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The martial heritage of Scotland and its legendary swordsmen have captured the imagination of readers worldwide for centuries. Likewise, enthusiasts of swordsmanship have cherished classic Scottish fencing treatises by those such as William Hope and Donald McBane. However, up until now, a number of obscure Scottish treatises on the use of the sword have evaded the notice of authors, scholars and researchers. Presented here are five such texts, now published again for the first time in more than two centuries. They include: I. Examination & Vindication of the Highlander's Manner of Attacking and Fighting the Enemy in a Day of Action. -- Though not a fencing text, this is an unique early eighteenth century manuscript on battlefield techniques that has never before been published, and is now presented here with the permission of the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. Authored by an anonymous Highland veteran, it includes a spirited defense of the native manner of fighting, and provides new insight into the use of the targe during the period of the great Jacobite conflicts. II. The Sword's-Man; Containing a Series of Observations on the Use of the Sword. -- This treatise, authored in 1788 by Edinburgh fencing instructor John Ferdinand, contains instruction in the use of the most popular side-arms of the period: the broadsword, small-sword, and spadroon. III. A Dictionary, Explaining the Terms, Guards, and Positions, Used in the Art of the Small Sword. -- This useful and interesting glossary on the art of fencing is embedded with numerous instructions, and was written by Hary Fergusson, a native of Aberdeenshire who taught fencing in Edinburgh and North America during the 1760s and 1770s. IV. A Treatise on the New Sword Exercise. -- This treatise on the use of the cavalry saber was first published in 1797, shortly after the widespread adoption of the 1796 pattern cavalry sword. Its author was Sholto Douglas Sorlie, a native of Edinburgh, Sergeant in the 7th Queen's Own Light Dragoons, and later a veteran of Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrennees, Navelle, Orthes, and the Peninsular War. V. This final chapter explores the life and career of Donald McAlpine, a soldier from Inverness and officer in the famed Queens Rangers (an early Special Operations unit), who taught the use of the back-sword in Boston during the American War of Independence. His student sketched what is currently the earliest known illustration of fencing technique in the American colonies. The full, original page containing the illustration of McAlpine's instruction is faithfully reproduced herein for the first time ever. CONTENTS Acknowledgments I. Introduction and Notes by Paul Macdonald II. Examination & Vindication of the Highlanders' Manner of Attacking and Fighting the Enemy in a Day of Action III. John Ferdinand by Ben Miller IV. The Sword's-Man by John Ferdinand V. Hary Fergusson by Ben Miller VI. A Dictionary, Explaining the Terms, Guards, and Positions, Used in the Art of the Small-Sword by Hary Fergusson VII. Sholto Douglas Sorlie by Ben Miller VIII. A Treatise on the New Sword Exercise by Sholto Douglas Sorlie IX. Donald McAlpine by Ben Miller About the Contributors

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"JARED KIRBY has been involved in Western Martial Arts and Combat for Screen & Stage for over 20 years. He teaches in New York City, and has choreographed fights Off-Broadway, Nationally, in London and Sydney. He is the president of Combat Con, past president of Art of Combat, and teaches fencing at SUNY Purchase, Sarah Lawrence College, and is a Master of Arms (Maestro d'Armi) through the Martinez Academy of Arms. Jared is the editor and one of the translators of ""Italian Rapier Combat"", the first complete, professional translation of Capo Ferro. He is the editor and wrote the introduction for Domenico Angelo's ""The School of Fencing"", annotated by Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Mart�nez. He recently released ""The Gentleman's Guide to Duelling"" (2014) and Donald McBane's classic martial arts treatise, ""The Expert Swordsman's Companion"" (2017). PAUL MACDONALD was raised in the West Highland village of Glenuig, Moidart, Scotland. He is the founder and past president of the Dawn Duellists Society and the British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS). Since 1994, Maestro Macdonald has dedicated his path to European arms and martial arts, reviving the methods and techniques of several lost systems, such as the duelling shield, spada in arme, dusack and backsword. In 1998 he established