by this Italian’s
grace & style. 160pp, 43 plates, hc
Greenhill
Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry - $14.95
Geoffroi de Charny, trans Elspeth Kennedy, intro by Richard Kaeuper. Enter the real world of knights and their code of ethics and behavior. Read how an aspiring knight of the 14th century would conduct himself, and learn what a knight needed to know when traveling, fighting, appearing in court, and engaging fellow knights. Composed at the height of the Hundred Years War by one of the most respected knights of his age, this book was designed as a guide for members of the Company of the Star, an order of French knights created by Jean II of France in 1352 to rival the English Order of the Garter. Paper, 128pp. Univ Penn Press
Knights Next Door:
Everyday People Living Middle Ages Dreams - $21.95
Patrick O’Donnell. Take a behind-the-shield look at the sword battles,
costumes, feasts, & arts of the Current Middle Ages, a world being
recreated right around you by people just like yourself. Join us for a tour of
the nation’s largest medievalist group, the SCA, as it and other groups act out
their passion for times past. Suitable for skeptical outsiders, excited
newcomers, & long-time members. It also makes a perfect gift for friends
& relatives who wonder just what it is that you do every weekend. Pb,
311pp, illus w/ numerous b/w photos Universe
Knives &
Scabbards: Medieval Finds from Excavations in London - $37.95
J Cowgill, M de Neergaard, N Griffiths. Reprinted from the Museum of London’s
original publication. This catalog details over 500 items found in the
archeological excavation of 12th century London middens.25 b/w
illos, much highly technical material. For the serious recreationist or
craftsman: a classic work of scholarship. Paper,184pp. Boydell & Brewer
Longbow, a social and military history - $27.95
Robert Hardy. Traces the bow from its earliest beginnings to its flowering in the Middle Ages. Also touches on the American bow. Lg tr pb, 244pp, technical appendix discussing bow design & materials. 4pp color plates, numerous b/w sketches. Index, biblio. Sutton
Medieval Archer - $29.95
Jim Bradbury. ‘This book pretends to do no more than survey the subject, and delve a little more into some aspects that have interested me”, says the author, who also wrote The Medieval Siege. Chapters on The Archer & His Weapons, Archers at Hastings, From Hastings to Lincoln on Foot, Robin Hood, The Advent of the Longbow, The Triumph of the Longbow, Agincourt, The Last Years of the Military Archer, The Archer in Society are rounded out with an impressive biblio & index. Numerous b/w diagrams & illus from contemporary sources. Tr pb, 198pp. Boydell & Brewer
Medieval Combat -
$19.95
Hans Talhoffer, trans Mark Rector This brilliant & attractive book
makes one of the most influential & lavishly drawn fencing manuals of the Middle
Ages available in English for the first time. The authentic 15th-century
techniques of this master present not only a unique historic record but also a
visual guide for modern practitioners. 320 pp, 268 illus, pb Greenhill
New Edge of the Anvil: a resource book for the blacksmith - $25.00
Jack Andrews. This book includes chapters on the workshop, basic tools, materials, the basic forging process, making your tools, metallurgy for the smith, heat treating of tools, and protecting them from corrosion. 150 illus, both sketches & b/w photos. Tr pb, 241pp, index, numerous useful tables, resources list, list of schools, major suppliers, organizations, brief biblio. Includes portfolios of the work of Samuel Yellin & Martin Rose. Skipjack
Pennsic 20th Anniversary DVD (1991) – The
Noble Edition - $25
Every year, two kingdoms of the SCA meet for the Pennsic War, the largest annual medieval event in North America. This event is filled with ceremony & spectacle, honor & chivalry, armored fighting & honest fun. This video is the most complete program ever made of this event. It contains battles, ceremonies, parades, tournaments, archery, artisans, music, merchants, and interviews with legendary figures of the SCA, as well as with younger gentles who have since become noble peers & royalty. Original 68 minutes footage plus 47 minutes of new material. Originally released in VHS, this new edition also contains a special insert with interviewee updates & color photos & production notes. Watch This Space Enterprises
Pennsic 2003 DVD - $25.00
At last, a way to show friends, relations, and those suspicious &
slightly hostile officials at the local school or church what the Pennsic War
(and, by extension, the SCA) is all about. The disk contains two videos, the
first a 12-minute one ideal for using at demos, showing school officials, etc)
with a sampling of the delights of the 2003 Pennsic War. The second video, 30
minutes, is more of the same, delightfully expanded, with the possibility of
recognizing yourself or your friends, group, or banner. PG – no bunny fur
bikinis – this is great fun to view and use. Every seneschal needs one! Winslow
Video Productions
Pennsic XXXV
- 35th Anniversary DVD
(2006) - $25
A couple of long-time SCAdians have attempted to present a way to view our War with a no-documentary style. Here are wonderful montages of some of the battles, classy interviews, explanations of some of the traditions, and generally great footage of The War. The producers hope to make this an annual tradition, with special emphasis on different aspects of The War each year. Lynnvander Productions.
