Hi!

It took longer than expected to recover from my Mexico trip, and I actually follow my own rules of putting health ahead of work, so I’m a bit behind on various projects. But that’s ok- it’s not like this year has been unproductive with four book launches so far (From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice: Wrestling; From Your Head to Their Hands; Get Them Moving; and The Swordsman’s Companion 20th Anniversary edition) and another one likely (see below). So I took the time I needed to lie about and read books rather than scurrying about writing more of them.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the podcast. We’re coming up on episode 200, and it seems time to take stock and have a think about where to go from here. So far on the show we have had:

About 157,300 downloads (not counting streaming)

89 interviews with women

84 with men

Of the interviews, approximately:

115 are with HMA people.

6 are with novelists.

17 with historians

7 are with makers (smiths, armourers)

And 23 are with folk who don’t fit those categories (such as stage combat folk, museum professionals, living historians, etc.)

16 are non-interview shows, such as monthly challenges, book launch specials, etc.

Guests have been based in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, Finland, Norway, Holland, Israel, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia (I may have missed a country or two).

The single most-downloaded episode is the first one, with 2197 downloads, with Eleanor Janega’s first appearance coming in second with 1584.

The audience is 58% USA, 10% UK, 7% Canada, 5% Germany, 4.5% Australia, 2% Finland.

I think the original goal of the show, to showcase diversity in Historical Martial Arts, has been accomplished. And I also think I need a bit of a break between seasons (If a 4-year 200-episode run can be called a season!). So, oh wondrous Patrons of the show, when we hit 200, where should we go next?

If there are folk you feel I really should interview, let me know. (Feel free to pitch me if you think you’d be a good guest.)

I’m thinking that a season on a specific topic might be useful. Such as, research, or teaching, or tempo or measure (the deep dive into tempo in episode 74 is surprisingly popular!).

To be clear, I’m not planning on cancelling the show, though there may be a break between seasons. I’m just thinking about redefining its purpose and finding new ways for it to serve the community.

The NEXT book: it’s a pretty one

In addition to the four books already mentioned, I’ve also completed the translation work on the Getty manuscript. It’s the backbone of my From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice series, but it’s also a useful thing in its own right. I’m putting the finishing touches on the audiobook, which is just me reading the translation. Yes, I am working on getting the Italian read beautifully too (as Eleonora did with my Vadi translation).

And we are going to produce a facsimile version of the translation. Right now we have a facsimile-only edition. This new version will include the unadulterated facsimile, but also a second copy of it with my translation in place of Fiore’s Italian. I’m doing it this way because it’s by far the best way to read the book, but I cannot risk someone coming across my translated version and confusing it for the original.

Here’s a sample page:

We are planning on producing two versions of this- a plain hardback like the current facsimile, for about the same price, and a fancy hardback with foil on the cover, headbands, and a page-marker ribbon. I’ll let you know as soon as we’re close enough to open up for pre-orders…

This week on the podcast: The Theory and Practice of Historical Martial Arts, with Kelley Costigan

In this week's podcast episode I’m sharing some excerpts from the audiobook of The Theory and Practice of Historical Martial Arts.

I’m also revisiting my interview with the audiobook’s narrator, Kelley Costigan. Here are the notes for the interview:

Kelley Costigan is an actor, director, pole dancer, fencer, performance combatant, adventurer and pirate, currently living in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, home of William Shakespeare.

Listen to our conversation to discover the Shakespeare connection that inspired me to ask Kelley to narrate my audiobook, The Theory and Practice of Historical Martial Arts.

As a child, Kelley was told that fencing was “not something that girls do”, but she has since made up for it after taking up HEMA in her 40s.

We also talk about competitive fencing, competitive pole dancing (yes, that’s a thing,) not being a Russian spy, and what Kelley would do with a million pounds.

What I’m reading

While I was recovering I read a lot of light fluffy stuff. Not least We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman. It’s in the same vein as his wonderful Thursday Murder Club (which is the cosiest of cosy murder mysteries), but is the beginning of a new series for him. Great fun, and I love his heroine Amy Wheeler.

On the non-fiction side of things, I’ve started on Dr. Stuart McGill’s Back Mechanic. I heard him on Andrew Huberman’s podcast talking about how to prevent back pain (something I am unpleasantly familiar with), and started incorporating his “big 3” exercises into my daily maintenance routines. They are a kind of small sit-up, side planks, and ‘bird-dog’, where you are on all fours and extend one arm and the other leg. These have been sufficiently helpful that I went and bought his book. So far it’s mostly ‘other doctors suck’, but I’m about to get into the meat of it.

I’m currently about 150 pages into Neal Stephenson’s latest book, Polostan. It took me a chapter or two to get into it (it’s a bit denser than the frivolity I’ve been enjoying while sick), but it’s a fascinating look at a bit of 20th century history that you’ve probably not thought much about. Classic Neal, if quite different to his last few books.

And in a blast from the past… before I added this segment to the newsletter, I read and absolutely loved Inanna, by Emily H. Wilson. It’s speculative historical fiction with a dash of sci-fi about the Anunnaki gods of Sumeria, based on the Epic of Gilgamesh. While I was writing this I went online to see if volume two (Gilgamesh) is out yet- and it is! It is now on its way from Blackwell’s bookshop. Thus is virtue rewarded. I’ll let you know if it lives up to the promise of volume 1.

cheers,

Guy