Book Reviews

The Sword and the Centuries,
by Alfred Hutton, with a new introduction by Mark Rector. Greenhill Books, London, UK, 2003. ISBN 1 85367 513 X. 400 pp.; 5 1/2” x 8 1/2"; b&w illustrations throughout; paperbnd. $18.95 plus s/h.

Alfred Hutton's 1901 classic The Sword and the Centuries, is a collection of selected accounts of swordsmanship and edged weapons in the Renaissance and seventeenth century. This is at least the work's third reissue, but this latest publication includes a new introduction by a modern student of arms which quite properly highlights the book's credits and weaknesses. Although much of the curatorial data on the weaponry discussed are extremely dated, the detailed accounts of duels and personal combats are colorful and engrossing, and this books makes a grand read for a summer's day at the beach or a cold winter's evening.

In the United States, the above title and others by Greenhill can be ordered through Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921, or by calling (800) 732-3669, or via their website at www.stackpolebooks.com .