Rapier fencing and duelling during the 16th and 17th centuries was dominated by the Italian masters, whose systems of sword fighting became increasingly sophisticated. Breaking away from this trend, Nicoletto Giganti developed something different: a frugal system of fencing that cut to the core of what a swordfight was and how to win it. Giganti's Scola overò Teatro, or The School of the Sword, became one of the most influential systems of fencing across Europe in the seventeenth century.In this remarkable new translation by historical fencing instructor and historian Aaron Taylor Miedema, author of Bayonets and Blobsticks, Giganti's work is presented fresh to the modern reader. Copiously illustrated with redrawings of dozens of Giganti's original plates, over 60 new photographs, and even a new plate, Giganti's detailed curriculum is augmented by comprehensive annotation and commentary. Regardless of whether you are a historian, a casual reader with an interest in the sword, or an accomplished swordsman, Nicoletto Giganti's The School of the Sword is a fascinating guide to the art of rapier fencing.
Star Wars is one of the most important cultural phenomena of the Western world. The tale of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker has become modern myth, an epic tragedy of the corruption of a young man in love into darkness, the rise of evil, and the power of good triumphing in the end.But it didn't start out that way.In this thorough account of one of cinema's most lasting works, Michael Kaminski presents the true history of how Star Wars was written, from its beginnings as a science fiction fairy tale to its development over three decades into the epic we now know, chronicling the methods, techniques, thought processes, and struggles of its creator. For this unauthorized account, he has pored through over four hundred sources, from interviews to original scripts, to track how the most powerful modern epic in the world was created, expanded, and finalized into the tale an entire generation has grown up with.
The controversial classic of German military theoryIn 1891 Count Alfred von Schlieffen (1833-1913) was thrust into the position of Chief of Germany's Great General Staff. He was given an impossible task: figure out how to win a war on two fronts in which Germany would be outnumbered and outgunned. Long after his retirement in 1905, his efforts would define the German strategy used at the onset of the First World War and bear his name: The Schlieffen Plan.But Schlieffen's problem remained: how does an army win against a numerically superior foe? After his retirement, he thought he might have found the answer - Cannae, the 216 BCE battle in which Hannibal won an improbable victory against the Romans. The result was Schlieffen's Cannae studies, in which he looks at the Battle of Cannae, and then explores how efforts at creating a new "Cannae" fared across modern history, from the wars of Frederick the Great to Napoleon to the German Wars of Unification and the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War.This new edition is presented with over a hundred restored maps reproduced in colour and integrated into the text, and a new foreword by independent military historian Robert B. Marks taking a fresh look at Schlieffen and Cannae's place in military history.
A Bird's Eye View of a Military DisasterIn October 1914, the Ottoman Empire allied with Germany and Austria in the Great War, cutting off the supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles. In response, Great Britain and France undertook a daring operation: the largest amphibious landing ever attempted to force open the Dardanelles, threaten Constantinople, and force the Ottomans to surrender. Commanding the campaign was Sir Ian Hamilton, who had witnessed the dawn of modern trench warfare in Manchuria only ten years earlier. The battle would be played out in the Gallipoli Peninsula, and become known as Gallipoli.This is Sir Ian Hamilton's personal diary of the Dardanelles campaign, and the disaster that followed - a catastrophe that caused over half a million casualties across both sides, ended his military career, and helped forge the identities of Australia and New Zealand.
The Biography and Diary of One of the British Empire's Most Accomplished - and Controversial - GeneralsSir Henry Wilson (1864-1922) was a key figure in the preparation of the British Empire for the First World War. A Protestant Irishman who was as comfortable dealing with politicians as he was soldiers, he was a key figure in the creation of the British Expeditionary Force and its preparations to fight alongside the French in a European conflict. He was also mistrusted by his peers as being more politician than soldier, and the first Field-Marshal - and the last political leader - to be assassinated in Great Britain.Covering mid-1917 to his death in 1922, this second volume looks at Wilson's appointment as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the end of the Great War, the Irish War for Independence, the Treaty of Versailles and the choas that followed it.
Into the FireHaving rescued four schoolgirls from a harem comedy, former villain Aquila, her creator Kasumi, and superhero Captain Infinite are touring the story worlds with their new friends. But when they discover the brutal murder of the protagonist of a dating game, Aquila realizes that the worst has happened.Hunted by a powerful adversary who will stop at nothing to recruit or kill her, Aquila must now lead her companions to safety. As they flee a war that threatens to consume all of the story worlds, Aquila will be forced to face the sins of her past in a final reckoning that will determine the fate of billions...
