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| The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 9 reviews)
Sales Rank: 644328
Category: Book
Author: Sydney Anglo
Publisher: Yale University Press
Studio: Yale University Press
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
Label: Yale University Press
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 396
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.4
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 7.7 x 0.8
ISBN: 0300083521
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.809409031
EAN: 9780300083521
ASIN: 0300083521
Publication Date: August 11, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Balletic homicide on the duelling field; stabbing and wrestling in tavern brawls; deceits and brutalities in street affrays; mounted encounters by armoured knights locked in desperate hand-to-hand combat - these were the martial arts of Renaissance Europe. In this book Sydney Anglo, a leading historian of the Renaissance and its symbolism, provides the first complete study of the martial arts from the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth centuries. The twentieth century has been captivated by oriental martial arts and their roots within Eastern societies. Yet the West too, as Anglo shows, developed its own styles of ritualised combat, similarly linked to contemporary social and scientific concerns. During the Renaissance physical exercise was regarded as central to the education of knights and gentlemen. Soldiers wielded a variety of weapons on the battlefield, and it was normal for civilians to carry swords and know how to use them. In schools across the continent, professional masters-of-arms were the artists who taught the lethal skills necessary to survive in a society where violence was endemic and life cheap. These ancient masters-of-arms, anxious to advertise their skills and record them for posterity, have left a wealth of evidence to reconstruct and illustrate their arts - much of it used here for the first time: detailed scholarly treatises, sketches by jobbing artists or magnificent images by D|rer and Cranach, descriptions of real combat, and an abundance of weapons and armour. With copious and precise illustration, Anglo explains the significance of martial arts in Renaissance education and everyday life. His book provides the fullest illustrated account of the social implications of one-to-one combat training.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 The Best Study of European Martial Skills Yet Published! August 19, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was astounded to find this book. By far, it the best academic study of Western fighting arts I have found. The focus is on the role of martial training in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was a violent and dangerous era, and people in all strata of society, be they soldiers or civilians, honest citizens or criminals, learned what skills they could to survive on the battlefield or in the streets. Not only is the text outstanding, but the book has been thoroughly illustrated with art from the time periods covered.
Some of the subjects covered within:
-Foot combat with swords: myth and reality
-Sword fighting: vocabulary and taxonomy
-Arms and armor
-Mounted combat
 Interesting, though his conclusions are debatable October 4, 2002
8 out of 14 found this review helpful
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book (I skipped around alot, it is extremely dense), and I agree with the many others who have stated that this is a ground-breaking encyclopedic tour of the history of fencing. I also wholeheartedly agree that historical fencing should be viewed as a full-fledged martial art ("fencing" is not synonymous with "modern sport fencing").I do have problems with many of his conclusions, which seem to lack a martial or fencing perspective. Mr. Anglo is certainly a serious researcher and historian, but he's clearly no fencer. He seems to miss a main point, namely, that such martial arts were never entirely taught via treatises, and the lack of treatises or the failure of specific types of notation within existing treatises does not at all imply that the art didn't exist, wasn't effective, or wasn't taught. This is a very interesting book, with some great pictures, diagrams, and summaries of very important historical fencing sources. Just be wary of the author's conclusions, interpretations, and overall perspective. 3.5 / 5
Essential Reading August 4, 2002
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Anglo's groundbreaking work is definitely one of the most influential treatises on Renaissance combat ever written. Seldom does an author write so in depth and cover so much material. Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe is fascinating from the first page; Anglo pens right toward the meat of the topic. Rather than reiterating what other authors have said and said again, Anglo only briefly mentions those sources widely available or quoted, instead preferring to bring light to those relatively unknown sources with which few are familiar, but which deserve much more acclaim. This book is not a light read by any standards; it should keep the most erudite of scholars busy for days. The further one reads into this book, the more one realizes he didn't know. Anglo makes every effort to cram information into every page, but does so with the witty flair of a seasoned writer who knows how to keep his audience interested. He provides ample photographs, scans, copies, and illustrations to underscore his study of Renaissance fighting, but does not drown the reader in unnecessary artwork. He covers more facets of Renaissance martial arts than most other authors even mention, from the methods of instruction to the evolution of combat. Affording a separate chapter to each style of personal defense - swordsmanship, barefisted brawling, polearm use, and the like - Anglo opens up a door to history that has never been opened before, and many anxious scholars are graciously pouring through. As he points out himself, the history of Renaissance martial arts is one that is very much neglected, both by historians and by martial artists. Historians generally shy away from warfare and fighting, and, apart from mentioning the outcome of a few major battles, barely acknowledge the existence of violence. Many martial artists tend to focus on technique, without much regard for history. Anglo has broken the barrier, and gave those scholars - both martial and historical - who crave to know a means through which to do it. Overall, this book is excellent. It is a unique and thorough view of the Renaissance that has yet to be matched. Martial Arts of Renaissance Europebelongs in the library of martial artists of Western and Eastern heritages alike: required reading for any fan of martial history.
A must for serious European martial artists December 27, 2001
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
One of the greatest problems facing modern enthusiasts of our European martial history is the availability (or lack there of) of scholarly study from the viewpoint of the period in which these arts were practiced. Too often they are approached from a standpoint of their applications in sport fencing or stage combat. Anglo has tried very hard to separate himself from these ties and look at the arts from their position in history, and while he occasionally falls shy, in most instances he succeeds remarkably well.
As a practitioner of medieval combat I was pleased to see many of the theories and postulations many of us have espoused borne out and explained in a scholarly text. The case Anglo makes for a systematic basis for training well before the Renaissance is well stated and helps to legitimize the work reenactors are performing today. As others have stated, this is not a "how to" manual, but is rather an indispensable tool to assist in researching masters and understanding the environment in which these skills were used. I have informed all my students and friends in the field that this book needs to be in their collection. I am certain I will reference it many times in the future.
Engaging scholarship from Dr. Anglo! January 31, 2001
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Sydney Anglo has, in this book, produced a significant and engaging view in to the world of European Renaissance martial arts. Not content to rehash the same old arguments of nationalistic superiority in sword technique, he has pursued the art of personal combat, of which sword play was only a part, in many of its spendid variations.Dr. Anglo's investigation of the historical treatises and the limitations faced by their authors in committing physical technique to a written format should help provide insight for modern scholars of historical martial arts in interpreting these old works. I found the chapters on notation, and taxonomy to be of surprising interest. While some of the author's biases leak in to the book, they tend to add flavor and enthusiasm to the subject rather than detracting. (Like his fondness for Pietro Monte or some variant of the word "plagiarist" appearing whenever Jakob Sutor is mentioned.) Truthfully, MARE is a serious, scholarly work delivered in a light style that makes for a fascinating read. All in all, I whole-heartedly recommend this exciting work to any serious student of European martial arts.
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