War Bows: Longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese yumi

Another great read from Mike, well written and beautifully illustrated showcasing, not just the historical significance, but the mechanical detail and function of all the different weapons. I know it is a detail, and I am a bit of a traditionalist, but the quality of the printing and the paper are also excellent and really add to the experience. It is an amazing time we live in, where all 312 9x11" pages can be printed, bound in hardcover, and delivered to your door for a mere 30$. Definitely worth it.

This is a fantastic work on historical military archery, including the Longbow, the Crossbow, the Composite Bow and the Japanese Yumi, combining research from historical sources with the knowledge obtained through real-life experience with modern reproductions of bows and crossbows. Mike Loades himself shares his own experience with the equipment and also shares the experience and photographs of some of the most renouned archers and researchers including Lukas Novotny, Jaap Koppedrayer, Joe Gibbs, Mark Stretton, Justin Ma, and others., giving a unique insight not only on the equipment, but also regarding the archers who used these weapons and the necessary abilities to operate them effectively on the battlefield. It's also much more than a book about archery, it's a history book as well, loaded with reliable historical research about the times and places when each of these weapons were used. Very recommendable from every point of view.

I'll admit; I haven't finished reading it, but so far this book is amazing! I feel compelled to already write a review about it... I am a very visual person. Though I obviously read books without pictures ;) for something like this I love to see visuals. And the visuals are beautiful! Beside the amazing images, the chapters are laid out clear, the text is easy to read and captivating, and the pictures, drawings and diagrams definitely add great context to the written word. I am a beginner archer. I just started Kyudo, shooting with the Japanese Yumi bow, and I have been looking for books about it. I couldn't find many books about Kyudo, and definitely none this straight forward. This book devotes a whole chapter on the Yumi bow, and that makes me very happy :) On top of that I am also vey interested in mounted archery (haven't discussed it with my horse yet though :-P so we'll see how that goes) which of course is discussed in this book throughout as well, as the horse and archery have a long history together. And I really like the pictures of the author on horseback! A great personal touch... For anyone interested in archery; I highly recommend adding this to your library!!

A good book, even if the author goes a little far in places.

Excellent book, worth the read.

I'm really enjoying this book. Been a big fan of Mike Loades for many years and was pleasantly surprised to see him finally published this one of a kind book. Book is nicely written and is filled with colorful illustrations. This book gives the history of archery the credit it deserves as many formidable empires were forged throughout history with the use of this iconic weapon.

Having just received my copy of War Bows, by Mike Loades, I can hardly put it down. I’ve been a fan of this author since Swords and Swordsmen, which I have read, loaned to friends and will always have a place in my library. Now comes Mr. Loades’ extensively researched work on the martial application of the bow and arrow throughout several specific time periods and regions; the longbow, crossbow, composite bow and Japanese bow. The author’s passion for this subject shows in the first few pages. This is a very nicely packaged book, approximately 11” x 10” with hundreds of images on fine heavy stock. This book will not only appeal to those fascinated by ancient weapons and their application, but also to anyone with a broader interest in medieval warfare or history in general. It’s a keeper.

A truly excellent reference for all things related to military archery, regardless of where your personal interest lie. Mike Loades, as always, is direct and to the point while painting a visceral and detailed image of the function, construction, design and (in my opinion most importantly) USE of the myriad of bows used throughout history.

Très complet sur les sujets abordés ( Longbow, arcs composites, arc japonais, arbalète...) selon l'angle à la fois historique (utilisation, exemples, impact) et technique (mécanique, fabrication, mise en œuvre ). Fourmille de détails. Une particularité de l'auteur est de pratiquer la reconstitution ce qui est source d'informations pratiques et de terrain à mon sens très pertinentes. Style clair et direct ; anglais simple néanmoins précis. Livre de beau format à la mise en page soignée et très illustré. Bref, que du bonheur. Nb: L'auteur prévient les lecteurs potentiels que ce livre profite d'anciens travaux menés par lui (livres précédents) approfondis pour la présente publication.

It's one of the best books about archery I have ever read. I can recommend this book highly to everyone who is interested in the history of archery.

This book covers all facets of the war bow and is lavishly illustrated. The author is a font of knowledge on historical archery as well as practitioner and also possesses a great writing style. A superb read for both archer and military history buff. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Totally absorbing!

I'm most of the way through now and really like this book as an overview of archery in the context of historical warfare. It exceeded my expectations by not only describing the anatomy and manufacture of the bows themselves, but also presenting much material on who used them, when, how and why. The author is careful to present the bow as a component of an army or a battle, not as a miracle weapon that stole the show. It becomes apparent how bows were part of an arms race of ever evolving weapons, armour and other defences. The illustrations really bring everything to life, giving a sense of variations in bow design and construction, period clothing, details of castles, training grounds, shooting accessories etc. The pictures made it easy to understand even the relatively complex spanning mechanisms of crossbows. The author's own experience with recreating and using historical equipment and practicing some featured styles of archery really adds something special. Even a substantial book such as this has to focus somewhere. I would have liked the section of my main interest, the composite bows, to be somewhat longer and more in depth, given the huge historical time period and many different styles of bow in this category. However, for the bow types I that I'm less familiar with I found the material quite comprehensive. If similar accessible overview books about the war bows used in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Siberia, or the Americas don't already exist, they deserve to be written. The information given in this volume has piqued my interest enough to dive into more academic research papers, which are unfortunately not as readable, being often very narrow in focus and short on context.

Combining Muike's other books as chapters, this is great value, its informative and well written. The passion of the author for the topic is apparent at all times.. It covers the long bow, cross bow, composite bow and yumi- I was most interested in the cha[pter on composites but found the other material interesting too. Well worth the price.