He received his Ph.D. in the History of Science from Harvard University in 1982, but was best known for his work as a dance historian specializing in the 19th century and for his dissemination of facsimiles of once exceedingly rare historical works on fencing.

[4] In many ways, he himself can be regarded as the father of the modern study of the history of European swordsmanship; it was through the texts he provided that many scholars were first introduced to the importance of martial expression to early modern culture.

Pugliese was known not only for the study and dissemination of historical dance[5] and fencing treatises, but also for his teaching and charitable work.

[7] He was also active as a Civil War reenactor[8] and in the Society for Creative Anachronism,[9] serving as Baron of Carolingia from 1978 to 1995.

Pugliese died on February 11, 2007, after a year-long battle with cancer.