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Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century
The standard reference on historical swordsmanship since its 1885 publication, this volume is still widely considered the definitive work on fencing history and the art of European swordsmanship. The author, Egerton Castle, traces fencing from its roots in the unschooled brawling of the Middle Ages to its latter-day precision and refinement, focusing particularly on the 16th-century development of the rapier and the weapon's popularity in Renaissance Italy, where Italian masters founded the modern art of swordsmanship.
Envisioning the history of the sword as a history of humanity, the author proposes that the changes in modes of fencing corresponded to changes in manners. The rough, untutored fighting of the Middle Ages, for example, mirrored the supremacy of brute force in social and political life. The more subtle Renaissance era led to the ascendancy of the rapier and dagger, weapons of vicious elegance rather than sturdy brutality. Subsequent years saw a dwindling incidence of dueling, the decline of the sword to an article of gentlemen's apparel, and the reduction of swordsmanship to a courtly accomplishment akin to dancing.
"The subject is full of interest," the author notes in his Introduction, "not only for the fencer who looks upon his favourite pastime as a science, but also in a high degree for the novelist, the painter, the actor, and the antiquarian." All will welcome the return of this abundantly illustrated and long-out-of-print work.
Envisioning the history of the sword as a history of humanity, the author proposes that the changes in modes of fencing corresponded to changes in manners. The rough, untutored fighting of the Middle Ages, for example, mirrored the supremacy of brute force in social and political life. The more subtle Renaissance era led to the ascendancy of the rapier and dagger, weapons of vicious elegance rather than sturdy brutality. Subsequent years saw a dwindling incidence of dueling, the decline of the sword to an article of gentlemen's apparel, and the reduction of swordsmanship to a courtly accomplishment akin to dancing.
"The subject is full of interest," the author notes in his Introduction, "not only for the fencer who looks upon his favourite pastime as a science, but also in a high degree for the novelist, the painter, the actor, and the antiquarian." All will welcome the return of this abundantly illustrated and long-out-of-print work.
525 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2003
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About the author
Egerton Castle
99 books2 followersEgerton Smith Castle F.S.A. (12 March 1858 – 16 September 1920) was an author, antiquarian, and swordsman, and an early practitioner of reconstructed historical fencing, frequently in collaboration with his colleague Captain Alfred Hutton. Castle was the captain of the British épée and sabre teams at the 1908 Summer Olympics.
He was born in London into a wealthy family; his maternal grandfather was the publishing magnate and philanthropist Egerton Smith. He was a lieutenant of the Second West India Regiment and afterwards a captain of the Royal Engineers Militia. He was also an expert on bookplates and a keen collector.
Egerton Castle co-authored several novels with his wife, Agnes Castle.
He was born in London into a wealthy family; his maternal grandfather was the publishing magnate and philanthropist Egerton Smith. He was a lieutenant of the Second West India Regiment and afterwards a captain of the Royal Engineers Militia. He was also an expert on bookplates and a keen collector.
Egerton Castle co-authored several novels with his wife, Agnes Castle.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 30, 2020
Hands down, this book has probably done more damage to the serious study of pre-Enlightenment swordsmanship than any other book in the history of the English language. Unfortunately, it is still often cited as the definitive work on the history of swordsmanship, despite its Victorian Darwinist attitude that all blade-dependent martial arts throughout history led in a linear manner to the "perfection" of late Victorian sport fencing.
This book is important historiographically, but essentially worthless historically. As such, it should be avoided like the plague by impressionable neophytes to swordsmanship as a martial art. Its main contribution to the field was that it was written by a well-meaning scholar who was taken seriously at the time, and thus helped to promote the early study of Historical Martial Arts.
This book is important historiographically, but essentially worthless historically. As such, it should be avoided like the plague by impressionable neophytes to swordsmanship as a martial art. Its main contribution to the field was that it was written by a well-meaning scholar who was taken seriously at the time, and thus helped to promote the early study of Historical Martial Arts.
May 10, 2016
Largely outdated and false in most of its statements on weights of swords, systematic uses of weapons, and on the skill-sets of swordsmen before the 1750's, post 1750's it is a much more reliable source on the history - at the time - of fencing.
June 4, 2008
Worth it if only for words like these:
"If this is not fencing, it is, however, a very severe and difficult
exercise, and a duel with Schlaegers, although very rarely dangerous, must be considered a very fair test of pluck and endurance. -- Egerton Castle, Schools and Master of Fence, 185".
"However much the elegance of the thrusting play might please the Cavalier, it never suited the bulk of the nation: the character of English pugnacity being rather a delight in hard knocks than a thirst for the adversary's life. -- Egerton Castle, Schools and Master of Fence, 188".
"Englishmen had always loved the exhausting sword-and-buckler fight, and when the latter went out of fashion, the endurance and 'bottom' displayed in a hot backsword contest was much more congenial to their feelings than the most cunningly conducted rapier bout. -- Egerton Castle, Schools and Master of Fence, 188".
"If this is not fencing, it is, however, a very severe and difficult
exercise, and a duel with Schlaegers, although very rarely dangerous, must be considered a very fair test of pluck and endurance. -- Egerton Castle, Schools and Master of Fence, 185".
"However much the elegance of the thrusting play might please the Cavalier, it never suited the bulk of the nation: the character of English pugnacity being rather a delight in hard knocks than a thirst for the adversary's life. -- Egerton Castle, Schools and Master of Fence, 188".
"Englishmen had always loved the exhausting sword-and-buckler fight, and when the latter went out of fashion, the endurance and 'bottom' displayed in a hot backsword contest was much more congenial to their feelings than the most cunningly conducted rapier bout. -- Egerton Castle, Schools and Master of Fence, 188".
February 27, 2018
This has some great information in it, especially about Rapier play. It is written with a distinctly British Imperial style that can be a bit difficult to get through. The author seems has an arrogant acceptance that past masters had poor systems for their weapons compared to the system of small sword, without seeming to realize that the systems were very good for the weapons in question.
The technical details discussed assume a knowledge of sport fencing terminology I don't have when it comes to small sword, so I found that section a little difficult.
The technical details discussed assume a knowledge of sport fencing terminology I don't have when it comes to small sword, so I found that section a little difficult.
June 14, 2016
Масса интересных данных и схем, хотя подача не всегда мне импонирует.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews