400 years of the art of fencing Covers all the major types of sword in use in Europe Vivid descriptions of duelling and armed combat from the pages of history This colourful and vividly descriptive book traces the sword and its use throughout the Golden Age of swordsmanship. Alfred Hutton examines the development of the 'sword and its manipulation' from the Age of Chivalry to the nineteenth century when pistol duelling put an end to the days of single combat with cold steel. Using examples drawn from history, Hutton charts the development of various types of weapon, demonstrates the techniques and tactics of the key practitioners, and brings to the fore the heroes and villains of legendary duels, private quarrels, public feuds and prize fights. Hutton examines such deadly weapons as the Two-hand Sword, the Rapier Foil, the Dagger Foil, the Stiletto, the Flamberge, the Small Sword, the Falchion and the Broadsword. He illustrates their use with famous and infamous fights from the history of combat, including Baron d'Aguerre's encounter with the Lord of Fendilles, Rob Roy's clash with the soldiers of James II, encounters between the Guise and Valois and the exploits of the house of Angelo. Parrying and thrusting with verve and dash, this spirited history is a unique insight into the history of fencing and a superb introduction to the complex history of the sword. Alfred Hutton served in the King's Dragoon Guards. He was a prominent, flamboyant historian and author of Cold Steel and Old Sword-Play. Mark Rector is a student and practitioner of historical swordplay. He edited and translated Hans Talhoffer's Fechtbuch of 1467 (published by Greenhill as Medieval Combat).