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Alfred Hutton

The Sword and the Centuries (Greenhill Military Manuals) Paperback – Illustrated, February 19, 2006

by Alfred Hutton (Author)

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This colorful and vividly descriptive book traces the sword and its use throughout the Golden Age of swordsmanship. Alfred Hutton examines the development of the sword and its manipulation' from the Age of Chivalry to the nineteenth century when pistol dueling put an end to the days of single combat with cold steel. Using examples drawn from history, Hutton charts the development of various types of weapon, demonstrates the techniques and tactics of the key practitioners, and brings to the fore the heroes and villains of legendary duels, private quarrels, public feuds and prize fights. Hutton examines such deadly weapons as the Two-hand Sword, the Rapier Foil, the Dagger Foil, the Stiletto, the Flamberge, the Small Sword, the Falchion and the Broadsword. He illustrates their use with famous and infamous fights from the history of combat, including Baron d'Aguerre's encounter with the Lord of Fendilles, Rob Roy's clash with the soldiers of James II, encounters between the Guise and Valois and the exploits of the house of Angelo. Parrying and thrusting with verve and dash, this spirited history is a unique insight into the history of fencing and a superb introduction to the complex history of the sword.

Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Greenhill Books
Publication date

February 19, 2006
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

185367513X
ISBN-13

978-1853675133
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alfred Hutton served in the King's Dragoon Guards. He was a prominent, flamboyant historian and author of Cold Steel and Old Sword-Play. Mark Rector is a student and practitioner of historical swordplay. He edited and translated Hans Talhoffer's Fechtbuch of 1467, published by Greenhill as Medieval Combat (1-85367-418-4).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Greenhill Books (February 19, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 185367513X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1853675133
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,479,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,817 in Conventional Weapons & Warfare History (Books)
- #139,792 in Engineering (Books)

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B.K.H.

A feast for the fencer

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2013

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"The Sword and The Centuries" is one of those once in a Blue Moon classics that is engrossing in its stories of not just the history of the Sword-maker's art, which it was & to an extent, still is, but how it shaped society. The ritual of a duel, the various forms of dueling, (which it reveals to be more than a few kinds) as well as how duelists could not only be civil to each other but actually very hospitable & to each other. I'm a historian as well as a Fencer & I found it was not some "blah blah blah" boring scribble about just sword fighting history, but a very interesting & entertaining read that is very visual. More history-related books should read this well.
If you enjoy a good swashbuckler that is actually real stories, then you'll enjoy this. :)

One person found this helpful

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Jon

Best historical dueling book out there!

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2011

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At more than a hundred years old, Alfred Hutton's "The Sword and the Centuries" is the best book on historical dueling yet to be published. As the title suggests, the book focuses on duels fought with swords, although there is some mention of axes, clubs, sticks, and other similar weapons being used (although no pistol duels). The author provides an exhaustive collection of historical duels, beginning in the late medieval period and ending with some of the author's own personal interviews.

If you are at all interested in fencing, sword-fighting, dueling, or history in general you will not regret reading this book.

2 people found this helpful

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David Kelly

A eulogy to murder

Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2009

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I'm terribly ambivalent about this book. Hutton is a pillar of modern sport fencing. He is immensely important in the survival of the Art of the Sword. This particular book is a forensic collection of duels over the ages. These private little slaughters are reported with sang froid; a romantic relish for combat as theater and something to enjoy. ( In fact, sang froid means "cold blooded killer". A point that escapes the retelling. )

The human relationship to weapons of violence has always been dissonant. There is a reverence and aesthetic to the form and the power provided by the weapon: both as tool and as symbol. On the other hand there is a distaste for violence and its consequences. Thusly any book that romanticises or validates such actions suffers the contradiction.

Not so Hutton. As soldier and passionate swordsman he is immune to the contradiction. Happy in his convictions it was his romantic ilk that walked up to the massed machine guns of WWI to be mowed down.

In it's own way, this book is a compelling curiosity, not only for the vignettes of history it reports, but the very manner and ethos which Hutton sustains in his writings.

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014

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Entertaining!

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2005

Yes, don't bother thinking about it - just buy this one. That is, if you're interrested in duels. I enjoyed this book a lot, as all of Hutton's works, although this one is not as "technical" as the rest of them. Rather a pleasant read, and probably the best collection of accounts of some historically important, or for various reasons colorful duels... By the way (and I suppose I'm stating the obvious here, considering Huttons's primary occupation), pistol-lovers - stay away! :-)

9 people found this helpful

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