NB: Pennsic War XXXVI (36) is currently in preparation, and is expected a little before Christmas.
Samurai: An
Illustrated History - $34.95
Mitsuo Kure. Explores the lengthy, bloody history of the samurai, Japan’s professional warrior
caste. The samurai had their origins in the mercenary bands hired by provincial
landowners in the 10th century. The important warrior families gradually
gathered more and more power to themselves until, from the 12th to
the 19th centuries, "the history of samurai was effectively the
history of Japan." And it is this history which Dr. Mitsuo Kure now shares
with us in a chronological retelling of the ever-shifting alliances of the
great samurai families during
warfare, rebellion, betrayal, and the never-ending search for power and
dominance. Detailed black-and-white illustrations provide a thorough
introduction to samurai armor and weapons. Many full color photos of museum
pieces and modern recreations add interest to this volume. Maps of modern and
historic Japan are provided. All in all, this book is a fascinating look at a
time and a country virtually unknown to the modern American reader. Chronology,
glossary, and bibliography. 192 pp, 9¼ by 12¼ inches. Tuttle.
Samurai Sword -
$21.95
John Yumoto. This book is a complete handbook of the samurai sword. The text
deals with the origins and development of the sword, its historical background,
the various types of swords, their parts, styles, and differences in
construction, as well as the art of the sword smith, the famous schools, the
problems of identification & evaluation, and the care and maintenance of
the sword. Many lists offer convenient means of collating vital information,
while the numerous illustrations admirably augment the text. Partial list of
famous sword smiths, their provinces & dates. Biblio, glossary, list of
historical/modern prefectures, index. HC, dw, 187pp. C E Tuttle
School of Fencing - $29.95
Domenico Angelo, trans Jared Kirby. First published in 1763, this book remained the most popular fencing maual for more than fifty years. It is essential reading for any historical swordfighter or student of martial arts history. Includes a brief biography of Angelo, as well as select biblio & notes. HC, dw, 145pp, b/w etchings. Greenhill
Warship Mary Rose: The life & times of King
Henry VIII’s flagship - $49.95
David Childs, foreword by The Prince of Wales. The raising of the Mary Rose in 1982 made archeological history comparable to Schliemann’s excavations at Troy. So much information has been gleaned since then from the wreck and its contents that there is a tendency of treat the ship as a ‘time-capsule’, like some Tudor burial site. But the Mary Rose was more than that; she was revolutionary in her time and, despite being most famous for her loss in battle, a ship that had served for 34 years. This book tells the full story of the construction and career of the ship, placing it firmly within the context of Tudor politics, court life, and the developing administration of a permanent navy. As well it includes chapters on the recovery and the information produced by the massive program of recovery work done. Written by a Development Director of The Mary Rose Trust and heavily illustrated from the Trust’s massive resources, this is a book for general reader and specialist alike. HC, dw, 224pp, color or b/w illus on almost every page, index, notes, brief biblio. Chatham.
Wonder of Knifemaking - $19.95
Wayne Goddard. This book is a compilation of master bladesmith Goddard’s columns and advice, as it has appeared in Blade Magazine over the past several years. He also mixes in new and updated material. In clear style, he answers real questions on every aspect of knifemaking from selecting steel to heat treating and finishing the blade. Tr pb – 8-1/2”x11”, 157pp, 16pp color illus plus b/w illus, charts, graphs, diagrams on almost every page. Goddard
| Home Page | Table of Contents | How to Order |