The Final War of a Great Empire"The official history of the Habsburg empire in the First World War ought to enjoy a better reputation than it does."- Sir Hew StrachanIn August 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in response to the assassination of their heir to the throne, declared war against Serbia. Their army was multi-national and multi-lingual. Backed by Germany and opposed by an alliance between Russia, France, and Great Britain, the conflict would plunge the entire world into five years of brutal warfare.Started just after the Great War ended and completed only one year before the start of the Second World War, this is a comprehensive history of the final conflict of an empire that only half a century prior had been among the most powerful in Europe. With Russia never completing an official history of the Great War, and Italy, Romania, and Serbia's official histories unavailable in English, this is an invaluable and essential resource for any student of the Eastern and Italian Fronts of the First World War.This volume covers the 1914 campaign on the Eastern Front, from Austria's initial mobilization to its first engagements against Russia, Serbia, and Montenegro, culminating in the Battle of Limanowa-Lapanow.
The Final War of a Great Empire"The official history of the Habsburg empire in the First World War ought to enjoy a better reputation than it does."- Sir Hew StrachanIn August 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in response to the assassination of their heir to the throne, declared war against Serbia. Their army was multi-national and multi-lingual. Backed by Germany and opposed by an alliance between Russia, France, and Great Britain, the conflict would plunge the entire world into five years of brutal warfare.Started just after the Great War ended and completed only one year before the start of the Second World War, this is a comprehensive history of the final conflict of an empire that only half a century prior had been among the most powerful in Europe. With Russia never completing an official history of the Great War, and Italy, Romania, and Serbia's official histories unavailable in English, this is an invaluable and essential resource for any student of the Eastern and Italian Fronts of the First World War.This volume contains full colour facsimiles of all 27 leaflets and 56 sketches accompanying Volume 1, covering the outbreak of war to the Battle of Limanowa-Lapanow.
The War BeginsThe Grand Magus is dead. Under the watchful eye of the Arbiter of Succession, seven archmagi have been granted one of the powers of the Grand Magus, which they will use to battle to the death in a ritual as ancient as it is secret.But when the Arbiter is murdered, the Successors plunge the world into a devastating war. Running for his life, Tamlin, once an apprentice mage, meets a mysterious traveller who may hold the key to ending the conflict...and who carries a secret that will shake the Order of Archmagi to its foundations.
A Reluctant ImmortalOn an endless field of ice, a solitary figure stands against the wasteland. He is Delgar Daegar's Son, the Magus Draconum, the destroyer and redeemer of worlds. This is his story.
Complete and Unabridged for the first time in EnglishAmong France's generals of the First World War, Marshal Joseph Joffre stands as one of the most accomplished and controversial. Starting his tenure as Generalissimo by modernizing the French Army, he presided over the dramatic victory at the Battle of the Marne that saved France...and the unrelenting slaughter in the trenches that followed.In this first volume, Joffre takes command of the French Army and races to prepare it for the war to come. Then, as the German Army crosses the border and advances towards Paris, he rallies his forces and allies for one of the most dramatic moments in modern military history.
The German Army's Art of WarContrary to popular belief, the Western Front of the First World War was far from static. As both sides struggled to get the upper hand, they developed new tactics and technologies, pushing warfare to ever more terrifying and lethal heights.Written by an internationally renowned expert on tactics and one of its generals, this is a definitive exploration of the Imperial German Army's art of war, from the trenches of France to the expanse of Eastern Europe to the Italian Alps.
A Front-Row Seat to the Strategy of the Western FrontFrom the beginning of the First World War, John Charteris was Sir Douglas Haig's Intelligence officer. His duties ranged from predicting German intentions to dealing with visiting VIPs to meeting with journalists - making him a vital part of Haig's strategic planning on the Western Front.In this new edition of the 1931 classic memoir, Charteris provides one of the most personal accounts of British command on the Western Front. Witty, funny, insightful, heartbreaking, and chilling, this is a close look at a war in which success was measured less by the capture of ground than by the taking of enemy lives.
The year was 2016. The culture wars were deepening, with no end in sight. As the marketplace of ideas faded further into memory, one writer tried to bring it back – and succeeded.In September 2016 Robert B. Marks’ Garwulf’s Corner returned to The Escapist for another year, presenting a moderate and mature look at many of the hot-button issues facing pop culture. Months after Garwulf’s Corner’s second year came to an end the Escapist was sold to another media company – and its new editor-in-chief libeled everybody who had worked there since 2014. During the ensuing legal action, the whole of Garwulf’s Corner was removed from the pages of the Escapist and all but destroyed...until now.Insightful, compelling, and still relevant, this volume contains:- The second year of Garwulf’s Corner, covering topics ranging from Star Wars movies to outrage culture to video games.- Previously unpublished installments looking at Minecraft, video game addiction, and more.- The full run of The Most Important PC Games of All Time, a comprehensive look at the decades-long history of the video game from the 1940s to today.From No Man’s Sky to Police Quest, from Fox’s Gotham to military science fiction, take a fresh and new odyssey back into the world of pop culture.
