War Bows: Longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi: Mike Loades: Osprey Publishing

War Bows

Longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi

War Bows

Longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi

Description

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.

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

Product details

Published	21 Feb 2019
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	312
ISBN	9781472825537
Imprint	Osprey Publishing
Dimensions	242 x 190 mm
Series	General Military
Short code	GNM
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Mike Loades

Mike Loades is a respected author, broadcaster, di…

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