Among fencers, Evangelista is either loved or hated, mostly hated. The Art and Science of Fencing is a good introduction to sports fencing: the different blades, it history, and some of the basic strategies. It is also good for the biographical information on some of the old masters. The more controversial aspect of his work, however, is his insistence that modern innovations are ruining fencing. Evangelista decries the emphasis on winning over style. He dislikes the flick. He hates strategies that are designed to get points, but wouldn't have necessarily "worked" if fencing with "sharps" (real blades).

A good introductory work if you are just getting into fencing, but your coach probably will not be thrilled if you bring it to class. ( )