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The Secret History of the Sword: Adventures in Ancient Martial Arts
Very Good Paperback Multi-Media Books, 1999. Book. Very Good. Soft cover. First Thus. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Stiff orange and white wraps, lettered in black and gold. Minor handling wear, corners rubbed. Square, uncreased binding, unmarked interior. Explicitly stated as 1999 revised/expanded edition yet shows a number line starting with "1" and "(19)97,".
281 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 1, 2017
The title slightly oversells the contents of this book, which are microscopically focused on specific obscure phenomena in the history of swordfighting. Including what targets (body parts, mounts) were off-limits and when, when organized sport swordfighting originated in Europe, the techniques taught to US soldiers in WWII for fighting a Nazi officer armed with a sword, and other esoterica. The tone is dry, but the illustrations help to add extra interest and clarify the descriptions of techniques and movements.
July 10, 2021
The title is a little misleading, but once accostumed to the structure I found the contents of this book extremely captivating. In a collection of short essays interspersed with historical recounts of duels, the author answers various questions about the history of sword fighting - from the shape of medieval blades to the techniques during the Roman period, from the rules of the Mensur to the actual physical injuries of a bladed weapon - debunking common misconceptions and myths on modern fencing and swordmanship.
The book is clearly addressed to readers already equipped with minimum knowledge in the field, personally I think that a short glossary on the terminology would have facilitated my reading. And the presence of more pictures in some chapters would have been also very welcomed.
I also found quite tiring the report of long pieces from the literary sources discussed, these quotations often constituted more than half of an entire chapter, I believe some of them could have been just indirectly referenced.
The number of sources is impressive and I will try and make good use of the bibliography at the end. However, I noticed a couple of mistakes in the transcript and the translation of italian terms, which tarnishes a little the accuracy of the work.
I noticed an unusually high number of typos, I don't know if it may be only this edition.
Finally, the author is particularly present in his piece, offering personal opinions and quite a lot of irony. For me, this sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
The book is clearly addressed to readers already equipped with minimum knowledge in the field, personally I think that a short glossary on the terminology would have facilitated my reading. And the presence of more pictures in some chapters would have been also very welcomed.
I also found quite tiring the report of long pieces from the literary sources discussed, these quotations often constituted more than half of an entire chapter, I believe some of them could have been just indirectly referenced.
The number of sources is impressive and I will try and make good use of the bibliography at the end. However, I noticed a couple of mistakes in the transcript and the translation of italian terms, which tarnishes a little the accuracy of the work.
I noticed an unusually high number of typos, I don't know if it may be only this edition.
Finally, the author is particularly present in his piece, offering personal opinions and quite a lot of irony. For me, this sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
October 29, 2007
Brilliant book on the topic of swordplay and Western Martial Arts. A pivotal work if one wants to understand the real history of Martial Arts, and see that not everything Martial comes from the orient. Moreover that every dominant culture throughout history has had its own Martial tradition from the fighting prowess of the ancient Greeks to the Spanish conquistadores bringing their swordplay (fencing or 'escrima' in Spanish) to the Philippines, where dominant doctrine today has it that 'escrima' is an original Philippine Martial Art.
As I said brilliant stuff, well written!
As I said brilliant stuff, well written!
June 7, 2008
An excellent book, Amberger set a good bar in the field of historical fencing research. What would have really been fantastic is an index. The book is essentially a collection of articles. One hopes a future edition might have an index to assist in reference.
March 17, 2013
Excellent reading on the lost history of western martial arts and an excercise in critical thinking. A must read for any historian or martial artist. Not a book on fighting, but on using your head to figuring out how techniques work and how it's transmitted
June 5, 2008
A fascinating read. Quite an accomplishment.
October 15, 2024
Fascinating history. Whether a history buff or a sword enthusiast, this is a good book to pick up.
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September 8, 2025More like a scattershot collection of pompous, convoluted blog posts than a coherent history of the sword. I felt no urge to retain my copy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews