Download Free English Longbowman 1330 1515 Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online English Longbowman 1330 1515 and write the review.

The English military ascendancy which lasted from the mid-14th to the early 16th century was founded upon defensive tactics based on the use of the longbow. This weapon, distinctive in that it was used by English forces alone, was probably the most effective missile weapon of the Late Middle Ages: its arrow had the same penetrative ability as a modern day bullet and the bow's rate of fire was not equalled by any weapon used by English forces until the adoption of the Lee Enfield rifle at the beginning of the 20th century. The English longbowmen's involvement in wars such as the War of the Roses (1455-1485) and One Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) is discussed.
An iconic medieval missile weapon, the deadly longbow made possible the English victories at Crecy and Poitiers at the height of the Hundred Years' War. The longbow was the weapon at the heart of the English military ascendancy in the century after 1340. Capable of subjecting the enemy to a hail of deadly projectiles, the longbow in the hands of massed archers made possible the extraordinary victories enjoyed by English forces over superior numbers at Crécy and Poitiers, and remained a key battlefield weapon throughout the Wars of the Roses and beyond. It also played a leading role in raiding, siege and naval warfare. Its influence and use spread to the armies of Burgundy, Scotland and other powers, and its reputation as a cost-effective and easily produced weapon led to calls for its widespread adoption among the nascent armies of the American Republic as late as the 1770s.
Much myth and fantasy surrounds the events of the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485): a bloody and prolonged dynastic struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster. Terence Wise's fascinating text lays bare the real story, and examines the armies, liveries and badges of the conflict. The author's readable account provides a comprehensive guide as to who fought whom, where, when, why and for what, from the origins of the Wars to such famous battles as Tewkesbury and Bosworth. The accompanying photographs, illustrations and colour plates by Gerry Embleton clearly detail the arms, armor and standards of the time.
This history of the archer in the Middle Ages, from the Norman Conquest to the Wars of the Roses, challenges the assumption that the longbow was a new and devastating weapon adopted by English armies from the 13th century onwards.
The ascent of the Plantagenets to the English throne in 1154 led to the beginning of a new historical phase in the British Isles, which was marked by numerous wars that were fought between the Kingdom of England and the 'Celtic nations' of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. During the rule of the Norman kings, the English armies had not completed the conquest of Wales and had established only some footholds in Ireland; Scotland was still independent and was ready to contest the Plantagenets’ possession of northern England. As a result of this situation, the two centuries between the rise of the new dynasty and the beginning of the Hundred Years’ War were characterized by a series of wars that ravaged feudal England. Gabriele Esposito covers all these conflicts, following the campaigns of Richard the Lionheart as well as those of his younger brother who was defeated on the continent at the large Battle of Bouvines; the conquest of Wales is analyzed in detail, as well as the First Scottish War of Independence that saw William Wallace playing a prominent role. The organization and equipment of all the troop types taken into account is described in full detail and lavishly illustrated with color images of reenactors, bringing these forces to life.
These articles are devoted to the two main aspects of medieval warfare: men and technology. Men fought, led, and ultimately killed in war, while the technology that they used facilitated these tasks. The first group of essays highlights human strengths in the fighting of medieval wars, with a focus on events of the 14th and 15th centuries, specifically the Anglo-French wars and wars against the Turks. A second group addresses the technological side of warfare, in particular the advent and proliferation of early gunpowder weapons which evolved rapidly during the late Middle Ages, although never replacing the role of men. The articles study various facets of this evolution, from the increased use and effectiveness of guns in battles, sieges, and naval warfare, to changes in their science and metallurgy, surgical treatment of wounds caused by them, and governmental centralization of the technology.
A Complete Recreation of the Deadliest Medieval Arm Dominating medieval battlefields for more than two centuries but requiring long and arduous practice to command, the English war bow and its battle shaft are the symbols of the rise of British power in Europe. Despite being crafted for hundreds of years and wielded by generations of archers, no example of the war bow--the military version of the longbow--exists, outside of a single broken limb. Now for the first time, expert craftsmen use all available evidence including applied archaeology to unlock the secrets of the English war bow. Historian Hugh D. H. Soar is joined by Mark Stretton, master blacksmith, and Joseph Gibbs, bowyer, in order to demonstrate how a war bow and its associated arrow heads and shafts may have been constructed and used. In addition to showing the complete manufacture of a bow from tree selection to stringing and how specialized arrowheads were forged and attached to shafts, Secrets of the English War Bow provides information on the actual performance of the war bow, including the bow's effectiveness against various materials and, for the first time, its use against moving targets, since bows were often drawn against mounted soldiers. Armed with this new information, Soar provides an analysis of both successes and failures of the war bow in several important battles. Illustrated in color and black and white, Secrets of the English War Bow provides an invaluable service for those interested in medieval military history, archery, and technology.
Marksmanship skills honed to perfection, driven by necessity and desperation, Edmund Hawksworth hunted with his crossbow to keep his ailing mother alive, only to have her die in his arms. Deserted by his father who had left to fight the Lancastrian cause, the embittered and determined lad set out on a mission of vengeance and became embroiled in the bitter struggle for the throne of England between the Houses of Lancaster and York. There were those in 1461 who avowed that Edmund had been divinely chosen and anointed to be the Avenger of Righteous Blood something the boy himself never claimed. What is certain, in command of the Wespen (Wasps), an lite unit of crossbow mercenaries, he turned events in York's favour at the decisive Battle of Towton. Despite protests from Yorkist lords, King Edward IV (himself a youth of eighteen), gave the accolade to the former herder of pigs from Thryberg declaring him to be 'The truest and most loyal knight in all England'. With the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the ascent of the Lancastrian Tudors the many stories of the Yorkist boy hero were supressed. However, for fifty years fanciful tales of 'The Hawk' lingered on in the towns and villages of the West Riding of Yorkshire until in 1509 Edmund's brother arrived in chains at Conisbrough Castle. Before his burning in Doncaster Fish Market the condemned heretic tells the true story of the Lost Legend of the Hawk.