Macdonald Armouries, where he continues to make hand-crafted swords and knives. He received his Master-at-Arms certification from the Italian Federation for Ancient and Historical Fencing (FISAS) in 1999 and established the Macdonald Academy of Arms in 2001. During the last decade, he founded the Commando D Living History Group, and established the Conflicts of Interest battlefield archaeology group. He also continues to serve as a British Army Reservist. BEN MILLER is an American filmmaker and author. For the last thirteen years, Miller has studied fencing at the Martinez Academy of Arms, one of the last places in the world still teaching an authentic living tradition of classical fencing, where he has served as the Academy's chef de salle. He is the author of ""Irish Swordsmanship: Fencing and Dueling in Eighteenth Century Ireland"" (New York: Hudson Society Press, 2017), the editor of Colonel Thomas Monstery's ""Self-Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies: A Nineteenth-Century Treatise on Boxing, Kicking, Grappling, and Fencing with the Cane and Quarterstaff"" (2015), and wrote the foreword to the republication of Donald McBane's ""The Expert Sword-Man's Companion"" (2017). Jared Kirby has been involved in Western Martial Arts and Combat for Screen & Stage for over 20 years. He teaches in New York City (and the metro area) and has choreographed fights Off-Broadway, Nationally, in London and Sydney. As a Fight Coordinator, Jared has worked with stars such as Peter Sarsgaard, Steve Guttenberg, Cameron Douglas and has trained performers who are working on hit shows. Jared is a member of Actor's Equity and SAG/AFTRA. He is the president of Combat Con in Las Vegas, past president of Art of Combat, and served for six years on the board of the International Order of the Sword & Pen. Jared currently teaches fencing at SUNY Purchase, Sarah Lawrence College and is a Master of Arms (Maestro d'Armi) through the Martinez Academy of Arms. Jared has an ongoing Combat for Screen & Stage class in New York City and teaches at the prestigious Tom Todoroff Conservatory as well as the NY Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. He teaches a variety of workshops across the US and around the world including Canada, England, Scotland, Finland, Italy and Australia. He has taught at the Paddy Crean International Art of the Sword Workshop, the International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention (ISMAC), Rapier Camp and the Western Washington WMA Workshop just to name a few. Jared is the editor and one of the translators of Italian Rapier Combat, the first complete, professional translation of Capo Ferro. He is also the editor and wrote the introduction for The School of Fencing by Domenico Angelo and annotated by Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Mart�nez. Most recently The Gentleman's Guide to Duelling was released in February 2014 and a reprint of Donald McBane's The Expert Swordsman's Companion was released in January 2017. For more information, see Amazon.com. Maestro Paul Macdonald was born in 1972, and raised in the West Highland village of Glenuig, Moidart, Scotland. He began his study of fencing in 1992 at Napier University, Edinburgh, there founding and running the University club as President and principal instructor for two and a half years. With an ever-growing interest in historical swordsmanship, he founded the Dawn Duellists Society in 1994, and ran the DDS as President until 2006. Since 1994, Maestro Macdonald has dedicated his path to European arms and martial arts, travelling throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the US to research, study, practice, present seminars, demonstrations and teach. He has studied many styles of historical European combat and revived the methods and techniques of several lost systems, such as the medieval duelling shield, spada in arme, dusack and backsword. In 1998, Maestro Macdonald founded the British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS), serving as its President from 1998-2004. He also in 1998 established Macdonald Armouries, where he continues to make hand-crafted swords and knives. Maestro Macdonald received his Master-at-Arms certification from the Italian Federation for Ancient and Historical Fencing (FISAS) in 1999 and established the Macdonald Academy of Arms in 2001. In early 2008, he founded the Commando D Living History Group, specialising in World War II combatives. Maestro Macdonald established the Conflicts of Interest battlefield archaeology group in 2015 and also continues to serve as a British Army Reservist."

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