Home About Us About Fencing Links Photo Gallery Image Bank Reviews     Book Reviews     Movie Reviews Fencing Fun Contact Us

UCFC Book Reviews On Fencing by Aldo Nadi Review by N. Bell ISBN 188452804X, published 1994 This is perhaps one of the most quoted and most famous fencing books of all time, and with good reason. Nadi's knowledge of the sport, combined with his unsurpassed writing skills, make this book one of the clearest instructional manuals ever. Nadi has an uncanny gift for description, whether he is telling you exactly how to lunge, or reminiscing about his one duel. This guy should have written novels in his spare time. The technical instruction is excellent, and the parts about the psychological game are outstanding. There are two things about this book that may cause problems for the average North American fencer. The first is Nadi's use of the Italian style. This isn't to say there's anything wrong with the Italian style of fencing, simply that the predominance of pistol and French grips in North America means that this book is slightly less useful to most of us than it might otherwise be. Most of the instructions on hand positioning use the angle of the crossbar on the Italian hilt as a reference point. Beginners and those of us not familiar with the Italian hilt may find this a bit confusing at times. Secondly, there is no doubt this book is slightly outdated. It is pre-electric, and we all know how frequently the FIE fiddles with the rules. Its early publication date (1943) means it lacks helpful diagrams and has only a few photos. In addition, there are some rather outdated ideas about teaching, and about the world in general. Coaches are told they must be fierce and unfriendly with their students, and not to spare the whip, literally, with younger fencers. In addition, some of the comments lean towards being sexist, or Eurocentric. And let's face it, Nadi had a big ego. But good footwork and good sportsmanship never go out of style, so I still recommend this book to those who have been fencing for at least a year. A wonderful romantic book about a wonderful romantic sport. This book retails for about $30 Cdn at larger bookstores. Back to Book Reviews Home  |  About Us   |  About Fencing   |  Links  |  Photo Gallery Image Bank  |  Reviews   |  Fencing Fun  |  Contact Us