Albrecht Dürer is probably the most famous German artist of the Renaissance, if not of all time. His works are world-famous and he was a master in numerous artistic disciplines such as woodcut, copperplate engraving, drawing and painting.

What is less well known is that he was interested in weapons and fencing throughout his life. He produced several woodcuts for a tournament book by Emperor Maximilian I, but he devoted himself much more thoroughly to the subject of duels in his own extensive fencing manuscript.

Dürer’s fight book stands out from the mass of illustrated fencing manuscripts because of its outstanding quality. In well over 100 elaborate drawings, the master uniquely depicts dynamic pairs of fighters practising contemporary combat techniques, such as wrestling or sword and dagger fighting.

Since its creation more than 500 years ago, the fight book has never been published in its entirety. This edition offers the complete contents of the manuscript for the very first time: All illustrations are reproduced in color and the complete text is presented in a letter-perfect transcription as well as a translation into modern English.

Albrecht Dürer's fight book offers a unique, new look at Dürer the artist and Dürer the fighter.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Content
• INTRODUCTION
  • Albrecht Dürer and the fight books
  • The manuscript under the lens of researchers
  • The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
  • The art of fighting according to the manuscript
• HOW TO WRESTLE ACCORDING TO ALBECHT DÜRER'S FIGHT BOOK
  • Hit him in the testicles with your knee
  • The peasants’ wrestling
  • On interpreting fight books
• THE MANUSCRIPT
  • A1. Title
  • A2. Praise poem by Johannes Vivianus
  • A3. Praise poem by T. P. du Claux Hardy
  • B1. Wrestling
  • B2. Sword
  • B3. Dagger
  • B4. Messer
  • C1. Messer – verses
  • C2. Evocation of God
  • C3. Messer – verses and glosses
  • C4. Mounted wrestling
  • C5. Armoured combat
  • C6. Wrestling
  • C7. Sword
  • C8. Dagger
  • C9. Armoured combat
  • D1. Armoured combat
  • D2. Dagger
  • D3. Mounted combat
  • A4. Epitaph
• TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION
  • Editorial guidelines
  • A1. Title
  • A2. Praise poem by Johannes Vivianus
  • A3. Praise poem by T. P. du Claux Hardy
  • B1. Wrestling
  • C1. Messer – verses
  • C2. Evocation of God
  • C3. Messer – verses and glosses
  • C4. Mounted wrestling
  • C5. Armoured combat
  • C6. Wrestling
  • C7. Sword
  • C8. Dagger
  • C9. Armoured combat
  • D1. Armoured combat
  • D2. Dagger
  • D3. Mounted combat
  • A4. Epitaph
• APPENDICES
  • Table of contents of the manuscript and discussion of the source material
  • Codicological considerations
  • The hands – drawing and writing
  • Description of quires
  • Acknowledgements
  • Figures and tables
  • Glossary
  • Bibliography