Joachim Meyer Book order

Highlighting the beautiful forms and various applications of calligraphy in Islamic art Calligraphy means 'the art of writing beautifully'. Driven by its use in the Koran, artfully executed Arabic script became a key religious and political marker at a very early stage; since then calligraphy has played a central role in the Islamic world. In addition to appearing on paper, artful writing can be found on everything, from coins, weapons, dishes, lamps and textiles to the façades and interiors of buildings. The many types of texts offer rich and varied insights into Islamic art, culture and societies. Beyond Words presents 128 objects featuring calligraphy, most notably from The David Collection. In addition, the book contains articles on such subjects as the Arabic alphabet, classical scripts, the calligraphers and the different types of texts. The publication also explores the use of Arabic lettering in earlier European art and in modern-day Arabic graffiti.

Joachim Meyer, a prominent fencing master and cutler, achieved notable success in his brief life, educating both craftsmen and nobility. He authored several influential fencing treatises that gained widespread recognition beyond his homeland, becoming reference points for other writers for over a century after his passing. Meyer's contributions significantly shaped the art of fencing during his time and left a lasting legacy in martial arts literature.

Following the success of Jeffrey L. Forgeng's translation of Joachim Meyer's The Art of Sword Combat the author was alerted to an earlier recension of the work which was discovered in Lund University Library in Sweden. The manuscript, produced in Strassburg around 1568, is illustrated with thirty watercolor images and seven ink diagrams. The text covers combat with the long sword (hand-and-a-half sword), dusack (a one-handed practice weapon comparable to a saber), and rapier. The manuscript's theoretical discussion of guards is one of the most critical passages to understanding this key feature of the historical practice, not just in relation to Meyer but in relation to the medieval combat systems in general. The manuscript offers an extensive repertoire of training drills for both the dusack and the rapier, a feature largely lacking in treatises of the period as a whole but critical to modern reconstructions of the practice. The translation also includes a biography of Meyer, much of which has only recently come to light, as well as technical terminology, and other essential information for understanding and contextualizing the work.

First ever English translation of this classic 16th-century combat treatise, it includes the first substantial introduction to the medieval German martial arts tradition and a Glossary of technical terms. A crucial source for understanding the history and techniques of medieval and Renaissance martial arts