We in the HEMA community love swords, weapons, training, and everything. Many of us even wear historical clothing and partake in living history to capture the look of the time period we are interested in. However, have you ever been interested in capturing the tastes of the periods to immerse yourself in your HEMA training fully? Today, we will review Max Miller’s Tasting History, a cookbook for historical interest. For many of you, I doubt Max Miller needs an introduction. However, for those unaware, Max Miller runs the YouTube channel “Tasting History with Max Miller” and makes numerous videos covering historical recipes and the history around them. His videos cover all sorts of periods, from the Roman Empire to the Titanic to World War II and so much more. Content ReviewThe book is organized into five sections that group the recipes by region. The recipes by region are also organized in chronological order, making it easy to find food from the region and period that interests you. Each recipe in the book begins with a page or two summary of the dish's history. Each recipe's source is included, a fun way to connect the dish you prepare with the history. Given that the book is primarily a cookbook, most of the pages are dedicated to cooking instructions to prepare the food. As someone with little cooking experience, I have found the recipes easy to follow. However, be warned that some of the ingredients are harder to find than others. Fortunately, in many cases throughout the book, alternatives are presented. The FoodAs the book is a collection of modern instructions on historical recipes, the tastes can differ significantly from our modern food. However, this is a feature, not a bug! Other books with a vague historical (albeit fantasy) take on recipes, such as The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook, create modern recipes with modern food tastes in a fantasy-medieval setting. Tasting History is true to its source and includes recipes that taste strange today, such as vinegar candy or parmesan ice cream. Despite staying true to the source and the changes in taste preferences, many of the recipes I have tried are delicious. My Experience with Cooking from the BookSo…… as I mentioned before, I have minimal cooking experience. Rumor has it I have burned bowls of cereal. Some may even know I started a fire at my day job by misusing a microwave…. (A story for another day). BUT this book started my journey in wanting to learn how to cook. As part of this journey, I wanted to tackle making the precedella or pretzel of 1581. That is when I learned the value of color when it comes to food because my first try with the pretzel tasted great, but I had a bit too much cinnamon, making the pretzel look far less tasty than they were. Yes, I know what the pretzels look like. But I kept practicing, and while I was still trying to nail the classic look of the pretzel, I could at least say they looked and tasted better than my first try. That is one of the greatest appeals of trying to learn to cook with this book which is not designed to teach people how to cook. I feel like I have placed myself into a baker apprentice’s shoes in the 16th century and practicing again and again until I can make a pretzel that would be satisfactory to the guild. Closing ThoughtsThis book is truly a gem for history enthusiasts who want to use their sense of smell and taste to experience the periods they study. However, this may not be the book for you if you are not interested in trying different flavors throughout the ages. That being said, cooking recipes from this book is still an enjoyable experience, and I appreciate adding new recipes to my overall knowledge.
Are you still on the fence about getting into historical cooking right for you? This is where Max Miller goes above and beyond. His website has tons of other historical recipes paired with videos on his YouTube channel. You can try them for free before investing in his book. I particularly enjoy Chewtes on Flesshe Day or meat pies from 1430. His Tang pie even made it into my Thanksgiving feast, though I re-branded it as the Orange-Creamsicle Pie because some people are biased against Tang. I am looking at you, Matt. If you love history but are hesitant about cooking, I recommend this book. For a price of about $30 for a hardcover book, this is a fantastic book. I cannot understate how much learning to cook has been an enjoyable journey. That dangling carrot of historical context was all I needed to resolve my reservations about trying to cook more than just microwavables.
