George Silver

George Silver was an English gentleman who published his book Paradoxes of Defence in 1599. Silver was appalled at the influx of Italian rapier fencing into England, and set out his arguments in favour of the traditional English weapons: the short sword, the short staff, the forrest bill, the morris pike, and all manner of additional arms such as daggers, bucklers, and targes. We have a modernised edition of his work, as well as two audiobook versions, one in modern English, the other in Original Pronunciation.