War Bows: Longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi

Description

Sure to appeal to all those interested in projectile weapons, this lively study assesses the origins, development, combat record and lasting influence of the composite bow, longbow, crossbow and Japanese bow. The composite bow had a profound, widespread impact on the history of Asia, Europe and Africa, from the 2nd millennium BC to the 19th century. Cultures as diverse as the Hittites, the Romans, the Mongols and the Ottoman Turks embraced this versatile and devastatingly effective weapon, using it on foot, from chariots and on horseback. The composite bow prompted a wide array of ingenious tactical developments and was a key influence on the development of armour for both man and horse. An iconic medieval missile weapon, the deadly longbow made possible the English victories at Crecy and Poitiers at the height of the Hundred Years' War. The longbow was the weapon at the heart of the English military ascendancy in the century after 1340 and remained a key battlefield weapon throughout the Wars of the Roses and beyond. It also played a leading role in raiding, siege and naval warfare. Its influence and use spread to the armies of Burgundy, Scotland and other powers, and its reputation as a cost-effective and easily produced weapon led to calls for its widespread adoption among the nascent armies of the American Republic as late as the 1770s. Technological sophisticated and powerful, the crossbow has long enjoyed a popular cachet for dastardly cunning and villainous superiority. The study of bow designs, trigger mechanisms and spanning devices reveals a tale of considerable mechanical ingenuity; advances that produced a battlefield weapon requiring comparatively little training for its effective use. It was an extremely useful weapon in certain circumstances, and especially effective, for both attack and defence, in siege warfare. The Japanese Bow - the Yumi - was the primary weapon of the samurai and, in pitched battle, was used predominantly from horseback. The story of the Japanese bow is the story of the samurai - horse-archers who attacked head-on, unleashing a burst of arrows from their galloping steeds. Historic weapons expert Mike Loades reveals the full history of these four iconic weapons that changed the nature of ancient and medieval 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 to each bow, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in ancient arms.

Mike Loades is a respected author, broadcaster, director and action arranger who has made numerous television appearances as a historical weapons expert and military historian. He lives in California. He is the author of Swords and Swordsmen (2010), The Longbow (2013), The Composite Bow (2016), and The Crossbow (2018).

The book can be strongly recommended to anyone interested in the use of the bow and crossbow, particularly as a military weapon. [Mike Loades] presents in a vivid and readable fashion a survey of their use over many centuries. -- Arthur Credland * Military History Matters * Anyone with an interest in war bows or the history of warfare would greatly benefit from a copy of this comprehensive work... Loades's experience with bows, both in terms of their history and real life handling, shines through in this well-researched and beautifully written and illustrated book. * History of War, February 2019 * I don't recall ever reading such a thorough analysis of a weapons system... Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, this book could only have been written by someone who is a supreme practitioner of the subject. * Miniature Wargames * An up-to-date and super-cool book... it's been vetted and fed into by some of the leading experts, both academics and archers, in the world today. * Schola Gladiatora * Unquestionably an essential reference work if you have any interest whatsoever in archery in all its forms. * Battlefield Magazine *