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Joachim Meyer
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The Art of Sword Combat: A 1568 German Treatise on Swordmanship Hardcover – August 18, 2016

by Joachim Meyer (Author), Jeffrey L. Forgeng (Translator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 267 ratings
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Following the success of Jeffrey L. Forgeng’s translation of Joachim Meyer’s The Art of Sword Combat the author was alerted to an earlier recension of the work which was discovered in Lund University Library in Sweden.

The manuscript, produced in Strassburg around 1568, is illustrated with thirty watercolor images and seven ink diagrams.

The text covers combat with the long sword (hand-and-a-half sword), dusack (a one-handed practice weapon comparable to a saber), and rapier. The manuscript’s theoretical discussion of guards is one of the most critical passages to understanding this key feature of the historical practice, not just in relation to Meyer but in relation to the medieval combat systems in general.

The manuscript offers an extensive repertoire of training drills for both the dusack and the rapier, a feature largely lacking in treatises of the period as a whole but critical to modern reconstructions of the practice. The translation also includes a biography of Meyer, much of which has only recently come to light, as well as technical terminology, and other essential information for understanding and contextualizing the work.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Frontline Books
  4. Publication date
    August 18, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    6.2 x 1 x 9.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1473876753
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1473876750
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is the most in-depth account of sword technique we've seen, and military history buffs will find an awful lot to enjoy here. If you're interested in learning more about what many would call a lost art, then this translated work is an excellent place to start"
History of Royals

"If you’re interested in how people actually fought in the Early Modern Age, or just want to be able to visualize the duel between Romeo and Tybalt, The Art of Sword Combat is a book that will tell you everything you need to know."
Medievalists.net

About the Author

Joachim Meyer was born in Basel in Switzerland in approximately 1537, possibly the son of Jacob Meyer, a stationer, and Anna Freund. He became a burgher of Strasbourg by marrying a widow in 1560, most likely during his apprenticeship as a cutler. He made a living as both a cutler and a professional fencer until 1570, in which year he published his Art of Combat – the book that made him famous. The making of this book, however, left him deeply indebted, and the search for potential buyers led him to leave Strasbourg and work as a Master-of-Arms at the court of the Duke of Schwerin. Unfortunately, he died shortly after his arrival, on 24 February 1571, at the age of just thirty-four, leaving the burden of his debt to his widow and brother-in-law.

Jeffrey L Forgeng is curator of the Worcester Art Museum’s Higgins Collection, the second largest collection of arms and armor in the Americas, and also teaches as Adjunct Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His academic work specializes in European treatises on the use of arms and armor.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frontline Books; Illustrated edition (August 18, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1473876753
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1473876750
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.13 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.2 x 1 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 267 ratings

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Joachim Meyer

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
267 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

A Rod
5.0 out of 5 stars Good historical/primary source
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a good primary source for studying the ancient martial arts. Unlike the 1570 this book does not have a section dedicated to dagger, or pole arms. And his presentation and organization of the material is different than in his later work. But he tells the reader what is most important about fencing in the beginning of the book, after that he expands upon it with examples of how to do things. Also unlike the 1570 there are color pictures and they seem more painterly than the woodcuts. There is much less action happening the the pictures but they are still a useful example of movement with the weapon, also its good as a reference between the two sources as many of the same postures and movements are pictured in both works. I recommend purchasing and studying both sources and to read the entire source for clarity. There is also a glossary in this book.
12 people found this helpful
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Nancy C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated!
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
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I bought this book for a nephew who loves Medieval anything but after looking through it, really wanted it for myself. Beautiful drawings in color. An absolute must for any sword enthusiast! (I didn’t keep it 😇)
One person found this helpful
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R. Weidner
5.0 out of 5 stars This would make an excellent addition to any HEMA library
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2017
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This can be viewed as a "rough draft" of Joachim Meyer's work that would be published later on in 1570. This includes watercolor images of the various movements, but his "The Art of Combat" is far more complete and detailed I think.

This would make an excellent addition to any HEMA library, but one might want to invest in "The Art of Combat" first.
5 people found this helpful
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That Ain't Working
4.0 out of 5 stars Written by a sword master, not writer.
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2018
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I'm sure the translation is accurate so my complaint is probably with the original German sword master who was obviously not an author by trade. There is some good information in this book, but the organization is horrible unless you are already familiar with all the terminology and various guards and strikes. Even that information is in the book, but it comes after the instructional text, so if you are still learning, like me, you end up flipping back and forth between the glossary at the end and the text. And the pictures are beautifully drawn but not nearly as instructional as you would find in a more modern text -- if there were more modern texts. This could be a good resource book if someone wanted to develop their own classes for teaching this style of swordcraft.
8 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read! Although I would loved it more if ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2017
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Excellent read! Although I would loved it more if I didn't have to flip trough the book to find the images that were talked about in the text. Including them after the section of the text connected to them would be great! Still a must buy for all HEMA enthusiasts.
3 people found this helpful
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Thomas Pachura
5.0 out of 5 stars I practice HEMA, specifically the sword plays from this ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2016
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I practice HEMA, specifically the sword plays from this very book with my sword club. This is the updated/revised version of Meyer. The pictures are in line with the text now, instead of gathered up at the end of the chapters.
7 people found this helpful
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Rafael Cruz
5.0 out of 5 stars Obligatory
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2017
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A fantastic new look on Meyer's work, including even a glimpse on the man itself. A obligatory text for those who study the longsword school of fencing.
3 people found this helpful
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James Reilly
5.0 out of 5 stars Forgeng at his best. Meyer at his most convoluted
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
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Forgeng at his best. Meyer at his most convoluted. But what do you want? This seems to be for him rather than for us.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Bell articolo
Reviewed in Italy on December 16, 2023
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Bel libro
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abdullah dinc
5.0 out of 5 stars die kunst
Reviewed in Germany on January 7, 2019
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überhaupt alles, jamer schade nicht auf deutsch übersetzt
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Pablo
5.0 out of 5 stars Al igual que el resto de sus tratados editados un excelente trabajo por parte de Forgeng
Reviewed in Spain on October 8, 2017
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Al igual que el resto de sus tratados editados un excelente trabajo por parte de Forgeng, los tratados históricos de esgrima mejor reeditados y traducidos corren de su mano.
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Julian Schuetze
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome for those who want to supplement their 1570 Meyer.
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2016
Verified Purchase
The quality of print is super nice, and have nothing but good things to say about the quality. The text is easy to read, and the illustrations are high quality and on a nice gloss paper. The difference of texture of the pages make it really easy to pop over to the illustrations from anywhere in the book.

Keep in mind this is a previous manuscript from Meyer, and his 1570 is still the definitive version. This book works extremely well as a supplement for the 1570, but should not be taken as a replacement.
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Julian Schuetze
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome for those who want to supplement their 1570 Meyer.
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2016
The quality of print is super nice, and have nothing but good things to say about the quality. The text is easy to read, and the illustrations are high quality and on a nice gloss paper. The difference of texture of the pages make it really easy to pop over to the illustrations from anywhere in the book.

Keep in mind this is a previous manuscript from Meyer, and his 1570 is still the definitive version. This book works extremely well as a supplement for the 1570, but should not be taken as a replacement.
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Mr. B. Grief
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, well written.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2016
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An excellent book on Meyers earlier work. An excellent complement to The art of Combat. Plus you get excellent colour me plates. A must for Meyer practitioners and anyone following the Liechtenauer tradition.
2 people found this helpful
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