Pistols at Dawn: A History of Duelling

In modern society the thought that someone would organise a deadly competition with a rival, risking his life over a point of honour, is incomprehensible. That this form of resolution would become an accepted `sport', with noble gentlemen even possessing sets of special duelling pistols, is insane. This fascinating history of the practice of duelling takes the reader into the intriguing world of pistols, `fields of honour' and mortal combat, a world where complex rules governed a system of dispute which often ended in death. With tales of tragic loss, ridiculous quarrels and often hilarious combat, John Norris takes the reader on a journey of discovery through some of the most dramatic disputes of history.