Sabre Prattling: The Language of the Battlefield
‘…Sabre Prattling is as informative as it is entertaining. A real gem of a book. You’ll find yourself learning things you will be dying to tell your friends but, when you do, be careful not to ‘shoot yourself in the foot’ or ‘go over the top’ lest it be ‘open season’ or you end up ‘facing the music’. If language interests you, be you reader or writer, of if you simply enjoy reading interesting anecdotes, short lessons of history or unusual facts, this is a book for you. Read it, keep it on the bookshelf, delve into it and enjoy it. A great addition to any bookshelf.’ — Matt Johnson, crime author and Editorial Expert at LoveReading
Highlight of the Season in The Bookseller Non-fiction Buyer’s Guide.
The English language is liberally populated with idioms, similes and metaphors associated with firearms and conflict going back to the 14th Century. Today we use descriptive conversational terminology that can be directly attributed to weapons and the mechanics of war and their application, perhaps not always realising what we are actually referring to. This guide from former Royal Marine, Andrew Rigsby, explains all.
A non-fiction military history / word reference etymology containing 145 definitions and originations of phrases, idioms, metaphors and words associated with the battlefield and conflict, each one illustrated with a black and white historical image.
Andrew Rigsby
Andrew Rigsby is a former Royal Marine and a keen shooting sportsman. He has an active interest in reporting, investigating and writing about gun crime and his first book, Gunfire-Graffiti: Overlooked Gun Crime in the UK was published by Waterside Press in 2012.
He regularly contributes to media outlets and podcasts as well as features in newspapers and magazines. He has recently consulted on some upcoming gun crime documentaries and crime prevention initiatives. Specifically and as a veteran in 2022, he is contributing to the Falklands 40 commemoration in interviews, presentations and podcasts.
Author portrait © Chris Powell