by Hans Talhoffer, Rebecca L. R. Garber (translator), Dieter Bachmann (transcriber), and Michael Chidester (editor)
Articles by Paul Becker, Michael Chidester, Ariella Elema, Dierk Hagedorn, Daniel Jaquet, and Christian Henry Tobler

This is a companion volume to the Talhoffer facsimile. In its pages, you will find a detailed description of the manuscript itself, a full transcription Dieter Bachmann and translation by Rebecca L. R. Garber, and articles from some of the leading scholars in the field of historical European martial arts studies that highlight various aspects of the manuscript and its history.

Paul Becker describes the life of Hans Talhoffer in unprecedented detail. Dierk Hagedorn discusses the many treatises of Talhoffer and their relationships to each other. Michael Chidester delves into the life of Konrad Kyeser and his treatise Bellifortis, which is the source for the manuscript’s war machines. Daniel Jaquet describes the judicial dueling culture and customs that Talhoffer existed in, and Ariella Elema discusses the background and history of the specialized dueling weapons that Talhoffer presents to readers. Finally, Christian Henry Tobler explains the strange collection of esoterica that forms the final, inverted chapter of the book.

A prestige hardcover is available through Lulu, and a perfect-bound softcover is available through Amazon. (The hardcover comes in a white paper wrapper that should be discarded.) Due to technological constraints, the books can only be purchased separately through these services.

Version: 2nd edition (November 2021)
Length: 194 pages

Preface … 1

The Manuscript

Codicological Description … 3
  Michael Chidester

Discussion

1. Hans Talhoffer: Insights into the Life of a Fencing Master in the 15th Century … 47
  Paul Becker

2. Talhoffer Galore … 69
  Dierk Hagedorn

3. Six Weeks to Prepare for Combat: Instruction and Practices from the Fight Books at the End of the Middle Ages, a Note On Ritualised Single Combats … 89
  Daniel Jaquet

4. The Bellifortis of Konrad Kyeser of Eichstätt … 113
  Michael Chidester

5. Tradition, Innovation, Re-enactment: Hans Talhoffer’s Unusual Weapons … 151
  Ariella Elema

6. Addenda and Esoterica in the Thott Talhoffer Codex … 179
  Christian Henry Tobler

About the Contributors … 187

by Hans Talhoffer and Michael Chidester (editor)

The Kongelige Bibliotek MS Thott.290.2º is a German fencing manual commissioned by Hans Talhoffer in 1459. This was our first facsimile, which is now sold out, so to keep the commentary volume useful, we decided to release the scans from the facsimile as a normal book.

This manuscript, Talhoffer's third or fourth, seems to have been a reference book for his personal use. Aside from his own work, this manuscript also includes Liechtenauer's Zettel and Konrad Kyeser's Bellifortis. The text is inverted on the final ten folia, and opening the book from the back reveals a brief treatise on a variety of esoteric subjects.

Talhoffer's writings cover a wide assortment of weapons, including the buckler, crossbow, dagger, flail, Messer, longshield, mace, poleaxe, spear, sword, and unarmed grappling, often both armored and unarmored, on horse and on foot, and in scenarios including tournaments, formal duels, and unequal encounters implying urban self-defense.

Despite the obvious care and detail that went into the artwork, the manuscript generally has only a few words captioning each technique (and in many cases none at all).

Version: 1st edition (November 2022)
Length: 300 pages