The crossbow is an iconic weapon of the Middle Ages and, alongside the longbow, one of the most effective ranged weapons of the pre-gunpowder era.
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.
With a Bended Bow covers all aspects of the manufacture of ‘artillery’, the shooting styles and the uses of mediaeval and Renaissance archery based upon contemporary manuscripts, preserved artefacts and accurate reproductions.
This is a study of the archer and his weapon, from the Norman Conquest to the Wars of the Roses.