War Bows

A fascinating and lively history of four bows that changed warfare – the composite bow, the longbow, the crossbow and the Japanese bow, the yumi – by a world-renowned expert.

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.

Author Biography

Mike Loades is a respected author, broadcaster, director and action arranger who has made well over 100 television appearances as a historical weapons expert and military historian and been a presenter for such shows as Time Commanders (BBC), Weapons That Made Britain (Channel 4), Weapon Masters (Discovery Networks) and Going Medieval (History Channel). A lifelong archery enthusiast, he is also experienced in horse-archery and chariot archery and is co-founder of the California Centaurs horse-archery club. He lives in California. He is the author of Swords and Swordsmen (2010), The Longbow (2013), The Composite Bow (2016), and The Crossbow (2018).