The Longbow (Weapon)

I have lots of books on weapons and warfare, a few on Archery, and 2 or 3 on the Longbow itself. This is a very competent, book it takes into consideration many things and tips its hat to variable's and unknowable's in the compendium of research on Longbows ( the truth is there is just not a lot of concrete evidence that's incontrovertible and there are a lot of exceptions to any hard fast rules about Longbows and Longbowmen that make definite pronouncements at best nebulous). I have not finished reading all of it as yet, but my first impression is that it is full of more information than I usually get in just one Osprey book and its well treated. I have about 300 Osprey titles and I have been reading them for over 30 years so I do like them but I don't rely just on the rather abbreviated nature of this line of books usually, this book is less abbreviated than usual. The photos and artwork are very good as well ( not as good as the late Angus McBride's were- but still excellent and closer to that style than some recent Osprey work has been so I do like them a lot and hope the illustrator see's a lot of employment in this type of work). I am not hugely familiar with the author, I think I saw him on a documentary once years ago. No real axe to grind with anything I have seen or read yet. When it comes to Longbows everyone always brings up armor penetration, I think that's well covered here but its also sort of irrelevant...no armor is impervious to all forms of attack and the random chaotic nature of CQB is unpredictable. The usual argument is that it cant penetrate plate/mail/brigandine/quilted armor or whatever at this range ( the tests always seem to be at so short a range anyway), meh hardly matters academically the battles are already decided long ago. Armor only helps if you are wearing it and if it is covering the area where you get hit and maybe not then. For every gendarme, man-at-arms or whatever that wears lots of armor you have probably 10+ targets that don't including horses. Also remember that we have eyewitness period accounts saying that armor was easily perforated the unfortunate knight shot through the leg and nailed to his horse is one I always think of and the Oak door at Abergavenny Castle where the arrows went through and stood out a hand breadth on the other side also from Gerald De Barri I believe.

Mike Loades brings his considerable teaching ability, practical weapons skills, enthusiasm for his topics, and some solid academic chops to his books, this one and him monumental 2011 tome Swords And Swordsmen. As a popular and leading proponent of Western Martial Arts (WMA), Loades has decades of work under his belt in TV, film, stunt-training, and real-world use and enjoyment of bows, swords, and many other ancient and medieval weapons. These skills, education, and enthusiasm come through in this well-illustrated and enjoyable little book (80 pages in the Osprey military series format), which has a genuine & engaging dollop of 'You Are There' with the English archers at Agincourt, and other battles where the bow took pride of place. Furthermore, unlike some authors, Loades is accessible, friendly, and active on Facebook with fans, fellow weapons & history enthusiasts, and the general public who seem hungry for what he brings to his subject: a common touch, learned but not obscure academic and historical writing, and a genuine consideration to the audience out there.I actually asked Mr. Loades-- after picking up his two books via Amazon-- if I might send along a self-addressed & stamped envelope so I could get some autographed mailing labels to put in the front of Longbow, & Swords. Instead, he kindly asked for my mailing info, and just sent them along. Thus, his autographs met his books, which are now on my bedside being slowly read, digested, & enjoyed of many recent evenings. Mike Loades-- in my opinion at least, a very good writer, a decent human being, and someone who-- teacherlike-- stokes up your excitement and interest in the Longbow, Swords, and Western martial arts more generally.

"The Longbow" makes for an interesting read about the famous weapon and how it was used. It includes sections on how the Longbowmen were trained and the types of arrows used by them for various tactical applications as well as its naval use. All in all, an illuminating read about one of the dominate weapons of its time with several nice illustrations. I was quite satisfied with the book. Were I an expert archer or historian of the weapon, it might have been a bit thin, but for my purpose of gaining a general knowledge of the bow, it was just right.

The surest way to keep the peace is to make sure everybody knows what war is like.The cover speaks volumes. The attacking French hosts at the battle of Crecy are in a state of shock and confusion. You'd guess they meant to fight it out man to man. Instead they met a storm of English arrows. They were so helpless that the English "special forces" of the day could walk right up to them and annihilate them hand to hand.At various times the English feared another French invasion. Edward III dealt with it by decreeing every man who could afford weapons must buy them and train regularly. The long bow was the AR-15 of their time. After lunch on Sundays every man fit to fight turned out to shoot complicated courses in timed trials. They were so good that Parliament forbade young men shooting at targets nearer than 225 yds away. They were so strong that a 100 lb draw weight was considered a light bow only suitable for rapid fire at close range.The book is filled with interesting sometimes shocking details that you never learned in the cotton candy history classes in school. I strongly recommend it.

Gran libro, un poco de historia del longbow pero muy amena, buenos dibujos y fotos

Ein Super Buch für alle die den Englischen Langbogen und im spezielen den WarbowLieben . Und mehr darüber wissen möchten.

As usual, Mike Loades deliver a quality book about a topic dear to him. This book is a great introduction on the subject!

Un livre clair, précis, concis et dont le choix des illustrations est très pertinent (et de bonne facture). Si vous vous intéressez à cette arme, n'hésitez pas, achetez le. Me concernant, c'est tout simplement un des meilleurs Osprey que j'aie lu.

The Osprey series has for a long time been a reliable source for the lover of military history. Informative text combines with authentically detailed artwork to create extremely informative books despite their brevity. Mike Loades has, in `The Longbow', fashioned a worthy addition to this respected brand. This is a book that will appeal to those who are coming to the subject matter for the first time covering the origins, equipment and use of the longbow. However this book also has gems for those familiar with the weapon and some new thoughts including a discussion on the range at which archers were deployed in battle. In brief, Loades posits the view that in battles such as Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt the famous `arrow storm' may not have been commenced at the bows' maximum range as has hitherto been believed. Details of the arrow stocks indicate that there simply would be an insufficient number for archers to maintain their rate of shooting at long, medium and short range. In order that arrow stocks were not exhausted prematurely Loades invites us to consider that the `arrow storm' commenced at a much closer range and was therefore able to be maintained until the opposing forces were nose to nose. In support of this theory Loades relies on the manuscripts of the period that invariably show archers shooting horizontally and not up into the air (unless for siege warfare). The book also features interesting new statistics on the blunt trauma associated with, but often ignored, when considering the efficacy of arrows. Loades does not say we are wrong but merely invites us to join a conversation...and what more can you ask of a book.