Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect Negative Example of Scholarship and Swordsmanship
Review: I can't imagine how Mr. Clements packed so many errors into so few pages. It may indeed be the worst book on fencing ever written (and there are some heavyweight competitors for that title). It certainly belongs in every fencer's library. In the fiction and fantasy section
Rating:
Summary: nebulous text with little research
Review: I feel a certain nostalgia for this book, as it did get me interested in Western Martial Arts, that being the case, I simply cannot recommend this book as any sort of serious study guide for Rapiers or Cut-and-Thrust swords. The chapter on the rapier, in particular, shows a complete lack of knowledge of the fundamentals of the Italian rapier as a weapon taught by the Italian masters of the likes of Salvator Fabris, Ridolfo Capo Ferro, etc. While the drawings and some of the general information is interesting for a beginner, it won't help the reader learn much of the true theory or techniques that were actually used by a competent rapier fencer. I do not remember, for example, seeing any discussing of the theory or technique of "stringering" or "finding the sword" (an important, fundamental concept for Italian rapier), much less the Italian concept of tempo as pertaining to fencing. Unfortunately, the selection of books available on this topic are few an far-between, especially in English--but for the serious English-speaking Practitioner, I would suggest that you skip this book and get copies of either George Silver's "Paradoxes of Defence" (for Cut & Thrust) or Joseph Swetnam's manual (for rapier), as both of these are original texts in English that are available in electronic format for free online (do a Google search). For those of you who can read Italian, do a search for the masters I listed above (their texts are available for free in .pdf format online). This book really only sits on my shelf taking up space and collecting dust.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical and Martial Artistry---
Review: I find this book a great reflection of historical and martial artistry of "Renaissance Swordsmanship". Indeed it IS "The Illustrated Use of Rapiers and Cut-and-Thrust Swords". The effective usage of simularities and differences among various periods and weapons helps to unify the fairly large field of "Renaissance Swordsmanship". Also I like the realistic CONTENT such as pg.128 AND the realistic CONTEXT such as pg.129. A very good complement to "Medieval Swordsmanship"---
Rating:
Summary: Run Away!
Review: I have nothing good to say about this work. There are much better works for learning renaissance sword work. Run don't walk away from this one.
Rating:
Summary: Run Away!
Review: I have nothing good to say about this work. There are much better works for learning renaissance sword work. Run don't walk away from this one.
Rating: 
Summary: What you need to know
Review: I have spent more than 15 years studying swordplay manuals actually written in the Renaissance and trying out those techniques with my fellow swordplay enthusiasts. While we have written a lot of short papers and booklets on what we have learned, "Renaissance Swordsmanship" is the first real book on this subject. In short, if you are interested in rapier play you need this book in your library. That said, let me add some cautions: - This book is only an introduction to the basic concepts and moves so you must realize more advanced techniques exist. - Mr. Clements has studied several different renaissance masters and borrows freely from all without making it clear what technique come from which master. Instead he gives his own mix of techniques. What may look like a mistake to a student of Di Grassi might actually be correct according to Fabris. - To master renaissance sword techniques you will eventually have to study the manuals of the period yourself but if you have read this first, that study will be a LOT easier. - This is NOT a scholarly work, exhaustively researched and accurate in every detail. Use it as a learning resource, not a reference work. - To really learn some of the material presented here it is necessary to actually pick up the equipment and try the moves described. - I found "Renaissance Swordsmanship" to be light on the details needed to actually apply the techniques described. - This is NOT fight choreography which is an entirely different science. It is an attempt to teach you to how real rapier and cut and thrust swordplay works. Real fights are over quickly and seldom entertaining to watch (except to other sword enthusiasts). - Without the proper safety equipment these techniques are dangerous. Think about it -- with real swords these methods kill. - These techniques do not work well with modern fencing weapons. If you start with an epee you will quickly find you need to be using reproduction or practice rapiers to do it right. Fortunately, you CAN buy those. (Hey, Amazon -- do you sell swords yet?) And a few specifics (IMHO): - Most of the manuals from renaissance masters present very poor, ineffective techniques for the use of two rapiers (i.e. case or brace), probably because actual use of case was rare. The technique presented in "Renaissance Swordsmanship" is similarly weak. - The footwork and stance portions are particularly light, ignoring or almost ignoring important basics such as slope and circular paces. This is particularly important to the modern fencer who is likely to misapply his modern footwork to renaissance forms. Finally, I will point out that the renaissance masters themselves disagreed -- hotly -- over the advantages of various techniques and weapons and there are significant disagreements among modern scholars on how to interpret those works. It is therefore not surprising to me that some modern scholars believe what Mr. Clements has presented is just "wrong, wrong, wrong!" In my own review of his book I found very little I did not recognize as coming from one renaissance master or another. Some of those techniques I would present differently, but that does not make them, "wrong, wrong wrong!"
Rating:
Summary: Ugh.
Review: I heard alot about this and finally broke down and bought this one. Yikes. What a mess. You got to leave it to Clements: He's got a set of brass balls. A guy ranting and raving about how everyone else is mistaken about the history of swordplay... and then not knowing anything himself!Example: Clements thinks that one of the Renaissance rapier Great Masters, Ridolfo Capoferro da Cagli, is actually two masters, one Capoferro and one da Cagli. Has he actually looked at (let alone read) any of the sources? The book is full of this stuff. And that's stuff that even the worst mainstream fencing writer got right! Look at this as a purely self-serving promotional brochure, designed only to sell you another worthless book (Medieval Swordsmanship, which is even worse!) and to get the truly clueless and impressionable to pay membership fees to HACA. And to think they chopped trees down to make the paper for this book.
Rating:
Summary: good basic book to clear the misconceptions
Review: I like the clarity of the pictures in the work. They provide a good 3-D like picture of what is going on for each technique. I like how the author takes great pains to clear up many myths about swords and sword-fighting that many stagecombat people like to foster in others to hide the fact that they themselves learned how to use a sword by taking sport fencing or watching Spartacus. If you want to learn how to use a rapier or cut and thrust sword, then this book is for you. The author shows you most all basic techniques in a clear format in such a way that you will be able to apply what you learn and create your own personal style.
Rating:
Summary: very good book; author is critical but also very honest!
Review: I liked this one very much!!! finally a book about western arts!! it has good and clear text, clear pictures! Contains good information and has much realism. It explains tactics and footwork, shows a lot of different types of swords and also shows realistic use of the sword and shield. I like this book very much. Buy it, enjoy it! unlike other readers I do not dislike his way of criticism about stage swordmanship, he is just realistic and he also says on page 277: ..."please keep in mind that nothing in the preceding was in any way intended to discredit or devalue the time-honored craft of theatrical swordplay, but only to place it in context with the emerging practice of historical methods"... and that's just what he does, place it in context and rob a lot of people from their fairytale illusions about movie swordfighting. I like watching the moviefighting, don't get me wrong! But movies are to enjoy and are mostly not realistic. mister Clements is right and does a good job. I would like to contact him because I came interested in this western medieval art and I am as curious as a lot of people are. So mister Clements, if you read this could you give me an e-mail address or a website url??
Rating:
Summary: excellent for history buffs and recreationists
Review: I work at a fencing school and have seen it all. John Celements study on the art of the rapier has opened new doors not onlt to me, but to the students of the school. All the questions that start as "How did they.." are answered here.
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