Consulting Swordsman
A month ago I posted about Invisible Women, and suggested changing the cover of my book The Medieval Longsword to make it more inclusive, and especially to make it clear that women can and should practice the art of arms if they so wish. Shortly after that the socialz exploded with backlash against the dimwitted Andrew … Read more
I’m reading Invisible Women: Exposing Gender Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez, and it’s one of those books that simply everybody on the planet ought to read. The raging unfairness she exposes has made me rethink a lot of things. It’s not like I was unaware of what was going on, … Read more
I have the best readers. They are forever coming up with great ideas that I would never have thought of myself, and then sharing them with me. For instance, a while ago, Alex Beaudet contacted me with the suggestion of creating versions of illustrated fencing treatises in the format used for the ebook version of … Read more
If you have two hands, and only one of them is holding the sword, you might as well have a second weapon. The most common companion weapon for the rapier is the dagger. Rapier and dagger fencing is fast, complex, and fun. In this workbook you will learn how to quickly develop the knack of … Read more
The Fiore Translation Project is growing apace; I’m almost through the zogho largo section already. I compiled the translation, transcription, commentary and video clips for the Sword in One Hand plays into a pdf some time ago: you can get it free as a PDF by subscribing to my mailing list below this post. But … Read more
There is literally nothing more satisfying for a writer than seeing their books in the wild. Normally this happens to me at seminars or events, but sometimes my readers are kind enough to send in photos from far flung places. Dan Weber, for instance, took The Medieval Longsword camping with him (definitely easier to pack … Read more
Approximately every 365 days there falls a date celebrated for many things, but in my household principally as the anniversary of my birth. Yes, you have anticipated me: it was my birthday. As is delightfully customary, I was showered with gifts, chief among them a tome that has, quite simply, changed my life. How to … Read more
If you use Amazon (and most people do), then you may have noticed that they have changed the “Also Boughts” section on the product pages. It used to be a pretty reliable way of seeing what other people, who like the same things you do, have found interesting enough to buy. It also worked as … Read more
Volume 2 of the new Rapier Workbook series is back from layout, and looking pretty spiffy. It will be going to the printers next week. Huzzah! Volume 2 won’t be so useful if you don’t already have volume 1. You can get beautifully printed copies from the distributor here, or buy the print files to … Read more
Good writing advice often includes ‘get rid of all unnecessary words’. The awesome Zinsser says as much in his must-read On Writing Well, and he’s right. But one can go too far. Why is it that editors these days, especially the ones that live in your own head, want to pare everything down to the … Read more