Pirate Weapons On History International

[Captain Jim]

The History International Channel (HInt) has this in its programming. Don't know any more about it.

Almanac

Pirate Weapons.

Tune In:

Monday, May 22 @ 11:30pm ET/PT

Peter Woodward sweeps over the sea in the guise of a 17th-century Caribbean pirate, teaching the Conquest Team the dos and don'ts of close-quarter pirate warfare. As the blaze of cannons announces the attack's start, the team uses terror as its primary weapon, the cutlass and pistol as its second and third. The team learns that in a fast-paced pirate battle in search of booty, bare feet and rags not only instill fear, but also allow for the quickest movement in the fierce storming of a merchant ship. TVPG

The complete listing of times:

Mon, May 22, 11:30-12am; Tue, May 23, 3:30-4am; Sun, May 28, 2:30-3pm; Sun, May 28, 7:30-8pm; Mon, May 29, 4:30-5am..

[kass]

Unfortunately I've seen Peter Woodward get historical weapons horribly, horribly wrong so many times (ask people's opinion of him on the Armour Archive sometime...) that I doubt this will be more than pirate myths perpetuated. I avoid "Conquest" like the plague. Makes my blood boil...

[Captain Jim]

So, if this guy gets it wrong so often, why do people give him money to do this stuff? What are his credentials? Don't we here have people who could do better, such as the Historical Maritime Combat Association?

I'll watch and then critique as all who are interested should. Take the good, pitch the rest. Write letters to the producers.

[Monterey Jack]

So, if this guy gets it wrong so often, why do people give him money to do this stuff? What are his credentials? Don't we here have people who could do better, such as the Historical Maritime Combat Association?

I've sent a note to the other HMCA folk, so hopefully we'll catch the broadcast in one way or another. Kass, I don't know this Peter Woodward at all. What is it he gets so wrong? Not being nasty, sincerely interested. If the HMCA can help correct the problem we'd like to know the issues.

Capt Jim has the best immediate solution; watch it and go from there. As always if questions arise take it to the forums and the search engines.

[kass]

Jim,

It's reality TV. He takes a bunch of people off the street, hands them weapons, and teaches them something about the period. And then he pretends this is a "test" of whether the weapon was really affective in combat or not. It's just a bunch of idiots who've never held a sword before getting themselves winded on international TV...

As long as it's sensational, people will watch it. It doesn't matter what he gets wrong because most of the public doesn't know enough about the subject to know it's wrong.

Believe me, go to teh Amrour Archive and ask what people there think of Peter Woodward and "Conquest" and then but on your asbestos shorts and brace yourself...

Jack,

Peter Woodward is an English Television presenter. He's not a weapons expert. He's just a guy with a good voice who gets handed a script. Don't expect great things.

My problem with him stems from the fact that his show is supposed to be "testing" weapons and showing how they really worked. But he doesn't test the real stuff. For example, he tested whether a mail shirt would protect a person from broadsword blows. But he used cheap, butted mail (not riveted). So of course it fell apart!

Every single time I've caught part of Conquest, I've seen him tell the audience some myth about historical weapons that even I, with my limited knowledge of the subject, know is completely untrue.

And writing letters to History International isn't going to get him off the idiot box. He obviously gets good ratings. And that's what drives TV programming.

But watch it. Enjoy. And when he says something false that makes you want to tear your hair out, don't say I didn't warn you...

[Red Maria]

Actually it wasn't bad. I've scene it before as a friend of mine, Mario Perez is in it. Mario teaches historical combat and taught it for Master & commander. In fact if you look at the last battle scene in the movie you'll see him attack himself .

The odd coincedence for me in this episode is that at the end where the 'pirates' attack the merchant vessal Mario 'kills' my friend Capt. Erik Berliner capt of the Argus (the ship on sail on e-bay). A case of six degrees of Red Maria!

This is one of the better episodes of Conquest and I do recommend it. :)

[kass]

Well, that's certainly nice to know, Maria. Thanks for the review!

[Monterey Jack]

Actually it wasn't bad. I've scene it before as a friend of mine, Mario Perez is in it.

How the heck is Mario these days? I haven't talked with him in about two years. tell him I said hi next time you meet up; though he won't know me by the MJ name.

As luck would have it not one of us in the HMCA is able to get History Int., so I'll have to rely on the good graces of someone who taped it.

Gareth Thomas

www.HistoricalMaritimeCombat.com

[Red Maria]

Actually it wasn't bad.  I've scene it before as a friend of mine, Mario Perez is in it.

How the heck is Mario these days? I haven't talked with him in about two years. tell him I said hi next time you meet up; though he won't know me by the MJ name.

As luck would have it not one of us in the HMCA is able to get History Int., so I'll have to rely on the good graces of someone who taped it.

Gareth Thomas

www.HistoricalMaritimeCombat.com

I will say Hi to Mario for your Gareth. Luckily for me someone taped the Conquest episode for me back in 2003. Mario has been busy fight directing.

[Monterey Jack]

Thanks RM;

One of the students from the last HMCA seminar is taping the episode for me, so I'll get a chance to look it over next week or so.