
The English Longbow - Investigating a myth: Volume 1: Performance and employment 1298-1485
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781804517116
Publication Date: 08/31/2025
The medieval English longbow has been the subject of considerable debate. The English Longbow Investigating a Myth will draw out the arguments concerning it and produce a balanced and convincing summary. The book opens with a detailed description of the weapon system – the bow, arrow, and arrowheads. The origin of the longbow has been much discussed and the ShortbowLongbow conundrum is examined in depth. The longbow’s capabilities and effectiveness are evaluated using recent research allied to contemporary accounts. The part the bow played in the ‘Infantry Revolution’ and the longbow's relationship with the crossbow are covered.
The longbow could only be employed in war if the monarch could mobilise the resources needed to manufacture it and if English society could provide the strongbacked archers able to use it. These issues are investigated, including a consideration of the legal and societal framework needed.
The English Longbow Investigating a Myth is an honest appraisal of the longbow. It is not a book of battles but one that describes how the bow was used, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. It provides a comprehensive and balanced assessment of what was and remains the weapon that made Britain.
The longbow could only be employed in war if the monarch could mobilise the resources needed to manufacture it and if English society could provide the strongbacked archers able to use it. These issues are investigated, including a consideration of the legal and societal framework needed.
The English Longbow Investigating a Myth is an honest appraisal of the longbow. It is not a book of battles but one that describes how the bow was used, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. It provides a comprehensive and balanced assessment of what was and remains the weapon that made Britain.
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