Download or read book A Deadly Art European Crossbows 1250 1850 written by Breiding, Dirk H. and published by Metropolitan Museum of Art. This book was released on 2013 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The advent of the crossbow more than 2,500 years ago effected dramatic changes for hunters and warriors. For centuries, it was among the most powerful and widely used handheld weapons, and its popularity endures to this day. A Deadly Art presents a lively, accessible survey of the crossbow's "golden age," along with detailed descriptions of twenty-four remarkable examples. Beginning in the middle ages, the European aristocracy's enthusiasm for the crossbow heralded shooting competitions and pageants that featured elaborately decorated weapons bearing elegant embellishments of rare materials and prized artistry. In addition to being highly functional, these weapons were magnificent works of art. A Deadly Art includes fascinating descriptions of crossbows used by Margaret of Savoy and Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian I and Charles V, among others."--Publisher's description.
Download or read book The Medieval Crossbow written by Stuart Ellis-Gorman and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-07-20 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-depth, illustrated history and technical study of this iconic weapon of the Middle Ages. The crossbow is an iconic weapon of the Middle Ages and, alongside the longbow, one of the most effective ranged weapons of the pre-gunpowder era. Unfortunately, despite its general fame it has been decades since an in-depth history of the medieval crossbow has been published, which is why Stuart Ellis-Gorman’s detailed, accessible, and highly illustrated study is so valuable. The Medieval Crossbow approaches the history of the crossbow from two directions. The first is a technical study of the design and construction of the medieval crossbow, the many different kinds of crossbows used during the Middle Ages, and finally a consideration of the relationship between crossbows and art. The second half of the book explores the history of the crossbow, from its origins in ancient China to its decline in sixteenth-century Europe. Along the way it explores the challenges in deciphering the crossbow’s early medieval history as well as its prominence in warfare and sport shooting in the High and Later Middle Ages. This fascinating book brings together the work of a wide range of accomplished crossbow scholars and incorporates the author’s own original research to create an account of the medieval crossbow that will appeal to anyone looking to gain an insight into one of the most important weapons of the Middle Ages.
Download or read book The Crossbow written by Mike Loades and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-03-09 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Technologically sophisticated and powerful, the crossbow has long enjoyed a popular reputation for villainous superiority because it could be used with little training as a weapon of assassination. The study of bow designs, trigger mechanisms and spanning devices reveals a tale of considerable mechanical ingenuity; advances that produced a battlefield weapon requiring comparatively little training to use. It was an extremely useful weapon, and especially effective in siege warfare for both attack and defence. Known to the Ancient Greeks and the Chinese as early as the 5th century BC, the crossbow developed both in Western Europe and in the Far East. Advances in trigger mechanisms, spanning and bow design allowed the development of ever more powerful bows. In this study acknowledged weaponry expert Mike Loades traces the origins, development, combat record and lasting legacy of the crossbow, the formidable projectile weapon that played a key role in a host of battles and sieges across Europe and Asia.
Download or read book The origin of West African crossbows written by Henry Balfour and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries written by Guy Laking and published by . This book was released on 1920 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book War Bows written by Mike Loades and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-02-21 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating and lively history of four bows that changed warfare – the composite bow, the longbow, the crossbow and the Japanese bow, the yumi – by a world-renowned expert. War bows dominated battlefields across the world for centuries. In their various forms, they allowed trained archers to take down even well-armoured targets from great distances, and played a key role in some of the most famous battles in human history. The composite bow was a versatile and devastatingly effective weapon, on foot, from chariots and on horseback for over a thousand years, used by cultures as diverse as the Hittites, the Romans, the Mongols and the Ottoman Turks. The Middle Ages saw a clash between the iconic longbow and the more technologically sophisticated crossbow, most famously during the Hundred Years War, while in Japan, the samurai used the yumi to deadly effect, unleashing bursts of arrows from their galloping steeds. Historical weapons expert Mike Loades reveals the full history of these four iconic weapons that changed the nature of warfare. Complete with modern ballistics testing, action recreations of what it is like to fire each bow and a critical analysis of the technology and tactics associated with each bow, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in ancient arms.
Download or read book The Horse in Premodern European Culture written by Anastasija Ropa and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2020-01-20 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides a unique introduction to the most topical issues, advances, and challenges in medieval horse history. Medievalists who have a long-standing interest in horse history, as well as those seeking to widen their understanding of horses in medieval society will find here informed and comprehensive treatment of chapters from disciplines as diverse as archaeology, legal, economic and military history, urban and rural history, art and literature. The themes range from case studies of saddles and bridles, to hippiatric treatises, to the medieval origins of dressage literary studies. It shows the ubiquitous – and often ambiguous – role of the horse in medieval culture, where it was simultaneously a treasured animal and a means of transport, a military machine and a loyal companion. The contributors, many of whom have practical knowledge of horses, are drawn from established and budding scholars working in their areas of expertise.
