Nhistory of the longbow book

Once its effectiveness was known, laws were passed making its practice compulsory. If you need further help or want to know more about longbow making, consider reading the book making traditional bows, which is available only through this website in both ebook and paperback formats click here below i will take you through the making of a simple laminate longbow with a. About longbowarchers geocities britishbattles hexapolis. Our marketplace offers millions of titles from sellers worldwide. Not so widely known is his deep interest in archery and its history. The first book in english about longbow archery was toxophilus by roger. I have always been a history buff and a fan of great adventure stories, so after reading a great history of the knights templar and the 3rd crusade, i began a tale about a boy and his longbow for them. Soar pulls together all of these strings, presenting the engaging story of this most charismatic standoff weapon. But i think my facts about the english longbow are based on the evidence dont we all famously made of yew. The crossbow was weaker and slower than the longbow, with only 23 shots a minute while an experienced longbowman could loose 20 shots per minute. A social and military history 2nd revised edition by hardy cbe, robert isbn.

Quickly abandoned by villagers, the longbow found itself in the hands of gentlemen who formed social clubs around the bow. In the hundred years war, the long bow was used by the english to a devastating effect. A longbow is a type of bow that is tall roughly equal to the height of the user allowing the archer a fairly long draw. All you need to know to make your own bows, arrows and how to shoot them. The bowmaking team of kunstgriff is famed throughout germany for their longbow making skills. An actionadventure set in 12thcentury england, this is an appealing read filled with bows and arrows, sword fights, and the like. Jan 28, 2016 its part of the english national myth, after all. English longbow the reliable assualt rifle of the middle ages.

The penetration of an arrow will depend mainly upon four thingsnamely, the shape of the head. English longbow the reliable assualt rifle of the middle. The longbow proved deadly at the battle of falkirk in 1298 between. 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. The longbow is an incredibly strong piece of wood roughly 6 feet tall and 58 inch wide. Set during the time of richard the lionhearts reign, the book follows the hard life of roland, whose actions set him out on a dangerous path of survival. Robert hardy describes the earliest known arrival of the longbow. Jan 01, 1976 this book, while more of a textbook and manual than anything, was absolutely helpful in my research of the hundred years war in which longbow men were highly sought after and greatly and effectively utilized to soundly defeat the french on many occasions. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The english king, edward i took welsh archers into his army. The wreck of the ship was raised in 1982 and years of conservation work and archaeological study have resulted in the creation of a wonderful museum, in portsmouth, uk. The longbow evolved during the 12th century in response to the demands of siege and guerrilla operations in the welsh marches, a topographically close and economically marginal area that was in many ways similar to the regions in which the crossbow had evolved.

Although firearms supplanted bows in warfare, wooden or fibreglass laminated longbows continue to be used by traditional archers and some tribal societies for recreation and hunting. The mary rose was a tudor warship, which sank near portsmouth in 1545, in the reign of king henry viii. This book recreates all of the insights and information from the twoday bow making workshops of kunstgriff. Though todays designs have many improvements to provide better arrow speed, durability, and comfort, the. If you need further help or want to know more about longbow making, consider reading the book making traditional bows, which is available only through this website in both ebook and paperback formats click here. Longbow a social and military history by hardy robert abebooks. 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. May 24, 2017 the limbs are manufactured from laminated zebra wood and clear fiberglass.

The longbow was invented by the celts in wales around 1180 c. An acknowledged expert on the longbow, he was for eleven years a trustee of the royal armouries at hm tower of london, and is a consultant and trustee of the mary rose trust. Northern mist longbows longbows built the way they. Archers longbowmen would usually have a second weapon, often an axe, for closequarter fighting. At that point, rather than disappear, the longbow began a new life as the centerpiece of recreational archery. Richard tonge then guides you through the process of string making to complete your. The longbow shop blog tips on shooting the english longbow. Also, the basic equipment cost little, and could be very easily mass produced. Its limbs are relatively narrow so that they are circular or dshaped in cross section. More than 3,500 arrows and 7 whole longbows were recovered from the mary rose, a ship of henry viiis navy that was sunk at portsmouth in 1545. Journal of the society of archerantiquaries ryelongbowmen militaryhistory. The longbow was the most powerful weapon in europe from about 0 to 1588. Longbow definition is a handdrawn wooden bow held vertically and used especially by medieval english archers.

The english longbow was the best weapon of its time. The reinforced limb tips allow for the use of a fastflight or flemish string. The archers of king edwards guard did well enough, but they run easily second to giralduss welshmen. The longbow the recurve bow the longbow is where the history of archery begins. There are various descriptions of the medieval longbow.

Longbow is a great book for those who enjoy medieval historical fiction and stories full of action and adventure. I own thousands of books and have collected them for 40 years but have never encountered this typeface in a modern book before. British actor and archery enthusiast robert hardy has penned a comprehensive book dealing with the history of the longbow anyone involved in the sport of archery or hunting with a bow should consider getting a copy of hardys book. Illustrations by will crawford commissioned by glenn st. This book, while more of a textbook and manual than anything, was absolutely helpful in my research of the hundred years war in which longbow men were highly sought after and greatly and effectively utilized to soundly defeat the french on many occasions. The english long bow the english longbow is steeped in tradition and lore.

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. After a careful consideration of neolithic bows and arrows, the author describes the bows use in the medieval hunt and its associated customs. The first book in english about longbow archery was toxophilus by roger ascham, first published in london in 1545 and dedicated to king henry viii. The longbow was developed in wales in the 12th century. Although generally attributed to the welsh, longbows have in fact been around at least since neolithic times. The savannah stealth will be in the running for the best longbow of 2017. They examine and discuss a genuine medieval longbow and its arrows. The american longbow book by stephen graf contains not only a wealth of knowledge about building a longbow, but reaches past this, giving the reader insight to reasons why many people find this an enjoyable pastime and a huge part of their life. Estimates for the draw of these bows varies considerably. It could prove invaluable to those individuals already actively involved, as well as budding aficionados. A social and military history by robert hardy goodreads. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A social and military history 5th revised edition by robert hardy isbn. Their twoday workshops have set many an enthusiastic bowyer on their stickandstring journey.

The limbs are manufactured from laminated zebra wood and clear fiberglass. Roland, taller than most of his age and sturdily built, is forced to flee his home in kinder scout after the horrible murder of his father, rolf, at the behest of the earls sonby celebrating rolands courage and bravery, the author gives audiences. I hope that this guide will inspire you to make your own longbow. A social and military history by robert hardy alibris. The string of the longbow was made from hemp as it was the strongest and least elastic fibre available. The english longbow was a powerful medieval type of longbow a tall bow for archery about 6 ft 1. In the late th century the english conquered wales but they were were impressed by the longbow. I do wish i could pick up a digital copy of the book as well but i love having this in my collection.

Longbow a social and military history by hardy robert. Robert hardy is famous throughout the world as an actor. First published in 1976, robert hardys longbow, which has achieved an enviable reputation as a classic book on the subject, tells the story. Longbow making learn how to make a longbow and much more. Steve shows you how to complete each stage in a clear, precise set of instructions in nearly 1hour and 35 minutes of footage. A social and military history by robert hardy and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.

In that year, the spanish armada, aware of the english skill with the longbow, armed their troops with bows. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. The longbow could also pierce the armor of a knight at ranges of more than 250 yards. Hardy is a wellknown character actor in england and an acknowledged expert on the longbow and its history. Next, a lot of the book talks about hunting which is obviously illegal in the uk so those parts are irrelevant. When my two sons were younger, they liked for me to make up stories to tell them. Three battle narratives from the hundred years war by molly helen donohue online sources. As well as describing the longbow s colourful past in battles such as crecy, poitiers and agincourt, and in the robin hood legend. A renowned historian recreates the world of the english bowman, showing us how simple techniques were refined untilby using a group of massed archers the english had what amounted to long. The english however experimented by having 10,000 harquebusiers early firearms which proved superior. Originally, archery wasnt only a sport, it was a way of life and a means by which to provide for ones family. Medieval england not only saw the use of longbows in battle but of several types of bows the short bow, the composite bow and the long bow. This book is a great reference to the history of the longbow.

There are no surviving longbows prior to the 15th century and more than from the renaissance period see surviving bows. With drama, vigor and enthusiasm, robert hardy chronicles the arrival of the. When jason asked me if i fancied coming up with some hints and tips with a coaching element, i thought this could be interesting. In fact, the savannah stealth comes with a dacron flemish twist bow string. The longbow was also stronger than a regular bow, due to its length, and the cured yew it was. First published in 1976, robert hardys longbow, which has achieved an enviable reputation as a classic book on the subject, tells the story of this weapon throughout british history with drama, vigour and enthusiasm. Battle of agincourt, crossbow, english longbow, yeoman, mounted archery, history of crossbows, yabusame, yumi, mongol bow, stone wristguard, battle of jaxartes, archers, toxophilus, archers stake, the witchery of archery, thumb ring, scorton.

It is an important source for the history of the longbow, as the bows, archery implements and the skeletons of archers have been preserved. In bow and arrow the middle ages, and the english longbow. This weapon would earn its fame from the hundred years war fought between england and france, in battles such as crecy 46, poitiers 56 and agincourt 1415. The wood of the longbow was protected with a rub of wax, resin, and fine tallow a skilled longbowman could release between 10 12 arrows per minute. All weapons are as important for their effects on those whom they do not hit as for their effects on the people they do hit. Metaltipped arrows could pierce all but the best plate armour. Its sad that sir hardy will not be with us to share more of his amazing knowledge. Making the laminated english warbow the longbow series. Henry v and the battle that made england juliet barker. The longbow was also an economic choice and the book looks at the cost and manufacture of bows and arrows, the training and equipping of archers, their payment and the general logistics of an archer army. Making the laminated english warbow dvd professional bowyer and longbowman steve stratton guides through the process of making your own english warbow in this wide screen presentation. His meticulously researched book begins by describing the earliest known examples of the longbow, revealing that it was in use worldwide at. The battle of flodden 15 was a landmark in the history of. Much of what we know of the artillery bows used by england has been gathered from the wrecks of the mary rose.

As well as describing the longbows colourful past in battles such as crecy, poitiers and agincourt, and in the robin hood legend. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading longbow the saga of roland inness book 1. The longbow as we recognise it today, measuring around the height of a man, made its first major appearance towards the end of the middle ages. When the longbow gave way to firearms in the sixteenth century, the ancient statute was relaxed. In fact, ash was also used and was perfectly effective. Here is a fully researched history of the longbow from its arliest beginnings to its presentday status. Longbow is the first book in the saga of roland inness series. A renowned historian recreates the world of the english bowman, showing us how simple techniques were refined untilby using a group of massed archersthe english had what amounted to long. Various styles of medieval arrowhead are considered and their effectiveness appraised.