In the 1600s, the elegant and deadly Italian rapier was the choice sword of duelists, officers, gentlemen and noblemen: to master the rapier was to be a feared martial artist and a paragon in single combat. Among the original treatises on the use of this weapon, the most prized by historical fencing revivalists in the last 150 year has been the Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing, written in 1610 by Master Ridolfo Capoferro. In this remarkable text, Capoferro described and illustrated - in unmatched detail - the use of the rapier alone and with a left-handed dagger, cloak and shield, offering the modern historical fencing student a true wealth of Renaissance fencing theory, form and repertoire. With this book, expert researcher and rapier instructor Tom Leoni offers a full, accurate and accessible English translation of Capoferro's teachings, complete with high-resolution reproductions of the 43 original illustrations. To make the book even more useful, Tom has included bullet-point synopses of all the actions illustrated by Capoferro, as well as a glossary of rapier-fencing terms with examples referring the reader to how they are used in the text. Also included is a primer on key rapier-fencing concepts and actions, as well as a historical introduction about Capoferro and his extraordinary relevance in the revival of historical martial arts.

Dating from the 1520's, Bolognese swordsmaster's Antonio Manciolino's Opera Nova is the earliest surviving printed book on Italian martial arts. This seminal and eclectic Renaissance work contains clear and systematic instruction on the use of the sword and small buckler, sword and large buckler, sword and targa, sword and dagger, sword and cape, two swords, sword alone, and sword and rotella, plus a fascinating compendium on the use of polearms. Clearly and elegantly written, Manciolino's text is one of the best and clearest presentations of the martial skills required of the ideal Renaissance man. For the first time since its original publishing, this book has been translated into English by experienced historical fencing instructor Tom Leoni. Also included is a valuable and extensive technical introduction, complete with illustrations from both original sources and modern photographs, making it easy to follow Manciolino's instructions, sword-in-hand, even by beginners, while providing years of training for veteran martial artists.

The `Getty Manuscript' (Il Fior di Battaglia/The Flower of Battle) by the greatest fencing-master of the late 1300s, Fiore Furlan dei Liberi, instructs the reader in the intricacies of combat. Lively illustrations of charging horses and armoured knights accompany the text; through words and pictures, the manuscript teaches a variety of fighting techniques including single combat on foot with sword, dagger and axe, and mounted combat in all its variations. Fiore's magnum opus, The Flower of Battle, composed in 1409, is one of the oldest, most extensive and most clearly elucidated martial arts treatises from the medieval period. It is a record of a complete medieval martial tradition, and provides unique insights into the life and milieu of the professional fighting man at the birth of the Italian Renaissance. Fiore preserved his teachings in a series of illustrated manuscripts, four of which have survived to the present day. The first volume in this new five-part series (see SERIES NOTE) presents a complete translation, transcription and reproduction of the largest and most complete of those four manuscripts. It includes chapters on the life of Fiore dei Liberi, his students and patrons, arms and armour in the Getty Manuscript, duelling and chivalric culture in Italy at the close of the 14th century, a detailed analysis of the manuscripts' use of pedagogy, number and metaphor and The Flower of Battle's relationship to other medieval combat manuscripts. 190 illustrations, 90 in colour. SERIES NOTE: This is the first volume in a new five-volume series from Freelance Academy Press. Flowers of Battle is a series of lavishly illustrated hardbacks, combining full-colour facsimiles of the original manuscripts with professional, annotated translations and extensive, peer-reviewed essays. The Flowers of Battle Series Includes: Vol. I: Historical Overview and the Getty Manuscript Vol. II: Flos Duellatorum Vol. III: Florius de Arte Luctandi Vol. IV: The Pierpont-Morgan Manuscript and General Concordance Vol. V: Leaves of Battle - Fiore dei Liberi's Martial Heirs and Influence