Rating: 
Summary: Engaging scholarship from Dr. Anglo!
Review: Sydney Anglo has, in this book, produced a significant and engaging view in to the world of European Renaissance martial arts. Not content to rehash the same old arguments of nationalistic superiority in sword technique, he has pursued the art of personal combat, of which sword play was only a part, in many of its spendid variations.Dr. Anglo's investigation of the historical treatises and the limitations faced by their authors in committing physical technique to a written format should help provide insight for modern scholars of historical martial arts in interpreting these old works. I found the chapters on notation, and taxonomy to be of surprising interest. While some of the author's biases leak in to the book, they tend to add flavor and enthusiasm to the subject rather than detracting. (Like his fondness for Pietro Monte or some variant of the word "plagiarist" appearing whenever Jakob Sutor is mentioned.) Truthfully, MARE is a serious, scholarly work delivered in a light style that makes for a fascinating read. All in all, I whole-heartedly recommend this exciting work to any serious student of European martial arts.
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