Broadsword and Singlestick

Published in England in 1890, this fascinating book may be one of the earliest ever to discuss the use of everyday items as weapons of self-defense for, in the words of the authors, "those 'tight places' where men care nothing for rules, but only want to make the most out of that weapon which the chance of the moment has put into their hands." It contains many useful insights into effective training in armed combat and how such training relates to real-world self-defense. A must-read for anyone interested in the arts of stick work, swordplay or the no-holds-barred use of any convenient weapon, "whether he has in his hand a single stick, a cutlass, or the leg of an old chair."