At the dawn of the 21st Century, the video game industry experienced a period of wild creativity, fighting for recognition as an art form while making the transformation into a media juggernaut. And as it did, Garwulf's Corner was there, watching and commentating.One of the earliest, if not the first, video game issues columns on the Internet, Garwulf's Corner ran every two weeks from 2000 to 2002 on Diabloii.net. Written by Robert B. Marks, author of Diablo: Demonsbane and The EverQuest Companion, it explored everything up to and including Diablo, the birth of artificial intelligence, hackers, literature and movies, and the video game's struggle for legitimacy.Collected here for the first time in print - with new introductions and updates - are all 52 installments of Garwulf's Corner, along with the three columns written years later for the unpublished Blurred Edge Magazine, the holiday issue that never was, and the author's final word (so far) on Diablo III and Diablo in general. Insightful, controversial, witty, and thought-provoking, Garwulf's Corner is a journey into the world of video games that is still relevant today.
For a long time, it has been accepted that the bayonet was an inadequate weapon in World War I - an anachronism, relied upon by foolish generals eager to relive the glories of the Napoleonic Wars while incapable of coming to terms with the modern battlefield and trench warfare. But was this the reality of the Western Front of the Great War, or a myth perpetuated by historians?In reality, the soldiers of World War I seemed oblivious to what appears so obvious to critics ninety years removed. They quite liked their bayonets, and they used them - often. In this fascinating and provocative study, Aaron Taylor Miedema takes a new look at the role of the bayonet and shock tactics on the Western front. Through the experience of the Canadian Corps - the British shock troops of the Western Front - he challenges the conventional view of the bayonet as an obsolete weapon system and rekindles the controversial debate over technologies, old and new, on the field of battle.
The Western Front of World War I saw some of the first major steps in a newly founded tradition - the war documentary. Known as "kinematographers," these men braved the front lines - sometimes filming in shell holes and often mistaken for machine gun emplacements - to capture the war on film and bring it home to motion picture audiences. One of the most famous among them was Geoffrey H. Malins, cinematographer and editor of The Battle of the Somme. These are Malins' experiences, in his own words. Illustrated with over 40 photographs, Malins takes us from one end of the Western Front to the other, on the ground and in the air. He tells of his adventures, the remarkable people he encounters, his near-misses, and the history he witnessed and committed to film for posterity. Thrilling and horrifying, How I Filmed the Great War is the amazing story of the man who faced the German army and the terrors of the Western Front - not with a rifle or a machine gun, but with a movie camera.
Ancient Greece and Rome aren't usually remembered for their sense of humour. However, in reality the ancient Greeks and Romans often refused to take themselves seriously. Strange and outlandish activities abounded - including somebody accidentally exposing himself while dancing sideways at his wedding (those wearing bed sheets didn't wear underwear) and a group of drunk young men thinking their house is sinking at sea, and tossing all their furniture out the windows. In this new edition, R. Drew Griffith and Robert B. Marks take you on a lively and funny journey through the more bizarre activities of the ancient world, venturing out as far as Egypt, Babylon, and Scandinavia, ranging everywhere from moochers to quacks to shrews to perhaps the oldest laundromat joke in history, and even revealing the most terrible thing you can do to anybody involving a radish.
Between 1870 and 1871, the world changed forever.The Franco-Prussian War is often a forgotten war, its significance lost amidst larger conflicts such as the Napoleonic Wars and World War I. But, while it lasted less than a year, its aftermath would shape the course of history for decades to come.In this comprehensive and epic account, John-Allen Price explores how this short but far-reaching war came to be, bringing the men who shaped history to life. Price examines the Franco-Prussian War and its world, from the seeds of the war in the Age of Napoleon to the Paris Commune, and the aftershocks that led to a century of slaughter, a war to end all wars, and an even greater war after that."John-Allen Price's *The War that Changed the World* is a brilliantly written and exhaustively researched masterwork. With all the attention to detail one would expect of Keegan or Ambrose, Price has created a stunningly entertaining and thorough examination of an historical era which shaped the conflicts of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Price's examination of the Franco-Prussian war is engrossing, entertaining and delightfully readable¿presented with a historian's eye for detail and a novelist's ear for story. Students of military history pass this book by at their peril."- New York Times Bestselling Author Michael A. Stackpole
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