Product Description

The Great Warbow is a vivid and exciting exploration of the bow and arrow as weapons of war. From before the Domesday Book, through Anglo-Saxon England, medieval Wales and Ireland, the crusades, Bannockburn and the Wars of the Roses, until the time of the Tudors, this book takes us on a wide-ranging and fascinating journey through history. Tactics, myths, origins, defence and armour are all discussed; as are the different types of bow - shortbow, longbow, composite bows and crossbow. Crucial to our understanding of archery through the ages was the discovery of the wreck of the Mary Rose. Built during Henry VIII's reign, she sank in 1545 and it was not until 1979 that a great discovery was made. On board were chests of bows, many in excellent condition, which challenged ideas of historical bow design. Robert Hardy was one of the experts consulted when the bows were found. From this evidence, as from archaeological finds and medieval illustrations, Robert Hardy and Matthew Strickland have produced the definitive work on medieval military archery. This lively and informative book is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical background of the great warbow.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #259941 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 544 pages

About the Author
Matthew Strickland is senior lecturer in Medieval History at Glasgow University. Robert Hardy is famous for appearing in 'All Creatures Great and Small' and the 'Harry Potter' films. Away from acting, he is an acknowledged expert on archery. He is a Trustee of the Royal Armouries at HM Tower of London and of the Mary Rose Trust and if the author of 'Longbow'.

Customer Reviews

Very informative
This is an excellent book which deals comprehensively with the use and effect of both the longbow and crossbow. But it is more than this inasmuch as it surveys the great battles of the later middle ages and considers the tactics - including archery - which helped to win or lose them. The authors are clearly experts and the illustrations are superb - it deserves to become the standard work in the field.

Hits the mark
This book is handsome enough to adorn any coffee table, but it's much more than a glossy tribute to one of history's most feared and famous weapons - the longbow. Actor Robert Hardy - a key player behind the important, and controversial, technical analysis of the powerful bow staves recovered from the wreck of the Tudor warship Mary Rose - contributes several feisty chapters, but the bulk of this substantial book is the work of Dr Matthew Strickland, a lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Glasgow.
Dr Strickland is a leading authority on Medieval warfare, and he uses his knowledge to place the longbow squarely within its broad historical context. He provides a scholarly but readable account of the role of archery (including the crossbow and composite bows) from Hastings to the Armada. En route, 'The Great Warbow' tackles not only the epic set-piece encounters of the Hundred Years War, but all manner of lesser battles and skirmishes fought from Scotland to Portugal. In addition, it includes coverage of such relevant themes as hunting, armour, castles and the rise of gunpowder weapons.
From start to finish, the combination of narrative and analysis is based upon an intimate acquaintance with the sources, including many chronicles that have never been published in English. This is bolstered by a generous selection of well-reproduced and thoughtfully-captioned illustrations. There is also enough technical data to support the book's conclusions, although this is not stretched beyond its limits simply to prove a point.
The end result is not only a comprehensive account of the capabilities and limitations of the longbow, and the armies who both used it and faced it, but also what is now perhaps the best English-language overview of Medieval European warfare in general.

Highly recommended
Being a keen archer for many years,using both the modern compound bow and the old English Longbow,I saw this book advertised on Amazon and added it to my wishlist.
My parents got it for me for Xmas and as soon as I opened it that was the last anyone saw of me for the holidays.
It is highly informative on many different aspects,things like the technical side of the bow,why we were the only country to adopt it in such high numbers,and other things like the types of arrowheads used and how archers would aim for the faces of Knights with lifted visors at 100 paces.
One fascinating chapter,although quite sqeamish,has highly detailed surgical reports of how these were removed from any soldier lucky(?) enough to survive one embedding itself in their head.
The authors Matthew Strickland and Robert Hardy(yes the actor from All creatures great and small!) obviously have a great respect and love of this symbol of Medieval England.
I defy any true Englishman or lady not to feel an immense feeling of pride when they read this.
Buy this book and I promise you will love it.It's not just a good book,it's a beautiful one.
For St.George!!!!