War Bows

War bows dominated battlefields across the world for centuries. In their various forms, they allowed trained archers to take down even well-armored 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