Reddit reviews Gentlemen's Blood: A History of Dueling

>Can't one of them just turn a few paces earlier and kill the opponent?

The whole point of duelling was that it was a ritualistic way of establishing your manhood and honor. Winning by cheating would defeat the point of entering the duel in the first place.

If you're interested in learning more, this book offers a pretty good overview of the history.

People will probably joke a lot in this thread, but dueling as a form of conflict resolution has some merit.

If you are interested in dueling I recommend Gentleman's Blood: A History of Dueling by Barbara Holland.

http://www.amazon.com/Gentlemens-Blood-A-History-Dueling/dp/158234440X

Depends on what weapons were in fashion in your particular region. If I recall correctly duels in Louisiana and parts of Europe (I believe mainly France and Germany) most frequently involved blades, and had much higher fatality rates. Also as firearms improved the lethality increased––there'd be virtually no chance of a misfire using modern guns. Bear in mind that you could also set the distance from which shots would be exchanged; if you're firing from ten feet away you greatly increase the odds that one or both participants will be at least seriously maimed, no matter what firearm you're using. A lot depended on how bloody-minded you and your opponent were. Barbara Holland wrote a very interesting book on this subject.

A random selection of non-fiction recommendations for /u/MindOfMetalAndWheels:

• A Crack in Creation, by Jennifer Doudna
  
• Debt: The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber
  
• One Good Turn, by Witold Rybczynski
  
• The Drunkard's Walk, by Leonard Mlodinow
  
• The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester
  
• The Secret Lives of Colour, by Kassia St Clair
  
• The Storm Before the Storm, by Mike Duncan
  
• Gentlemen's Blood, by Barbara Holland