The Crossbow
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Crossbow
The definitive work on the crossbow, which has always been looked on askance by the English as a continental weapon. Although it certainly never could achieve the rate of fire of the longbow in a trained archer s hands, the crossbow had its merits. However cumbersome and slow to load it was in comparison with the longbow, the crossbow had greater range and penetrating power against armour, and was quicker to master. This book is a complete description of the crossbow from its introduction to England by the Normans after 1066 through to its use as a sporting weapon in 1903. The crossbow, by its bulk, allowed its makers to embellish the strictly functional aspects of the weapon by adding engravings, inlays, and their own mechanical touches to decorate the weapon. The author expertly compares the cross- and longbow, and includes comments on the early handgun to complete the picture. He describes how crossbows were made, and the varying styles of bow: from wood bows via composites to the steel bow, and he also describes the auxiliary parts of the weapon. Modern crossbows are also covered, including Belgian target shooting barreled cross bows. The last part of the book, a treatise on thre ancient ballista and catapult, is of interest to anyone studying projectile weapons and sieges. Ballista, catapults, trebuchets and spring guns are described, which naturally leads back to the crossbow and the start of the book. This book is absolutely essential for all who are seriously interested in archery and the history of bows and projectile weapons.
The Crossbow
Technologically sophisticated and powerful, the crossbow has long enjoyed a popular reputation for villainous superiority because it could be used with little training as a weapon of assassination. 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 to use. It was an extremely useful weapon, and especially effective in siege warfare for both attack and defence. Known to the Ancient Greeks and the Chinese as early as the 5th century BC, the crossbow developed both in Western Europe and in the Far East. Advances in trigger mechanisms, spanning and bow design allowed the development of ever more powerful bows. In this study acknowledged weaponry expert Mike Loades traces the origins, development, combat record and lasting legacy of the crossbow, the formidable projectile weapon that played a key role in a host of battles and sieges across Europe and Asia.
The Crossbow
Author: Ralph Payne-Gallwey
language: en
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
Release Date: 2007-04-17
An accomplished engineer describes military and sporting crossbows, their construction, use, and history. Comprehensively illustrated with original drawings. This unique exploration of a weapon used for centuries will fascinate historians and enthusiasts alike. The crossbow, probably introduced to England by the Norman invaders in 1066, was once considered so barbarous that it was prohibited as a "weapon hateful to God and unfit for Christians." Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, an accomplished engineer, here describes military and sporting crossbows and their dimensions, components, and ranges; provides hard-to-find information on crossbow construction; gives details about modern crossbows such as bullet-shooting crossbows and bolt-shooting crossbows; and peeks at unusual crossbows like the Chinese repeating crossbow. Comprehensively illustrated with original drawings and selections from historical manuscripts, this is a necessary reference book for anyone who hunts with a crossbow or collects or studies weapons of the past. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.