I did a pdf search on a just discovered pdf search engine (http://pdfsearchengine.in) and I have found this one


http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-1112200...thesis.pdf


REINVENTING THE SWORD: A CULTURAL COMPARISON OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SWORD IN RESPONSE TO THE ADVENT OF FIREARMS IN SPAIN AND JAPAN

Thanks for sharing this find Bruno, looks good so far but I'll have to wait untill later when I have time to really get into it before I can see how good it really is.

Thanks Bruno. I found this worth reading, though there are some predictable inaccuracies and generalizations. Here are two quotes I found particularly grating:

Quote:

"In 711, Rodrigo, the last Visigoth king, was killed and the Visigoth kingdom was dissolved as the Muslim invaders pushed into the peninsula and conquered Toledo. The next 500 years are marked in Spanish history by the conflict between the Muslim and Christian populaces. ...The Muslims, using superior tactics and numbers, quickly pacified most of the southern part of the peninsula. Their primary weapon was the fearsome Saracen sword, called the shamshir or scimitar. It was a heavily curved weapon used in large sweeping motions that effectively negated the technique, favored by the Spanish, of stepping inside the guard of the opponent." "In Europe, during times of tournaments, one of the more popular contests was the greatsword battle, in which two contestants, armed with the English equivalent of a zweihander, would proceed to take turns pounding upon each other until one contestant submitted."

But overall, I found it an interesting read.

I didn't get much further than looking at the pictures, but I don't think I'll bother with more.

Despite what may salesmen of souvenirs claim, the Tizona as commonly reproduced is not a good example of a Spanish sword of the 11th C. :confused:

It`s not fiable. The sword how call Tizona it`s a bad replica make for souvenir. And it`s impossible than he can study the Tizona, because the Tizona it`s a legend, how the other sword of Rodrigo Díaz, "Colada". This Tizona really it`s a bad copy of a 15th. century sword, make with iron, not stell. In the shops of Toledo can see a lot of that. Nobody knows how are the real sword of the Cid. In the old Army Museum was one titled "Colada del Cid". It`s not true. It`s a blade about, perhaps an andalusian "gineta", 11-12 centuries with a tilt of 14-15 centuries.

One more: The word "campi doctor" mean "strategist", not "champion". In addition, Rodrigo Díaz was the "alférez" of the king Sancho II, not Alfonso VI. At that time, he gained the nickname "Campidoctor". The andalusians of Zaragoza was called "Cid", when he was served how mercenary at the emir Al-Muqtadir

More: In page 41, the picture of the " 14th. century european arquebuser", really it`s an spanish arquebuser of the Tercios, 16-17th. centuries. This figurine was in the old Army Museum, in Madrid, actually in Toledo.

I don`t read much more. This job it`s not good. How say in my country: Ese tío no tiene ni puta idea de lo que habla :D :lol: :lol: :lol:

Deus vos guard