The Crooked Stick: A History of the Longbow

I just loved this book. The author's eccentric style is entertaining and engaging. There is a amazing historical context provided for virtually every aspect of the longbow introduced. His description of the evolution of the longbow is very compelling. I just loved the detailed descriptions of the bow's shapes, both cross-section and longitudinal. However, on so many occasions I was in need of illustrations to understand exactly what was being described. Technical drawings of bows - their detailed shapes and features are distressingly absent. The illustrations that are present are as engaging as the text, he just needs more of them.If you enjoy military history, or military engineering, you will love this book.

In its day, the longbow changed history. Strong English arms and yew longbows slaughtered the flower of armored, mounted chivalry. Now relegated to hunting game and target shooting, the longbow nonetheless offers endless enjoyment to those who would, as the author says, "enjoy its unending tussle with simple stick and string."I shoot bare stickbows, and enjoy target archery for itself, so I like the author's standpoint that you don't have to be "dedicated to forcing personal excellence through the medium of ever more sophisticated technical advance." Okay, I have to go down the ravine once in a while to fetch an arrow that overshot the backdrop, but to me, that's more fun than clickers, sights, and shock absorbers.Soar (a great name for an archer!) writes with authority, wit, and charm, as in the sentence where he says one particular archer "avoided" the target. A tactful man! I enjoyed reading this book immensely, and I think that all archers, especially stickbow archers, will enjoy this too.

I was expecting a reasonably thorough (if introductory) history that would trace the longbow in terms of roots, technology, development, etc., in Britain and Europe. And the book does, in a sense, offer cursory treatment of those topics. As much attention is paid, however, to the history and development of archery clubs and the use of the longbow as a recreational instrument, after its decline as a relevant implement of war. Nothing could be further from my own personal interest, and I wish I'd known from the outset -- I'd have purchased something else. The book is only reasonably well organized and written -- it feels a lot more like the hodge-podge musings of an enthusiast, rather than the concerted and thoughtful analysis of a scholar. To label it a true "History of the Longbow" is, quite simply, misleading.

get it you'll like it

Good quick reference book.

I believe this is a really nice book but my only problem is understanding English. The arrangement of words by English writers is more sophisticated than American writers so it is more difficult for this simple American to understand. My brain really struggled to comprehend exactly what was written. A more educated soul might really enjoy this book. My apologies to the author.

This book is interesting for both historians and archers as it describes the history of the longbow from the insight of a very experienced archer - it's a must read !!!

This book is exactly as expected. I'm enjoying the learning.

This book takes a very wide view of the history of the longbow - and here is my first problem. Soar starts right back in the stoneage! These weren't longbows but simple bows. He also continues up into modern sporting archery. So it would have been a lot better to call this book a history of archery. I was looking for information specifically on the history of the longbow in the period before it back the great war weapon of the three king Edwards in the high middle ages, and I certainly didn't find it here. the problem with writing any book which covers such a huge historical spread is that, unless the book is going to be huge, there isn't room to put in much detail on each era.So if you want a general history of bows and archery, and know little to start with, this slim book will give you a lot of sound information. If however, you want detailed information on the longbow itself you might want to look elsewhere.

This is an extremely interesting read about the long bow through the ages from pre history to the 21st century. How it has changed from a self bow of crooked design to those of today using multi layer laminates

Great book

Exactly what I expected

Good interesting.