Longbowman Vs Crossbowman: Hundred Years’ War 1337–60 (combat)
by David Campbell /
2017 / English / EPUB
22.7 MB Download
For centuries, the crossbow had dominated the battlefields of
continental Europe, with mercenaries from Genoa and Brabant in
particular filling the ranks of the French army, yet on the
outbreak of the Hundred Years' War they came up against a more
powerful foe. To master the English longbow was a labor of years,
requiring far greater skill to use than the crossbow, but it was
much more flexible and formidable, striking fear into French
men-at-arms and cavalry.
For centuries, the crossbow had dominated the battlefields of
continental Europe, with mercenaries from Genoa and Brabant in
particular filling the ranks of the French army, yet on the
outbreak of the Hundred Years' War they came up against a more
powerful foe. To master the English longbow was a labor of years,
requiring far greater skill to use than the crossbow, but it was
much more flexible and formidable, striking fear into French
men-at-arms and cavalry.
This study examines three battles: Sluys (1340), Crécy (1346) and
Poitiers (1356), and shows how the use of the longbow allowed
England's armies to inflict crushing defeats on numerically
superior forces. The longbow changed the shape of war, becoming
the defining weapon of the age and wreaking havoc upon the French
armies that would face it. Featuring full-color artwork, this is
the engrossing story of the first clashes between the English
longbowmen and the crossbowmen of the French king on the bloody
battlefields of the Hundred Years' War.
This study examines three battles: Sluys (1340), Crécy (1346) and
Poitiers (1356), and shows how the use of the longbow allowed
England's armies to inflict crushing defeats on numerically
superior forces. The longbow changed the shape of war, becoming
the defining weapon of the age and wreaking havoc upon the French
armies that would face it. Featuring full-color artwork, this is
the engrossing story of the first clashes between the English
longbowmen and the crossbowmen of the French king on the bloody
battlefields of the Hundred Years' War.