Download or read book Weapon written by DK and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-10-02 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor is an epic 4,000-year illustrated story of weaponry. From stone axes to heavy machine-guns, swords to sniper rifles, discover the innovative design, range, lethal function and brutal history of arms and armor, and meet the warriors who wielded them. Weapon includes all the important arms from the ages, covering edged weapons, clubs, projectiles and firearms from ancient Egyptian axes, through bows and spears of traditional societies in Africa, Oceania and the Americas, to the machine-guns and missiles of modern infantry forces. Key weapons from every era are presented in sharp detail and the mechanisms that operate them are displayed and explained. Top fighting forces, from the Greek hoplite to the Navy Seal are profiled, and the weapons they have wielded and the tactics and fighting methods they've used are revealed.
Download or read book Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution written by Smithsonian Institution. Board of Regents and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 852 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution written by Smithsonian Institution and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 894 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Annual Report of the Board of Regents written by Smithsonian Institution and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 852 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book African Affairs written by and published by . This book was released on 1908 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Science and Civilisation in China written by Joseph Needham and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 646 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Technology and Resource Use in Medieval Europe written by Michael Wolfe and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-12-16 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 10 essays here are the result of a conference devoted to the study of medieval technology in April 1995. Taken together, they aim to help dispel the common misconception that medieval people somehow had to toil in a world bereft of technical innovation and ingenuity. The authors of the papers, all experts in their fields, show the Middle Ages not only to be a time of considerable technological development, but also the ways in which the technologies of building construction, manufacture and metallurgy were shaped by broader forces of culture, social identity, political ambition and the local environment.
Download or read book The book of the crossbow written by Ralph Payne-Galloway and published by Aegitas. This book was released on 2019-08-28 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most devastating weapons of the Middle Ages, the crossbow probably originated in the Western Roman Empire early in the fourth century, its design perhaps suggested by the balista, an ancient form of catapult. The medieval crossbow fired a twelve-inch bolt (quarrel) capable of piercing all but the strongest armor and is widely credited with helping Richard the Lionhearted defeat the Saracens at the battle of Arfus during the Third Crusade. and nbsp; and nbsp; and nbsp;Despite the fact that crossbows were carried by thousands of soldiers in medieval warfare, this book is the only work ever devoted exclusively to this widely used weapon. In addition to detailing the history of the crossbow and its military and sporting uses, the author also deals with an arsenal of related weapons, from the siege engines, balistas and catapults of the ancients to such arms as the Turkish bow and the Chinese repeating crossbow. and nbsp; and nbsp; and nbsp;Enhanced with over 200 illustrations, ranging from contemporary battle pictures to scale constructional plans, and replete with scholarly detail and intriguing anecdotes, this classic study will interest historians, medievalists, sportsmen and any student of arms and armor.
Download or read book Ancient Chinese Warfare written by Ralph D. Sawyer and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of China is a history of warfare. Rarely in its 3,000-year existence has the country not been beset by war, rebellion, or raids. Warfare was a primary source of innovation, social evolution, and material progress in the Legendary Era, Hsia dynasty, and Shang dynasty -- indeed, war was the force that formed the first cohesive Chinese empire, setting China on a trajectory of state building and aggressive activity that continues to this day. In Ancient Chinese Warfare, a preeminent expert on Chinese military history uses recently recovered documents and archaeological findings to construct a comprehensive guide to the developing technologies, strategies, and logistics of ancient Chinese militarism. The result is a definitive look at the tools and methods that won wars and shaped culture in ancient China.
Download or read book Medieval Warfare 1300 1450 written by Kelly DeVries and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: War was epidemic in the late Middle Ages. It affected every land and all peoples from Scotland and Scandinavia in the north to the southern Mediterranean Sea coastlines of Morocco, North Africa, Egypt, and the Middle East in the south, from Ireland and Spain in the west to Russia and Turkey in the east. Nowhere was peaceful for any significant amount of time. The period also saw significant changes in military theory and practice which altered the ways in which campaigns were conducted, battles fought, and sieges laid; and changes in the leadership, recruitment, training, supply and financing of armies. There were changes in the relationship between those waging warfare, from generals to irregular troops, and the society in which they lived and for or against which they fought; the frequency of popular rebellions and the participation in them by townspeople and peasants; changes in the desire to undertake Crusades, and changes in technology, including but not limited to gunpowder weapons. This collection gathers together some of the best published work on these topics. The first section of seven papers show that throughout Europe in the later Middle Ages generals led and armies followed what are usually defined as "modern" strategy and tactics, contrary to popular belief. The second part reprints nine works that examine the often neglected aspects of the process of putting and keeping together a late medieval army. In the third section the authors discuss various ways that warfare in the fourteenth and fifteenth century affected the society of that period. The final sections cover popular rebellions and crusading.
