Product Description

Robert Hardy is famous throughout the world as an actor. Not so widely known is his deep interest in archery and its history. An acknowledged expert on the longbow, he is a Trustee of the Royal Armouries at HM Tower of London, and of the Mary Rose Trust. His meticulously researched book begins by describing the earliest known examples of the longbow, revealing that it was in use worldwide at least 8,000 years ago. With drama, vigour and enthusiasm, he chronicles the arrival of the longbow in Britain, its curious temporary disappearance, its return and gradual adoption as the most important weapon in the English military arsenal, and its coming of age at the battles of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt. "Longbow" describes the archers themselves, where they came from, their equipment, training, uniform, way of life and terms of service; the fact and fiction of the Robin Hood legend; the reasons why the French never took to the weapon; the devastating effects of longbow against longbow in the Wars of the Roses; the eventual decline of the bow and Henry VIII's campaign to maintain it. Also examined is the longbow as a sporting and hunting weapon, and its status in Britain today. There is a detailed account of how to make a longbow from scratch, including all the tools and materials required. Another bonus for the enthusiast is an important technical appendix written by three experts on the longbow - Henry Blyth of Reading University, Prof. P. L. Pratt of the Imperial College of Science and Technology, and Peter Jones of the Royal Armaments Research and Development Establishment. The chapter on the Mary Rose has been co-written with Prof. Pratt and Prof J. Levy, also of the Imperial College, and is the result of over ten years of study. "Longbow", beautifully illustrated in both colour and black and white, is a compelling story and a major contribution to the history of archery.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15992 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
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 at Trustee of the Royal Armouries at HM Tower of London and of the Mary Rose Trust and is the author of The Great Warbow (with Matthew Strickland).

Customer Reviews

A definitive text.
This excellent book gives a comprehensive history of the longbow. It covers the development of the bow and arrow from its humble beginnings to the heyday of the longbow and the famous battles with the French and at home in the Wars of the Roses. It explains many technical aspects, such as why yew is such a good material for bow-making, the various stages of making a longbow and how arrow points developed to penetrate chain mail and armour. Robert Hardy describes the raising of the Mary Rose, the discovery of so many longbows on board and how those bows were tested. In short the author proves himself to be extremely knowledeable, passionate and willing to impart the information that he must have worked so diligently to obtain.

A succint thorough history of the longbow through the ages.
This book is the key book for any longbow fanatic, plus an interesting read for anyone at all interested in this immensely powerful weapon which is key to our past. It follows the origins of the longbow from neadertal bows to the famed longbowmen of Crecy and Agincourt, then its sad decline from a lethal weapon to a sporting pastime plus it tells of the ceremonial bow regiments of the victorian era. Lastly it contains a detailed description of how a beginner should set about making their own bow, the tools the wood and the time that is needed, followed by an appendix laying out the physical properties of the woods used and how the bow and the arrows should relate to each other in length or strength. The author, the well known Robert Hardy has a very relaxed style and you immediately feel comfortable immersed in the knowledge and experience and photographs that he has ammassed as a master of the longbow for the last sixty years. A great read.

Very accurate and clear book
This book is exceptional since it is very clear and complete from the historical and technical points of view. The author is clearly in love with the subject, and so am I.I have long been looking for the corresponding video, published by the BBC, but without luck.If anyone can tell me how to obtain it,please advise. Thank you.