Reading List

Book of Knighthood & Chivalry; Ramon Lull

Written in the latter part of the 13th century, Ramon Lull penned this work to be a guidebook to knighthood. An essential piece of literature for anyone interested in placing historical swordsmanship within a historical context (especially since the English translation by William Caxton is contemporary with the later English longsword material).
ISBN: 1-891448-42-0

Teaching and Interpreting Historical Swordsmanship; Brian R. Price ed.

The very nature of historic European martial arts means that there are no "masters" from which to learn; that means that any teacher must also be a student. This book offers advice from many leaders in the western martial arts field. Certainly worth reading for anyone who is serious about studying historic swordsmanship and would like tips from those who have experienced the pitfalls.
ISBN: 1-891448-46-3

Froissart's Chronicles; John Froissart

The Chronicles cover the period from 1326 to 1400 and include descriptions of all the important events that took place in England, France, Scotland, Ireland and Flanders during those years while referring to happenings in other countries. This is an excellent primary source for a view of the political, and some social, atmosphere of the period; These types of works are important to the historical swordsman in that they help put the art form in the proper context and aid in student understanding. Several translations are likely available and any will serve.

John Hawkwood: an English Mercenary in Fourteenth-Century Italy; William Caferro

This recent biography of one of the captains of the famous White Company not only provides a textured look at the social and military conditions that produced the world in which the Harleian Two Hander would have been studied, it also gives some insight into the character and motivations of the type of person who might have been likely to use the techniques studied by the BFSA.
ISBN: 0-8018-8323-7

Arthurian Myths and Alchemy: the Kingship of Edward IV; Jonathan Hughes

A refreshing and atypical examination of the reign of the monarch who ruled during the time of the Harleian Manuscript's writing, this book explores the social background and contemporary beliefs about alchemy, science and spirituality that prevailed amongst the upper classes of England (specifically as it related to Edward IV's kingship). Interesting and thought-provoking reading for those who are curious about the mindset of the original Harleian Two Hand Sword practitioners.
ISBN: 0-7509-1994-9

Kata and the Transmission of Knowledge in Traditional Martial Arts; Michael Rosenbaum

Although this book mainly focuses upon eastern martial arts, the ideas and concepts it examines are of great relevance to study of the remaining medieval English longsword texts--all of which survive only in a fixed-play format.
ISBN: 1-59439-026-6

The Wars of the Roses: the Soldiers' Experience; Anthony Goodman

An examination of the dynastic struggle that engulfed England in the years during which the lessons from the Harleian Ms. and Cotton Titus Ms. may have been used, this work focuses upon the experiences of the common soldiers and their outlook.
ISBN: 0-7524-17843

The Master of Game; Duke Edward of Norwich (ed. William A. and F.N. Baillie-Grohman)

The oldest English book on hunting, the Master of Game is essentially a translation of Gaston de Foix's (Gaston Phebus) Livre de chasse. It is important because it provides social context for the class of people who would have studied Harleian Two Hand Sword, and because it clarifies contemporary hunting terms that appear in the Harleian Ms. as mnemonic devices.
ISBN: 0-8122-1937-6