It is telling that swords are so often named. Excaliber,
Charlemagne's Flamberge, Beowulf's Hrunting, the Sword of
Damocles .... How many other weapons or objects for that matter,
carry the weight or significance of a sword? In the 600-odd
years that firearms have made their noisy presence felt, few, if
any, of them carry the aura or mystique of the blade. The sword
carries a power, elegance and personality within it, reflecting
the user. The sword is, above all, a personal weapon, wielded up
close, not remote or distant, whether on a battlefield, a
dueling ground or a piste, it reflects the personalities behind
them. Swords have always been symbols: of power, of choices, of
status and honor, of elegance, skill, romance and justice. And
of death and resolution. Richard Cohen, Olympian and five times
U.K. National Saber champion, has written a book that amply
demonstrates that, while the pen maybe mighter then the sword,
the sword has an abiding fascination and magic. By The Sword is
a memorable and evocative