Rating: 
Summary: A Necessary First Step.
Review: This book is kind of at a neutral position, leaning slightly more towards positive.A good deal of info is presented,and a great many long running myths finally get the tripwire stretched in front of them. However, while correcting incorrect people is acceptable, bellittling or insulting them in the course of doing so is not; however passionate one is about one's field, assault is not argument. That's the only reason this book only had three stars from me--for every piece of good info I saw, yet another part popped up pointing out that other groups did it differently and were "WRONG",and if you don't do it exactly like this book says, then you're "not doing the real thing" at all.Seeing some of these attacks I got to a point where I was thinking, "I heard you the first 832 times", and it's a shame, because if not for that aspect this book would have had FIVE stars from me.All things considered, however, the book's importance cannot be denied; while it is not the definitive treatise on Renaissance swordplay that it may have been intended to be, It DOES look at Western swordplay as the true martial art it is at long last, and may be seen as the "clarion call" for the need for such work to exist in the FIRST place, that the Western Martial Heritage may be reclaimed. Andy Moynihan Director, Historical Research Group branch of the Society to Promote Accuracy in the Teaching of Historical Arms(SPATHA-HRG)
Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for the serious martial artist and swordsman
Review: This book is the impressive result of one of the most daring enterprises the world of Martial Arts has to offer. Through years of careful studies of period manuals, combined with the study of historical weapons and long-term practice, the author recreates an extinct fighting art: The fight with the renaissance rapier and its companion, the renaissance cut-and-thrust sword. The emphasis is clearly placed on the martial aspect, in other words, this book deals with sword FIGHTING rather than with sport fencing, stage-combat or roleplaying. The impressive bibilography at the end of the book makes very clear that John Clements has done a considerable amount of research and that the techniques presented are definetly more than invented moves. This book is a no-nonsense, no-compromise work on a subject surrounded by lots of myth and stupid prejudices and it is definetly a slap in the face of modern sport fencers or costumed theorists who think, they are the only ones how know. Anyone with a serious interest in European Martial Arts should give this refreshing, informative work a very close look.
Rating: 
Summary: At last swordfighting not fencing!
Review: This book was enjoyable to me because it offers a history of swords the way they were used in the renaissance that corrects the assumptions and bias modern people have about them. It distinguished among the different types in a way that differs from foil fencing today or fencing in the movies. It makes the differences very clear at the same time it shows how effective and complex they really were and not the crude sloppy style sometimes thought. The hundreds of pictures make sense and are clearly drawn to give you a sense of motion and movement. You come away with an appreciation for how much really went into real sword fighting with real swords, not fencing for audiences or points. That alone makes the book one of a kind and something special. The tactical advice on practice sparring was very interesting. The editing could have been better and more quotes from ancient masters would have been useful, but for showing there really was something to renaissance martial arts its priceless.
Rating: 
Summary: Fair introduction for the casual reader
Review: This book's main worth is that it dispels a few of the myths that have plagued European swordsmanship for the last two centuries. The author makes a case about the martial arts of old Europe being a far cry from both Hollywood lore and modern sport-fencing. Indeed, Clements may have been the originator (or at least one of the originators) of the very concept of "Western martial arts." In this sense, the book is somewhat valuable to someone who has never been exposed to Western swordsmanship. On the liability side, however, the book is not intended to be a "manual" on the use of the rapier and the cut-and-thrust sword, and whoever buys it in the hope of acquiring such knowledge will be disappointed. In all fairness, Clements states as much very plainly in the introduction. Still, the author fails to provide even the most basic principles of the systems mentioned in the title. Outside of a few rather intuitive stances and moves, there is no mention of the very fundamentals of the arts - even something as elemental as the four rapier guards. The main problem, though, is that the book includes some grave inaccuracies that the author should have corrected or eliminated upon successive editions. For instance, Clements' likening rapier fencing to boxing is plainly absurd from just about every technical angle, and even a superficial reading of the period texts will reveal as much. Ditto for the many instances in which Clements suggests that key rapier techniques (such as the lunge and accompanying pictures) are almost underdeveloped versions of their modern counterparts. Also, there is a happy-go-lucky use and spelling of historical terms. For example, the "stramazzone," a strong, downward circular cut delivered from the wrist, becomes the "stromazione" (sic) a harrassing cheek-cut delivered with the sword-point (something unheard of in period texts). Although the book was written at a time when the original Renaissance treatises were for the most part unavailable or untranslated, there is no reason why such documentable inaccuracies should be allowed to stand now that these texts are widely available in the original and in plain-English translations. So, if you have a casual interest in Western martial arts and want to "get your feet wet," this book may prove a fair initial read. But if your interest is anywhere near earnest, and you want to see how swordsmanship was really practiced in the 16th and 17th Centuries, you owe to yourself to look deeper - and look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Very possibly the worst fencing book ever written.
