The Illustrated Guide to Viking Martial Arts - Tapa dura

Martial Arts expert Antony Cummins reveals the hitherto hidden world of Viking hand-to-hand combat, employing the sword, the spear, the axe and the shield. Based upon a careful analysis of the Norse Sagas, the techniques described are recreated precisely, from knocking down a spear in mid-flight to the shield cleave. Illustrated with over 250 images, The Illustrated Guide to Viking Martial Arts in effect represents the earliest combat manual in the world. This insight into the warriors who were the scourge of Dark Age Europe is a feat of textual interpretation - and imagination.

Antony Cummins is a ninja historian and a regular contributor to magazines such as "Combat" and "Military Arms and Regalia." He runs the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team with the goal of translating historical ninja manuals, and is the author of "True Ninja Traditions: The Ninpiden and The Unknown Ninja Scroll" and "True Path of the Ninja."