I've recently taken an interest in long swords, mostly after discovering Albion's site and reading the reviews here and at other forums. Recognizing that European swords and their Japanese cousins are completely different, I was wondering if anyone would recommend a fairly affordable book (or several) that I could study.

I once perused a copy of the Swordsman's Companion by Windsor, but it is now out of print, and almost absurdly priced on most buying sites. Anything similar to that book out there? :?:

Thanks in advance,

Josh

You can refine your interests by reading the "Features" articles covering the Oakeshott Typology (and the man himself).

If you find a book out of your price range, you could go to your local library and request an inner-library loan. This is a free service and you will find just about any book you're looking for (My library even found De Norske Vikingsverd by Jan Petersen).

Just a thought...

Ewart Oakeshott's Records of the Medieval Sword is a great resource on most European sword designs and is generally available at good prices. I think it's fair to say that it's widely considered a must own for students of European swords.

thank you all for the feedback and suggestions. Excellent wealth of information here!