Review: This is a poorly-written, unresearched book by a self-styled "expert" who apparently has absolutely no knowledge or experience in the subject matter. It is a collection of misrepresentation, error, uneducated speculation and opinion that is contradicted by the author's own "primary sources." Though he claims to have the support of period masters, he doesn't offer even a single citation to back up his assertions -- because he can't. This book can be impressive only to those with even less ability to distinguish history from fantasy. I give it one star only because there is no way to give it NO stars.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely awful
Review: This is one of the worst works on Renaissance combat ever written. It is rife with inacuracies. The author creates bizzare theories about the subject, and then ignores all evidence from original sources that contradict his theories. It is unfortunate that this work is still in print - it provides the reader with far more information that is wrong than that is correct. Unfortunately, without serious research, it is impossible for a casual reader to tell which is which. Avoid this book like the plague.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing reading, impassioned information
Review: This unique book was the first of its kind dedicated solely to the subject of Renaissance swordplay in the 20th century and I think the effort is a monumental one. Since the author's efforts were to recreate a subject that has long since been bury he achieved his goal in presenting a range of information that only know has started to become more widely known. This book is a must for the beginner and not so beginner eager to learn differences between swords and rapiers and rapiers and fencing foils. It breaks the myths of the period and shares useful kernels of wisdom and practical advice along actual instructions from renaissance fencing texts. In great detail the author sets forth a genuine and intriguing portrayal of how the swords were practically used in life and death encounters. For the open minded reader it will set you on the path of discovery about the Martial Arts side of forgotten European swordsmanship. I highly recommend the book to anyone with an interest in historical swordplay as it will present things that do not fit in the "pre-packaged box" of how these weapons were really used at the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Our Formidable Western Martial Heritage
Review: When it comes to our Western martial heritage there is a high degree of common myth, misconception, and error. This is the case particularly in reference to Renaissance martial arts and its forms of historical swordsmanship. During the Renaissance there arose in Europe a distinction between those swords intended for war and those for personal self-defense. It is a myth that Renaissance fighting arts used entirely a brutal, artless approach. Examination of the historical texts and artwork of the period clearly dismisses this prejudice. Swordsmanship at the time was a systematic and highly dynamic art, far from being uniform. Understanding the weapons Renaissance fighters were using is key to studying the progression of their concepts and techniques of their fighting skills. Yet, today we are bombarded with inaccurate and silly notions derived from theatrical performances and the near irrelevance of the modern forms of sport fencing. Modern sport fencing is so far removed from its martial origins in the renaissance as to not qualify as a true martial art. The emphasis of my work is therefore necessarily not on rule-bound games or fantasy role-playing or on pretend performance, but on sound hands-on experience with accurate replica weaponry by studying the manuals of the historical masters. This book makes a substantial leap forward in the effort to reconstruct and replicate the formidable fighting arts of our Western martial heritage. It is a must for anyone serious about pursuing skill in historical swordsmanship today.
Rating:
Summary: This book may upset you!
Review: Why does this book have American sport fencers howling and European weapon scholars cheering? Because this book is shaking up a lot of the dogma and myth associated with sword use during the Renaissance. Instead of viewing the fighting manuals of the 16th and 17th centuries through the eyes of modern fencing practice or theatrical choreography, Clements has examined the subject from a far more pragmatic, martial angle. The result is a great primer for interested martial arts practitioners, students of military history, or anyone interested in a new, fresh, and iconoclastic take on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Yes! Finnaly.
Review: Yes! Finally! Someone produced a book that declares rapier fencing is a martial art! Finally a book that shows all the things other books on swords and fencing leave out. As a reenactor, this book opened my eyes to a lot of things I thought I knew and a lot of things I had been fooled on. This book is everything you WON'T learn in regular fencing. The only ones who won't like this book are fencers who think that flimsy epees and foils are God's gift to western civilization. If you're tired of fencers instructors who get their learning about renaissance swords from watching movies and tv, this book is your sole relief. Its no wonder sport fencers are so upset about it, it reminds everyone how silly their little game really is compared to the real thing and apparently they don't' want anyone else learning that. A real rapier is NOT a cutting SWORD and a rapier is NOT a foil or epee. To help you learn about HISTORICAL fencing this book is THE source.
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