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War Bows: Longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi
War bows were a mainstay of armies throughout the world from the earliest recorded battles over three thousand years ago to the 16th century, when firearms finally came of age. Even then, in some cultures, the bow remained in use by elite warriors. The bow gave combatants the ability to fight at distance and it played an important role in some of the most famous battles in human history.
In this lively and fascinating study, Mike Loades tells the stories of four of the world’s most renowned war bow the iconic medieval longbow that made its mark at Crécy; the horn and sinew composite bows of the East, with their varied forms and sophisticated construction; the crossbow with its mechanical ingenuity; and the distinctively asymmetric yumi of the samurai.
For each of these bows, Mike brings the insights of his long career as a historical weapons expert and archer to bear, offering a vivid understanding not only of the technology that went into its creation but also an appreciation of what it was like to shoot and a detailed assessment of its role in battle.
In this lively and fascinating study, Mike Loades tells the stories of four of the world’s most renowned war bow the iconic medieval longbow that made its mark at Crécy; the horn and sinew composite bows of the East, with their varied forms and sophisticated construction; the crossbow with its mechanical ingenuity; and the distinctively asymmetric yumi of the samurai.
For each of these bows, Mike brings the insights of his long career as a historical weapons expert and archer to bear, offering a vivid understanding not only of the technology that went into its creation but also an appreciation of what it was like to shoot and a detailed assessment of its role in battle.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
312 pages, Hardcover
Published February 19, 2019
22 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 29, 2020
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Military Bows
War Bows deserves to be a definitive introduction to fighting bows for a long time to come. It is split into four sections, covering the longbow, crossbow, composite bows and the Japanese yumi respectively. It is well references and fabulously illustrated, while the prose is still accessible and light.
What's Good About This Book:
Arguably the best thing about the book is that the author, Mike Loades, combines both academic and practical knowledge. There is ample reference to primary written sources and archaeology. This is balanced with Loades' vast experience of shooting bows and working with recreations of historical bows. Together, these perspectives bring a near-complete introduction into historical war archery.
War Bows is also stuffed like a sausage full of illustrations. Everything is pictured here, from diagrams, to historical sources to the full-colour artworks which are the trademark of Osprey-published books.
The scope of the book is comprehensive. Every aspect of the bows is considered, from their construction to their use and effectiveness, from their ammunition to their wider cultural meaning. The chapters also neatly correspond with the main four styles of bow: self bows (longbows), crossbows, composite bows and laminated bows (the yumi).
What's Bad About This Book:
One has to start knit-picking to find much wrong with this book. Loades himself laments that space prevented him from exploring all the bows he would have like to and their unique properties - he sites, for instance, how he would have liked to discuss South American bows and their extra long arrows which assisted with jungle warfare.
Equally, the book struggles to balance detail with broad coverage. The longbows chapter, really the chapter on self bows, focuses almost exclusively on the late medieval English longbow and thus trades an examination of older self bows or those from across the world to really dig into the details of this particular weapon. By contract, the composite bows chapter covers bows from a blizzard of near-, middle- and far-eastern regions and times but is unable to explore the uniqueness of each of these variants in much depth.
Will I Read War Bows Again?
Yes. This books is an astounding reference for the non-academic history fan and I shall get much use from it in the future.
Ultimately, War Bows is a fully up-to-date, comprehensive introduction to military archery. No aspect of the subject is left unexplored and the book is groaning under the weight of the illustrations which clarify the author's already crisp explanations.
War Bows deserves to be a definitive introduction to fighting bows for a long time to come. It is split into four sections, covering the longbow, crossbow, composite bows and the Japanese yumi respectively. It is well references and fabulously illustrated, while the prose is still accessible and light.
What's Good About This Book:
Arguably the best thing about the book is that the author, Mike Loades, combines both academic and practical knowledge. There is ample reference to primary written sources and archaeology. This is balanced with Loades' vast experience of shooting bows and working with recreations of historical bows. Together, these perspectives bring a near-complete introduction into historical war archery.
War Bows is also stuffed like a sausage full of illustrations. Everything is pictured here, from diagrams, to historical sources to the full-colour artworks which are the trademark of Osprey-published books.
The scope of the book is comprehensive. Every aspect of the bows is considered, from their construction to their use and effectiveness, from their ammunition to their wider cultural meaning. The chapters also neatly correspond with the main four styles of bow: self bows (longbows), crossbows, composite bows and laminated bows (the yumi).
What's Bad About This Book:
One has to start knit-picking to find much wrong with this book. Loades himself laments that space prevented him from exploring all the bows he would have like to and their unique properties - he sites, for instance, how he would have liked to discuss South American bows and their extra long arrows which assisted with jungle warfare.
Equally, the book struggles to balance detail with broad coverage. The longbows chapter, really the chapter on self bows, focuses almost exclusively on the late medieval English longbow and thus trades an examination of older self bows or those from across the world to really dig into the details of this particular weapon. By contract, the composite bows chapter covers bows from a blizzard of near-, middle- and far-eastern regions and times but is unable to explore the uniqueness of each of these variants in much depth.
Will I Read War Bows Again?
Yes. This books is an astounding reference for the non-academic history fan and I shall get much use from it in the future.
Ultimately, War Bows is a fully up-to-date, comprehensive introduction to military archery. No aspect of the subject is left unexplored and the book is groaning under the weight of the illustrations which clarify the author's already crisp explanations.
September 8, 2020
Mike Loades has years of practical experience shooting every kind of bow that he describes in this book - and it shows. The author draws from his experience along with that of other enthusiasts that spend their time shooting authentic bows at authentic armors to provide the reader with a unique perspective on how such bows may have been used in the past. Each section goes in depth into the development, usage, and historical context surrounding each weapon and makes for an immensely satisfying summary of each bow type. I plan to keep this book for as long as I do archery, as a reminder of our shared history with this particular skill.
February 12, 2021
The book is dense, packed with a ton of historical references. The author's research and experience really comes to life in the book. As someone who has just taken up archery, the historic significance of its origin was quite interesting. A definite read if you are interested in the various bows outlined in the book and their history.!
June 14, 2021
Excellent book. Outstanding introductory work on military archery throughout the ages. When I was done, I found myself wishing it was longer. The author closes by lamenting all the topics he wanted to touch on but couldn't. Highly and heartily recommended for history buffs and gamers. I think general readers will like it too.
March 18, 2022
Genial recopilación sobre los distintos arcos que han marcado la historia. Ilustrativa también e interesante para los ajenos a la materia
March 17, 2024
I never knew I needed to know so much about War Bows but apparently I did
January 29, 2024
A Journey through 'War Bows'
I discovered there's a whole bow universe beyond the basic and the crossbow I knew. Two types? Turns out, I was living in archery simplicity!
The book blew my mind by giving historical context to each bow type. Long-range, medium-range, even short-range – there's a bow for every combat scenario. The author skillfully unveils the purpose behind military archery in wars – from powerful shots causing chaos in a battle of attrition to incessant arrow showers disrupting enemy movements.
Conclusion: The historical insights, combined with the reasons behind each bow's creation, make it a must-read. Totally deserving of the highest rating!
I discovered there's a whole bow universe beyond the basic and the crossbow I knew. Two types? Turns out, I was living in archery simplicity!
The book blew my mind by giving historical context to each bow type. Long-range, medium-range, even short-range – there's a bow for every combat scenario. The author skillfully unveils the purpose behind military archery in wars – from powerful shots causing chaos in a battle of attrition to incessant arrow showers disrupting enemy movements.
Conclusion: The historical insights, combined with the reasons behind each bow's creation, make it a must-read. Totally deserving of the highest rating!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews