With the recent resurgence of interest in historical weapons and the techniques involved in their usage, this book on the art of swordsmanship should appeal to a wide and enthusiastic audience. Written in the late 19th century by a British officer, antiquarian, and teacher of swordsmanship, the work was intended to provide military men with essential training in the art and science of fencing. Drawing upon the methods used by master swordsmen in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, author Alfred Hutton gives comprehensive and detailed instruction in the use of the two-hand sword, rapier and dagger, broadsword and buckler, rapier and cloak, and dagger and cloak. Complemented with nearly 60 illustrations, including instructive diagrams and rare woodcuts of classic fencing positions, this excellent introduction and its valuable information will be welcomed by scholars and sword-play enthusiasts. General readers and anyone interested in this form of self-defense will be delighted with a rare work on what is still regarded by many as an art form and recreational pursuit.