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Book Review: I33 Fencing in the Style of the Walpurgis Manuscript 2nd edition By Andrew N. Kenner3/10/2024 Today, we will be reviewing Andrew N. Kenner’s book titled I33 Fencing in the Style of the Walpurgis Manuscript 2nd edition. This book covers their interpretation of the I.33 techniques and with the second edition being published in 2016 . I will primarily focus on the book’s value as an interpretation source for new fencers getting started with I.33. I will focus on three major areas: structure, presentation of techniques, and value. I will not comment on the interpretation itself. The validity of the interpretation is up to the reader to decide as they journey down their own research on I.33. StructureKenner begins his book with a forward on the history of the manuscript and its system. He then goes on to discuss equipment for the system as well as foundational swordsmanship concepts like distance management. The I.33 technique starts by introducing the stance in I.33 and highlighting keeping the sword and buckler hands close while performing the binds in the system. The second chapter introduces the attacks and defenses of I.33 which captures the overall strategy of the manuscript. Next, the manuscript covers movement in the system followed by binding and some additional techniques. The later chapters of the book group the wrestling, grappling, and special techniques of I.33 into a single chapter. The book also includes a handful of exercises throughout to help the reader practice the techniques discussed in the section where the exercises are. The structure of the book does an excellent job slowly building up the techniques and organizing the techniques of I.33. The techniques are grouped logically to introduce a ward, then introduce the counters to it. The wards are also further decomposed into high wards and low wards which helps the reader build towards getting a complete picture of the techniques. Presentation of TechniquesOne of the best aspects of Kenner’s book is the bolding of key phrases such as “Vidilpoge” when they are discussed. This allows for techniques to quickly stand out while the reader flips through the pages and enables them to focus on the techniques from the source. The book also features a number of pictures to help the reader visualize what is being discussed. Furthermore, while the fencers in the pictures are wearing period clothing of I.33, they tuck their tunics similarly to what is shown in I.33. This allows the readers to get a better idea of what the fencer’s feet and leg posture are, which further enhances the ability for the reader to learn from the book. ValueAs of writing this blog, Kenner’s book is available for around $22. It is soft-covered and has durable pages that help when reading and practicing at the same time. This makes it one of the most affordable interpretation books available on I.33. Who I Recommend it toThis is an excellent book to start off with. I.33. The techniques discussed are straightforward, and the visuals provide further clarification to the reader. While the techniques are not in the order they are presented in I.33, the bolding of terminology and the images do a decent job of associating Kenner’s interpretation to the manuscript. When paired with a translation of I.33, this book can serve as an excellent guide when someone begins their journey into I.33.
Today, we will be reviewing Bettina Miriam Sehner and Michael Lammer’s book Ultima Custodia, which was published in 2023. This book covers their translation and interpretation of the I.33 techniques and features custom art by Bettina Sehner throughout. I will primarily focus on the book’s value as an interpretation source for new fencers getting started with I.33. I will focus on three major areas: structure, presentation of techniques, and value. I will not comment on the interpretation itself. The validity of the interpretation is up to the reader to decide as they journey down their own research on I.33. Please note, I interviewed Sehner late in 2023 to help promote her book. While I purchased the book myself, I am certainly grateful to Sehner for taking the time to interview me. While I believe my review is objective, it is worth pointing out any bias I may have regarding this book. StructureThe book is broken up into two major focuses. The first is the history of the manuscript and their translation. The second part is their interpretation of the techniques. For the interpretation section, the authors introduce the equipment for learning I.33 and the geometric basics of sword fighting, such as the center line and angles of attack. Next, the wards are introduced, including footwork and other fundamentals of swordsmanship. The interpretation section then covers the counters to the wards and specific attacks in the manuscript. Presentation of TechniquesThe translation section of I.33 includes the images of the manuscript itself which is an incredible inclusion in this book. While this does mean that there is a fair amount of white space in the book, the translations are shown with the page they are from which makes it easy to follow for a reader unfamiliar with I.33. The interpretation section includes descriptive text as well as images to support their descriptions. It also includes three-dimensional renderings of the I.33 technique to add depth to the otherwise two-dimensional art of I.33. ValueAt the time of writing this blog, the book can be purchased at bladenswords.com for about $60. Because this book is a custom project of the site, you must submit a form to order it. While pricier than other interpretations on the market, the book is also hardcover and in color. This color is critical because the book also includes artwork from Sehner which makes the book also an art book, not just a translation and interpretation book. One negative I do have with the book is the purchasing process. Many potential readers may be hesitant to purchase from their site, especially given the cost of the book. However, I purchased my copy of the book this way and had it damaged and lost during shipping. Blade and Swords promptly responded to the issue and re-shipped me a new copy without additional charges. I believe they have also improved their packaging process since then to reduce the chance of that occurring again. Many others have received their copies of the book as well which speaks to the safety of the purchasing process. Who I Recommend It ToThis book is a great I.33 primer book for anyone looking to start their journey into I.33. While on the more expensive side for interpretations, it also doubles as a work of art that can be displayed on coffee tables and around the house. Furthermore, one of the things that forces the book to be more expensive is their inclusion of the pages of I.33, which requires royalty fees to be paid to Royal Armouries. Very few interpretation books doubles as a translation book. If you include the cost of a translation book of I.33 and the cost of a soft-covered interpretation book, you will pay around $60, which helps put into perspective the value of this book.
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