THE Expert Sword-Man's Companion: Or the True Art of SELF-DEFENCE. WITH An ACCOUNT of the Authors LIFE, and his Transactions during the Wars with France.: To which is Annexed, The ART of GUNNERIE

Description

This new edition is a faithful transcription presented with meticulously
restored illustrations. Donald McBane was a Scottish Highlander and one of the
most accomplished duelists of the 18th century. During the span of his
extraordinary career as a soldier, prize fighter, fencing master, and brothel
manager, McBane took part in 16 battles, 15 skirmishes, and nearly 100 duels
or personal combats. He published his book, The Expert Sword-Man’s Companion,
in 1728 where he recounts it all. The first section of McBane’s treatise
covers the use of a large number of arms, including the backsword, small-
sword, spadroon, quarterstaff, sword and targe, sword and buckler, Spanish
rapier, Portuguese rapier, sword and dagger, Dutch knife, Lochaber axe, pike,
halberd, falchion, sword and pistol, dueling pistol, and broadsword on
horseback. No other known extant British fencing treatise published during the
eighteenth century includes such an eclectic mix of weapons. McBane also
includes a unique section on “dirty tricks” used by other swordsmen of the
time, and methods of how to defend against them. The second section of the
book is McBane’s memoir of his adventurous life, declared by one historian to
be “possibly, the most ingenuous autobiography in the English language.” In
this new edition, many of the incredible details related by McBane have been
verified for the first time. McBane claimed to have fought a total of thirty-
seven prize fights, but he provides few details about them, mentioning the
name of only one of his antagonists. Thanks to the diligent research of Ben
Miller, numerous specimens of McBane’s original challenges are included in
this publication. These contests pitted McBane against some of the most
celebrated gladiators of the period, including James Miller (who later
authored a treatise on fencing), the infamous (and nearly undefeated) James
Figg, and even Figg’s fencing master, Timothy Buck. This books provides a
fascinating glimpse into the mind, life, times, and combative techniques of
one of the eighteenth century’s most unusual and formidable real-life
characters. Read more

Features:

Product Details:

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (January 20, 2017)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 214 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1542618320
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 28
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.49 x 9 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #77,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #173 in Great Britain History (Books)
• #173 in Great Britain History (Books)
• Customer Reviews: 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 81 ratings