This early-16th-century book about fencing consists almost entirely of illustrations, with a minimal amount of text appearing as captions. It consists of 258 drawings on 130 pages, most of which show a pair of fighters using the different cut and thrust weapons that were common at that time: the long sword, the short sword, and the dagger. The work is anonymous, but it owes much to the written and pictorial work of Hans Talhoffer (circa 1420-circa 1490), a fencing instructor, famous sword fighter, and author of several Fechtbücher (fencing books). By displaying fighters in an arena, as seen in folio 6v (image 16), the book also shows fencing as a form of ordeal by battle, an armed duel between two combatants used as a final means to settle a dispute. Reproduction details: This facsimile measures 11.25 inches tall by 8.75 inches wide. Our hardcover books are made with 2oz genuine cowhide upholstery leather from a small farm located in the United States. The pages are printed on 67lb cover acid free paper (business card thickness). We use a 4 color digital offset press. Each book is hand sewn by our trained bookbinders using a library binding method. This method will ensure a strong, sturdy, and lasting book for generations to come. We currently have a 4-6 week lead time for all orders.