cover image Longbow: A Social and Military History

Longbow: A Social and Military History

Robert Hardy. Bois D'Arc Press, $24.95 (244pp) ISBN 978-1-85260-412-7

Hardy is a well-known character actor in England and an acknowledged expert on the longbow and its history. Here he traces its evolution from its appearance at the dawn of recorded history, its arrival in the British Isles, its central contribution in the battles of Crecy, Agincourt and Bosworth, to its decline as a military armament and its current status as a hunting and sporting weapon. The profusely illustrated text includes minute descriptions of the equipment, training and way of life of the bowmen who made up the formidable archer corps of medieval times, then goes on to tell the story of American longbowmen and hunters and includes an engrossing chapter on the making of a longbow from the selection of wood to field testing. Hardy's enthusiasm for the longbow, its technology and capability, and his appreciation of fine craftsmanship, are infectious. (June)