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(More customer reviews)The longbow, a pivotal technical development by mankind, had influenced the survival of humankind, as well as the outcome of battles from the earliest days of the medieval period, well into the period of Tudor monarchy till the opening of the 17th century. The longbow still the weapon of the people, required by statute law to own and use a bow with regularity, the skill of the Tudor yeoman archer firmly positioned in history, so feared that at one time they were compared to Attila's Huns (the Hunnish referring to the English and Welsh archers).
Hugh D.H. Soar's latest book, "The Crooked Stick" is a comprehensive study and presentation of the amazing history of the traditional longbow. Presenting evidence of the use of archery from Neolithic rock paintings from Cueva de la Arana, Valencia, Spain, of our forebears hunting game to the application of the bow in warfare described in an account of the battle of Crecy, August 26, 1346 in the chronicles, "Chroniques" by Jean Froissart, to its continued evolution and staying power as recreational archery, promoted by notables such as King Henry VIII, the archer king, shooting with the longbow at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, 1520 to the creation of archery societies and guilds such as the Society of Finsbury Archers to modern associations active in many countries around the world. The expanse of the book included details on a concoction used to fabricate fire arrows based on an extensive recipe that included exotic materials such as Armeniac, an earthy material from Armenia, and bay salt from the Bay of Biscay. This and numerous other historic gems are invaluable in one developing an appreciation for archery.
His writing style is personable, humerous in places, and even a little irreverent at times, combined with his intimate knowledge of the longbow in-depth study, along with extensive notes and references makes this publication required reading for any archer interested in learning more about the context, its place in history and evolution of the longbow.
David M. Cvet
Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts
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On a clear July morning in 1346, a small force approachedthe walls of Caen for battle. The attackers rode to the field onhorseback, banners and pennants fluttering in the light breeze. Behindthem marched bowmen in tightly ranked units. At the sound of a crispbattle horn, they halted. A twinge of apprehension rippled through thethousands of Norman defenders as they looked down at the opposingarmy, for precision archery formation had long since disappeared as amilitary concept in medieval France. Here was not the expected rabbleof unrated bucolics cowed by the might of France; confronting them wasa quietly determined group of trained soldiers armed, not with thefamiliar arbalest, but with a new and strange weapon of greatlength. The defenders of Caen were about to meet the English war bowand its deadly battle shaft. For the next 100 years, this weapon, the"crooked stick," would command continental battlefields, etchingits fearsome reputation at Crécy, Poitiers, Agincourt, andVerneuil, while establishing England as a international power for thefirst time.Although the longbow is best known for its deployment during the Hundred Years' War, its origins lie with ancient Saxon seafighters and Welsh craftsmen, while today the bow is a vibrant part of the traditional archery scene. In The Crooked Stick: A History of the Longbow, distinguished historian Hugh H. D. Soar pulls together all of these strings, presenting the engaging and often surprising story of this most charismatic stand-off weapon. After a careful consideration of Neolithic bows and arrows, the author weighs both the Welsh and English claims as first masters of the longbow; he then describes the bow's use in the medieval hunt and its associated customs. The bow, however, made its deepest mark in warfare and the author follows the weapon's development and tactical deployment, from the hand-bow used during William the Conqueror's campaigns and the brutal struggles of the Scots, Welsh, and English to the continental set-piece battles between England and France where arrow storms launched by massed longbow archers brought death in the hundreds to both man and horse. After more than a century as the most potent battlefield weapon, the longbow gave way reluctantly to firearms. Its hold on the national character of England was set, though, and its legend was kept alive with great stories, such as Robin Hood, and its retention as a weapon with Royal favor. In addition, the recreational use of the bow became immensely popular and, particularly during the Regency and Victorian periods, archery clubs and societies provided one of the few opportunities for men and women to meet socially. In the twentieth century it appeared as if the longbow would finally disappear into the fog of legend, but a new interest in traditional craft and expertise gained hold, and the pleasure of using this ancient instrument is now firmly part of archery around the world.Through a remarkable command of manuscript and printed sources and a judicious use of archaeological evidence, including prehistoric rock paintings, artifacts preserved in peat bogs, and magnificent finds such as a frozen Neolithic hunter and the wreck of the Mary Rose, the author establishes the deep connections of this bow to England, Scotland, and Wales. Figures in the past, William Wallace, Edward III, and Henry V appear alongside detailed descriptions of bows, strings, arrows, and arrowheads, while the rise of institutions and craftsmen devoted to the longbow are presented to show how knowledge of this weapon was carried forward across the centuries. Today, bowhunters, target shooters, and others in the sport of archery will find that The Crooked Stick will enhance their own interests in a bow of ancient pedigree and legendary status.--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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