Building a library of historic manuals and resources can get expensive (trust me, I know). You can find most everything at your local academic library, but until you learn the Library of Congress system, here are a couple of free resources on the web:
On Warfare:
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. You should stop reading this blog, go print this out, and read it
Arthashastra, an ancient Indian text on governance and warfare
On War, by Carl von Clausewitz. Unfortunately this is the Graham translation, which sucks. He stood too close to the artillery, one might say.
Arte della Guerra and il Principe, Niccolo Machiavelli’s “Art of War” and “The Prince”
A bibliography of 16th and 17th century military treatises
De Re Military, a collection of articles and primary sources on medieval warfare
The Military Garden or Instructions from James Achesone, 1629
The Art of Embattailing an Army, 1631, Part 1 and Part 2, from Aelianus with commentary from John Bingham
Two articles on Landsknecht organization, Caste, Skill, and Training and Landsknecht Recruitment and Organization
Of course, for the best histories of period warfare, you’ll just have to go buy Charles Chadwick Oman’s books on the matter.
Fighting Manuals:
Doebringer, Hanko Cod.HS.3227a Transcription and Translation
DiGrassi, Giacomo “His True Arte of Defense” (Transcription)
Agrippa, Camillo “Treatise on the Science of Armes” (Excerpts)
Hutton, Alfred “Old Sword Play”
Swetnam, Joseph “The Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Arte of Defense” Part 1
and Swetnam, Joseph “The Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Arte of Defense” Part 2
CapoFerro, Ridolfo “Great Representation of the Art and the Use of Fencing” (Translation. Plates available upon request)
Silver, George “Briefe Instructions” and “Paradoxes of Defense”
Cunningham, A.C. “The Cane as Weapon” Early 20th Century self defense with cane
Provided on Request:
Caranza, Jeronimo “The Treatise of the Philosophy of Armes…”
DiGrassi, Giacomo “His True Arte of Defense” (Facsimile)
Jones, Richard “The Booke of Honor and Armes”
Anon. “A Very Proper Treatise”
Mascall, Leonard “A Proper Booke…”
Saviolo, Vincentio “His Practise”
Ringeck, Sigmund “Commentaries on Johann Liechtenauer”
Useful Sites
Leave a Reply