Two Handed Sword

Two Handed Sword PDF Author: Neil Melville
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
ISBN: 9781526733139
Category : Swords, Medieval
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The two-handed swords found in modern museums are often so large and elaborately decorated that the onlooker might question whether such an apparently impractical weapon could ever have been a serious weapon of war. Yet during the Late Middle Ages, although never numerous, such weapons could instil dread in those that faced them on the battlefield and in skilled hands posed a very real danger, being capable of inflicting fearsome wounds. Neil Melville explains how, from the late-13th century, technological advances made the development of larger swords requiring both hands both possible and desirable. From their origins in Germany he traces their development and divergence into regional variations. He examines the evidence for their use on the battlefield over 300 years, most notably in the hands of the Swiss, the German landsknechts and the Scottish clans, before considering their later use in fencing and as ceremonial weapons. Practical advice on fighting with the two-handed sword is also given, drawing on contemporary fencing manuals. The detailed and informative text is beautifully enhanced by dozens of illustrations.

Two Handed Sword

Two Handed Sword PDF Author: Neil Melville
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
ISBN: 9781526733139
Category : Swords, Medieval
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
The two-handed swords found in modern museums are often so large and elaborately decorated that the onlooker might question whether such an apparently impractical weapon could ever have been a serious weapon of war. Yet during the Late Middle Ages, although never numerous, such weapons could instil dread in those that faced them on the battlefield and in skilled hands posed a very real danger, being capable of inflicting fearsome wounds. Neil Melville explains how, from the late-13th century, technological advances made the development of larger swords requiring both hands both possible and desirable. From their origins in Germany he traces their development and divergence into regional variations. He examines the evidence for their use on the battlefield over 300 years, most notably in the hands of the Swiss, the German landsknechts and the Scottish clans, before considering their later use in fencing and as ceremonial weapons. Practical advice on fighting with the two-handed sword is also given, drawing on contemporary fencing manuals. The detailed and informative text is beautifully enhanced by dozens of illustrations.

The Two-handed Sword

The Two-handed Sword PDF Author: Neil H. T. Melville
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781526733160
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


A Cultural History of the Medieval Sword

A Cultural History of the Medieval Sword PDF Author: Robert W. Jones
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1837650365
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
This study takes the sword beyond it functional role as a tool for killing, considering it as a cultural artifact and the broader meaning and significance it had to its bearer.

The Art of Swordsmanship

The Art of Swordsmanship PDF Author: Hans Lecküchner
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1783270284
Category : Fencing
Languages : en
Pages : 482

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Book Description
English translation of one of the most significant medieval texts on fighting with swords.

Diaria de Bello Carolino

Diaria de Bello Carolino PDF Author: Alessandro Benedetti
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Italy
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description


Soul of the Sword

Soul of the Sword PDF Author: Robert L. O'Connell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0684844079
Category : Military art and science
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
Mankind's history has been determined by war. And throughout history, the way that wars are won and lost, and whether they are fought at all, has been determined more by weapons than any other single force. Before there was man, there were weapons. In his investigation of arms and culture, noted military historian Robert O'Connell goes all the way back to the first weapons: the claws, horns, and hooves of our evolutionary antecedents. Even then, a species' weaponry determined its future. So it has been for the human animal. From the ancient Assyrians' conquest of bronze, to the Toledo steel of the Spanish conquistadors, to the MIRV missiles of nuclear deterrence, the great weapons have set their own agendas. They continue to shape our culture and our lives today. THE SOUL OF THE SWORD gives world history from a club, gun, or aircraft carrier's perspective. Along the way, sidebars and drawings from premier military illustrator John Batchelor illuminate the weapons themselves. In this fascinating book O'Connell unearths the extraordinary weapons of our past, and explains our most basic weapons as never before. Our killing tools are much more than fearsome curiosities; they are the engines of history.

Hafted Weapons in Medieval and Renaissance Europe

Hafted Weapons in Medieval and Renaissance Europe PDF Author: John Waldman
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9047407571
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
This archival source document of the Middle Ages and Renaissance describes the development, manufacture and use of European staff weapons and provides new information using existing objects and archival material. Their effect on the modern map of Europe is discussed.

European Warfare, 1350–1750

European Warfare, 1350–1750 PDF Author: Frank Tallett
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139485466
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 427

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Book Description
The period 1350–1750 saw major developments in European warfare, which not only had a huge impact on the way wars were fought, but also are critical to long-standing controversies about state development, the global ascendancy of the West, and the nature of 'military revolutions' past and present. However, the military history of this period is usually written from either medieval or early-modern, and either Western or Eastern European, perspectives. These chronological and geographical limits have produced substantial confusion about how the conduct of war changed. The essays in this book provide a comprehensive overview of land and sea warfare across Europe throughout this period of momentous political, religious, technological, intellectual and military change. Written by leading experts in their fields, they not only summarise existing scholarship, but also present new findings and new ideas, casting new light on the art of war, the rise of the state, and European expansion.

The Archaeology of Weapons

The Archaeology of Weapons PDF Author: R. Ewart Oakeshott
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 9780486292885
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
British arthority on medieval weapons surveys European arms and armor from the Bronze Age to the time of triumph of gunpowder.

The Medieval Longsword

The Medieval Longsword PDF Author: Neil Grant
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472821556
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
The formidable European longsword – featuring a double-edged straight blade in excess of 40in, and capable of being used with one or both hands – remains one of the most impressive and distinctive edged weapons of the late medieval era. Also known as the 'bastard' sword and the 'hand-and-a-half' sword, the longsword evolved from the war swords and great swords of the 14th century, and emerged as a battlefield weapon in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. It went on to become a key weapon on the battlefields of late medieval Europe, creating a new system of sword fighting. Drawing together period sources, modern technical analysis and his own experiences with the longsword, Neil Grant explores the origins, manufacture and evolving use of this iconic late-medieval edged weapon. Illustrated throughout with specially commissioned full-colour artwork and an array of period illustrations and close-up photographs, this is the enthralling story of one of late-medieval Europe's most distinctive and deadly close-combat weapons.