Product Description

Often thought of as an activity just for actors or an elite few, fencing is actually an ideal sport for people of all ages. Fencing develops dexterity, endurance, flexibility, grace, and overall fitness, while also allowing participants the opportunity to hone the mind's problem-solving abilities. It is easily learned and practiced by both young and old, men and women, boys and girls. It has even been molded to fit the needs of the blind and individuals using wheelchairs. This is truly a sport for everyone. The Art and Science of Fencing covers everything from the history of the sport to the specifics of fencing technique, including the psychology of fencing, types of fencing weapons, biographies of great fencers, and information on selecting a fencing school and getting started in the sport. This book is a necessity for everyone who's ever seen an Errol Flynn movie and thought "Hey, that could be me!"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115856 in Books
• Published on: 1999-01-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 296 pages

About the Author

Nick Evangelista has taught fencing for more than 30 years. He is also the author of The Art and Science of Fencing.

Customer Reviews

One of the better Fencing intros available.
Sometimes a book is noteworthy simply by virtue of lack of competition regarding the subject matter.

Such is the case here. Evangelista's Art and Science of Fencing is one of the better books out there for those who want a servicable introduction to sport fencing. The graphic layout is pretty good as are the photos. The historical stuff is brief, readable and informative. Evangelista does a good job of explaining to the uninitiated why fencing has the rules it does and how the modern sport links to the actual dueling of the Renaissance period on.

The diagrams of different fencing parries and movements are crude and not necessarily helpful. But here, Evangelista shoots about par for the course. Most fencing manuals in existence have pretty awful illustrations.

That said, Evangelista is not exactly popular in the serious competative fencing circuit. Most of today's top competitors routinely roll their eyes at Evangelista.

Part of this is due, no doubt to Evangelista's rather high opinion of himself which seems to pervade the book. But mostly Evangelista is dismissed by the competitive fencing community as a "tradition-bound old fogey." He routinely attacks the modern style of fencing and yearns for a return to the "good old days."

Most of his criticism focuses on the "anatomical grip." Evangelista advocates a traditional straight "French grip." He is correct in his assessment that the French grip leads to much lighter and straightforward fencing than the more muscular and aggressive anatomical grip. He is also correct in pointing out that the newer grips create a fencing style that little resembles real duels fought in Renaissance Italy or England in the 1700s.

I have fenced with both. Personally, I prefer the anatomical grip for essentially two reasons: 1) it transfers strength and power more readily to the sword and 2) it's just more fun!

This second reason illustrates the major problem with Evangelista: he's essentially a killjoy. Modern fencing has wholeheartedly embraced the new style of fencing that Evengelista has attacked. Modern fencers have perfected some rather spectacular moves that would be simply impossible with a more traditional grip. The sport has evolved: today fencing matches are much more aggressive than an actual duel (with lethal swords) would have been.

But I do not see this as a problem really. Fencing is a sport, not a real duel. A certain amount of unrealism is permitted in sport that would not be prudent in true life or death struggles. In essence, it's OK to be a bit "inauthentic." My feeling is that if people are enjoying the anatomical style, let them enjoy it.

You should also note that Evangelista's description of the rules of sabre fencing is a bit outdated. He describes essentially a running charge (or "fleche"). This move has been illegal since the mid 1980s. Sabre fencers are no longer allowed to cross their rear foot in front of their leading foot.

"Raging controversies" aside however, Evangelista's book is probably the best introductory guide to sport fencing on the market. The sad truth is that very few good books have been written about sport fencing. Most of the books available are from the 1970s and 1980s (or earlier) and have not withstood the test of time. In fact, Evangelista's book is likely to be the only book on sport fencing available at your local book store.

Evangelista wins by default. His book simply has no serious competition. If you are interested in learning more about sport fencing without actually setting foot in a fencing club, this book is really all you've got. But that doesn't make this a great book.

If you are serious about learning sport fencing, visit a club, get a sword and start doing it. For everyone else, this book will suffice.

Excellent companion text for a beginning fencer
Obviously you can not learn fencing, or any sport for that matter, from a book. It is assumed that if you are reading this, you are either in lessons or considering them. With that in mind, this is an excellent companion text for a beginning fencer.

In many ways, this book fills in the missing gaps in lessons. It contains the background and the evolution of the sport. It describes the basic attacks and defense, the takes and ripostes. It shows the footwork and lays out the rules. There is a nice little piece about leverage and some interesting theories and tactics. I found that is was a good way to keep my brain wrapped around fencing while I waited for the next lesson.

It does address an older style of fencing, and may not jibe with your instructor. Ultimately, "The Art and Science of Fencing" is a one man's opinion on the sport of fencing. It is, however, an informed opinion. There will be ideas in this book that you will disagree with. That's OK. I am sure that you will find many ideas that you also agree with and can learn from.

Some Decent Stuff, Lots of Chaff
I am an admittedly novice fencer, having taken up the sport only a year or so ago. I came across this book on Amazon and was amazed at the wildly divergent reviews of Mr. Evangelista's tome.

The purist in me agreed with some of his views on classical fencing - his unapologetic bias towards the French grip versus the pistol grip, his dismissiveness regarding the use of speed and strngth in favor of proper technique, and the recommendation that beginners learn foil before other styles of fencing. (I tend to be a purist on many sporting matters: baseball and football to be played on real grass, no designated hitter in baseball, playing basketball as a team, rather than indivisual sport, and using wound-core - instead of solid-core - golf balls.) Mr. Evangelista does tend to be bombastic - although he tells you that he is, up front. Simply put, he openly acknowledges his biases in favor of "classical fencing".

However, the book fails in a couple of respects. For a book that is supposed to be authoritative (to the neophyte) on the Art and Science of Fencing, it is difficult for a beginner to visualize many of the techniques that he describes verbally. The book is very short on explanatory drawings, and the photos he uses are very low-budget (He appears to have taken a goodly number of them in his back yard or alley under what can only be described as interesting lighting conditions.) While the book is not intended to be a substitute for lessons, he would do his target readers a great service if he would give many more visual depictions of his explanations.

This could be a very good "introduction to fencing" book if he were to re-release it in a revised edition by (1) upgrading the quality of the photos, and (2) including signficantly more drawings and diagrams to better explain his text to help beginners visualize his points.

What I did find fascinating was the apparent manipulation of the Amazon.com Editorial Review process in connection with this book. It is apparent to me that a great number of the book's early "reviews" seemed to be written by Mr. Evanelista, his wife, and/or many of their good friends/former students. I say this because while this book does contain some helpful nuggets, it is hardly the "best book on fencing ever written" as many of the early reviews characterized it. It seems to me that many of the reviewers who have since savaged Mr. Evangelista's book are punishing him for what they interpret to be a bald-faced attempt on his part to drive up his Amazon.com rating of the book, rather than for the content itself. Any quasi-serious fencer could objectively read the book, discount the author's admitted biases, and still take away some valuable information. However, these same fencers - as Amazon.com users -won't forgive someone who has tried to "game" the Amazon online editorial review system. If a beginning fencer wants a better "how-to" book on fencing techniques, then the "Steps to Success" book by Elaine Cheris is a better buy. (But you won't get the historical perspective that Mr. Evangelista provides in his book.) Also, I decided to borrow this book from the library it rather than buy it.