Free Sword, Swordsmanship and Military Books

The Art of War (Free on Kindle, download at link)

The warrior-philosopher and master strategist Sun Tzu, about whom little is known, compiled The Art of War more than two thousand years ago. Legend has it that he was known for the brilliant campaigns he led around the time of Confucius. His work was memorized and passed down orally, before eventually being copied onto bamboo strips and passed around. It is also available as an ePub downloadable from this site right here

 

The Art of Fencing The Use of the Small Sword (Free on Kindle, Download at link)

The Length of the Blade ought to be proportionable to the Stature of the Person who is to use it: The longest Sword, from Point to Pommel, should reach perpendicularly from the Ground to the Navel, and the shortest, to the Waste; I also have this as a downloadable ePub right here

 

 

Broad-Sword and Single-Stick With Chapters on Quarter-Staff, Bayonet, Cudgel, Shillalah, Walking-Stick, Umbrella and Other Weapons of Self-Defence I have this as a downloadable ePub right here

 

 

 

Bushido, the Soul of Japan

century ago, when Japan was transforming itself from an isolated feudal society into a modern nation, a Japanese educator queried about the ethos of his people composed this seminal work, which with his numerous other writings in English made him the best, known Japanese writer in the West during his lifetime. He found in Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, the sources of the virtues most admired by his people: rectitude, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty and self-control. His approach to his task was eclectic and far-reaching. On the one hand, he delved into the indigenous traditions, into Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and the moral guidelines handed down over hundreds of years by Japan's samurai and sages. On the other hand, he sought similarities and contrasts by citing not only Western philosophers and statesmen, but also the shapers of European and American thought and civilization going back to the Romans, the Greeks and Biblical times. This book is a classic to which generations of scholars and laymen alike have long referred for insights into the character of the Japanese people. And all of its many readers in the past have been amply rewarded, as will be all those who turn to its pages in the next and future decades.

 

On War - Volume 1

On War is the most significant attempt in Western history to understand war, both in its internal dynamics and as an instrument of policy. Since the work's first appearance in 1832, it has been read throughout the world, and has stimulated generations of soldiers, statesmen, and intellectuals.

 

 

Books on Amazon.com - These books are not free but I highly recommend them

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The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Swords and Sabers: An authorative history and visual directory of edged weapons from around the world, shown in over 600 stunning colour photographs

Features many fascinating weapons, including napeoleonic swords. cavalry sabres, american polearms, the rapier and the naval cutlass

 

 

The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts, And Walled Cities Of The Middle Ages (See all Medieval History Books)

The great walled castles of the medieval world continue to fascinate the modern world. Today, the remains of medieval forts and walls throughout Europe are popular tourist sites. Unlike many other books on castles, The Medieval Fortress is unique in its comprehensive treatment of these architectural wonders from a military perspective. The Medieval Fortress includes an analysis of the origins and evolution of castles and other walled defenses, a detailed description of their major components, and the reasons for their eventual decline. The authors, acclaimed fortification experts J.E. and H.W. Kaufmann, explain how the military strategies and weapons used in the Middle Ages led to many modifications of these structures. All of the representative types of castles and fortifications are discussed, from the British Isles, Ireland, France, Germany, Moorish Spain, Italy, as far east as Poland and Russia, as well as Muslim and Crusader castles in the Middle East. Over 200 photographs and 300 extraordinarily detailed technical drawings, plans, and sketches by Robert M. Jurga accompany and enrich the main text.

 

Records of the Medieval Sword

Forty years of intensive research into the specialised subject of the straight two-edged knightly sword of the European middle ages are contained in this study. Spanning the period from the great migrations to the Renaissance, Oakeshott emphasises the original purpose of the sword as an intensely intimate accessory of great significance and mystique as well as an artefact for archaeological examination. There are over 300 photographs and drawings of swords, each fully annotated and described in detail, supported by a long introductory chapter with diagrams of the typological framework, now updated, first worked out and presented in The Archaeology of Weapons, and further elaborated in The Sword in the Age of Chivalry. There are appendices on inlaid blade inscriptions, scientific dating, the swordsmith's art, and a sword of Edward III.