Treatise on the Sabre, 1842

Bartolomeo Bertolini was a fascinating character.

He served as a soldier in Napoleon's army in Egypt and then as part of the French garrison in Haiti, where he was sentenced to death for disobeying orders - he was reprieved, after which he saw hand-to-hand fighting in a naval battle against the British Royal Navy.

Once back in Europe, he fought in Italy, in Spain, and then served as an officer in the campaign in Russia, where he was captured (more than once) by Cossacks and had to escape. He rejoined Napoleon and was with the French cavalry at Waterloo.

With his army days behind him, he opened a fencing school, and started writing.

This book is a reproduction of Bertolini's sabre treatise that was published in 1842. It is presented both in Italian and in English, and includes a biography of the Master.