By the Sword Audiobook By Richard Cohen cover art

By the Sword

A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions

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By the Sword

By: Richard Cohen
Narrated by: Richard Cohen
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Napoleon fenced. So did Shakespeare, Karl Marx, Grace Kelly, and President Truman, who as a schoolboy would practice fencing with Bess - his future wife - when the two of them returned home from school. Lincoln was a canny dueler. Ignatius Loyola challenged a man to a duel for denying Christ's divinity (and won). Less successful, but no less enthusiastic, was Mussolini, who would tell his wife he was "off to get spaghetti," their code to avoid alarming the children.

By the Sword is an epic history of sword fighting - a science, an art, and, for many, a religion that began at the dawn of civilization in ancient Egypt and has been an obsession for mankind ever since. With wit and insight, Richard Cohen gives us an engrossing history of the world via the sword.

©2002, 2008 Narrative Tension, Inc. (P)2020 Tantor Combat Sports & Self-Defense Military Olympics & Paralympics Sports History Weapons Weapons & Warfare World Fencing Sport
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A wonderful history of dueling and the use of sword through the ages. I was thoroughly entertained.

Thoroughly Enjoyable

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Many fascinating insights with deep historical context. The author's deep personal knowledge of the sport and relationships with top competitors really adds to the narrative. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

An excellent history

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Deeply moving, a great mix of breadth and depth, a clear love and passion in the subject from the author mixed with humility and humor, I'm recommending this to every sword lover I know, so most of my lesbian friends and some other people too

Fantastic

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So I have a hard copy of this and read it forever ago, but I saw it on here and thought it would be nice to give it a re-listen. If your interested in the general history of fencing across cultures and time it is pretty great. I have a background more in Kendo and a little bit of HEMA and I learned a ton from this book. The last bit focused on Fencing proper and I found that bit a little dry. Otherwise great!

Really nice book on the art of fencing over time

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The history and stories in this book have made me look at competition sword fighting in a new light. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the sword and its use as a dueling weapon. This book has also gave me a better understanding of fencing and its long history as both a sport and a way to settle disputes of honor.

This book makes me want to duel.

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