A profusely illustrated guide to hand-to-hand combat written by a martial arts expert. The Viking shield wall is a famed battle strategy, but what are less well known are the actual techniques used in hand-to-hand combat, duels and other forms of close- quarter engagements. Based on a comprehensive analysis of Viking sagas and other period sources, this is the first book to present a step-by-step Viking martial system. Martial Arts expert Antony Cummins reveals the hitherto hidden world of Viking hand-to-hand combat, employing the sword, the spear, the axe and the shield. Based upon a careful analysis of the Norse Sagas, the techniques described are recreated precisely, from knocking down a spear in mid-flight to the shield cleave. Illustrated with over 250 images, 'The Illustrated Guide to Viking Martial Arts' in effect represents the earliest combat manual in the world. This insight into the warriors who were the scourge of Dark Age Europe is a feat of textual interpretation - and imagination. AUTHOR: Antony Cummins has a Masters degree in Archaeology and is the author of 'To Stand on a Stone, Conversations with an Assassin' and 'In Search of the Ninja.' He is a martial arts teacher and a specialist on the ninjutsu manuals of Japan, and has released several DVDs, as well as working as a host in the documentary 'The Ninja: Shadow Warriors'. SELLING POINTS: . Of interest to martial artists, reenactors and historians . Recent rise in popularity of Dark Ages history . More than 250 photographs Over 250 b/w illustrations