Fighting, Weapons, and Military Books
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
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
Book of Swords
Hank
Reinhardt. Much of what ‘everyone’ knows about swords is wrong. To correct
this, the author (one of the foremost experts in historical weaponry &
combat) presents the little-known history of, and surprising facts about, the most
romanticized of weapons. Illus w/photos & diagrams. TR paper,
235ppSuggested readings at the end of each chapter. Tor
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.
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 -
$22.95
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
Men of the Mary Rose:
Raising the Dead - $42.50
A.J. Stirland. The author uses archeological and skeletal evidence to give insight into the soldiers of the Mary Rose, from their ages and height to their health, diet, and physical condition. He also examines the building, sinking, and raising of the ship, and her historical context, before moving on to an discussion of what the remains of the crew can reveal to us about the fighting men of that period. The book provides an exciting glimpse of Tudor life and the Tudor navy, relating archeological findings to existing documentary evidence. Paper, 184pp, b/w photos & diagrams, index, glossary, bibliog. Sutton Publishing.
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
Samurai Weapons -
$29.95
Don Cunningham. Samurai employed a variety of weapons. This book details how and why their arsenal included not only the sword but also a variety of other tools, including concealed weapons, improvised fighting tools, fans, truncheons, and polearms. The author succinctly describes the society of Japan, how and why the samurai class arose, and the place the they held in that society through the centuries. HC, 208 pp, 120 color & b/w photos, engravings, and fine art. Tuttle
Suburban Knights -
$35.00
EF Kitchen. The men and women of the SCA capture a bit of the past glory of the warrior, the power and virtue, for themselves, participating in a variety of rigorous medieval battle simulations. This book is a series of portraits of these 21st-century warriors, in costume and in character as their knightly alter egos. The results are sepia-toned images of these fierce warriors lost in time. 100pp, 59 photos. Power House Books.
Your Noblest Shippe: The
Mary Rose: Anatomy of a Tudor Warship - $90.00
Peter Marsden, editor. This volume is concerned primarily with a detailed
description of the Mary Rose and how she operated as a functional warship.
Evidence is presented for how the ship was designed and built and how the
timbered were fashioned. The structure of the ship and her rigging as she was
in 1545 are described deck by deck and lavishly illustrated, including reconstructed
deck plans. A summary of the ship’s armaments is provided, and her fighting
capabilities considered. HC, 2 volumes,
418p, 287 b/w illus, index. Mary Rose Trust
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