[Book Reviews] Sundry rogues and rogue agents

[thewronghands]

Sooooo behind on book reviews. These are substantially from my summer's flurry of book purchases concerning Scotland and Iceland, or by authors from the same.

Comments

[arielstarshadow]

I wouldn't mind borrowing School of the Moon sometime (Stone of Destiny sounds awesome, too)!

[thewronghands]

I can post you books if you like!

[arielstarshadow]

As long as it's not horrifically expensive!!! But that'd be great - and then I can mail them back when I'm done!

[wire_mother]

On School of the Moon (which I haven't read, so I am commenting on your review and not the book), there is very little known for certain about Highland fighting techniques - though there is enough that can be combined with later Scottish fencing techniques to make a really good guess - and what little is known isn't really widely known at this point. I could point you toward what resources there are on the fighting techniques if you are interested.

[thewronghands]

It wasn't really swordfighting techniques that I was looking for, so much as woodscraft. It seemed like a lot of the fighting described was sword or bow, but what I was curious about was more how one lifts a herd of cattle by night less detectably, or hides their approach or retreat.

[wire_mother]

Ha! I should have figured, given your "disreputable" art. ;)

OK, from Martin Martin (quoted on page 116 of Michael Newton, A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World"Every Heir, or young Chieftain of a Tribe, was oblig’d in Honour to give a publick Specimen of his Valour, before he was declar’d Governor and Leader of his People, who obey’d and follow’d him upon all Occasions