Full Description
A fascinating and lively history of four bows that changed warfare - the composite bow, the longbow, the crossbow and the Japanese bow, the yumi - by a world-renowned expert.
War bows dominated battlefields across the world for centuries. In their various forms, they allowed trained archers to take down even well-armoured targets from great distances, and played a key role in some of the most famous battles in human history.
The composite bow was a versatile and devastatingly effective weapon, on foot, from chariots and on horseback for over a thousand years, used by cultures as diverse as the Hittites, the Romans, the Mongols and the Ottoman Turks. The Middle Ages saw a clash between the iconic longbow and the more technologically sophisticated crossbow, most famously during the Hundred Years War, while in Japan, the samurai used the yumi to deadly effect, unleashing bursts of arrows from their galloping steeds.
Historical weapons expert Mike Loades reveals the full history of these four iconic weapons that changed the nature of warfare. Complete with modern ballistics testing, action recreations of what it is like to fire each bow and a critical analysis of the technology and tactics associated with each bow, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in ancient arms.
Contents
Introduction
CHAPTER I: THE LONGBOW
Development: The longbow's genesis and production
Use: At full draw
Impact: Assessing the longbow
CHAPTER II: THE CROSSBOW
Development: Lock, stock and lath
Use: Steady, steady, steady: shoot
Impact: Bolts from the blue
CHAPTER III: THE COMPOSITE BOW
Development: Engineering the optimal bow
Use: Archery - a very martial art
Impact: Different bows for different blows
CHAPTER IV: THE JAPANESE YUMI
Development: The asymmetric bow
Use: The Way of the Bow and the Horse
Impact: The sting of the samurai
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
