The Book of the Crossbow: With an Additional Section on Catapults and Other Siege Engines

by Ralph Payne-Gallwey

One of the most devastating weapons of the Middle Ages, the crossbow fired a 12-inch bolt capable of piercing all but the strongest armor. This fascinating illustrated study traces its use in both medieval and modern times as a military and sporting weapon. It also covers related weapons, including balistas, catapults, and the Turkish bow. Over 240 illustrations.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, European History

400 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1985

About the author

Sir Ralph William Frankland-Payne-Gallwey, 3rd Baronet (1848 - 1916) was an accomplished engineer, historian, ballistics expert, and artist.

He authored several books on military and sporting history, theory, and practice. He wrote The Crossbow, which was re-published in 2007 by Skyhorse Publishing.

Reviews

[Jacob Tolley]

I read this book for my Nonfiction book report. I thought that this book was pretty good. It was written so that the reader could easily understand the basic function of a crossbow without any previous knowledge. I thought that the pictures and diagrams of the different types and designs of crossbows was really cool to see. I really liked when in the later chapters, it explained how to make and build a crossbow. I also really liked how there was also explanations of siege weapons and how they worked.

[Paul A]

This is an excellent resource on the many types of crossbows and siege engines that were used throughout history, ranging from the earliest self-type crossbows to windlass steel crossbows. There is even an additional section discussing the Turkish composite bow and its use and construction! Each section is beautifully illustrated and great care is taken in describing the shape and dimensions of each machine. I definitely enjoyed reading about the manufacture and historical context of crossbows, siege engines, and more.

[AskHistorians]

While quite old, and now slightly outdated, this is still one of the most accessible and easiest to acquire histories of the crossbow. Much of the information it contains is still largely correct, even if Payne-Gallwey is over-fond of the steel crossbow and rooted in an antiquated understanding of medieval warfare.

[A.ORCHARD]

Crossbow

Very informative reading about the history of the crossbow . With good images of all forms of crossbow . Excellent.