Toxophilus -The School Of Shooting (History of Archery Series) Roger Ascham This work comprises of two books combined together: The First Book of the School of Shooting and The Second Book of the School of Shooting. They are written in the form of a dialogue between Toxophilus 'A lover of the bow' and Philogus 'A lover of learning'. In the discussion Toxophilus justifies his love of archery as a pastime, puts forward his reasons for retaining the bow as a weapon of war instead of the newly favoured hand gun, and he gives practical instructions on the technique of shooting in the bow. Contents Include - Chronicle of the life, Works, and Times of Roger - Ascham - Apologia - The Royal Arms - Dedication to the King Henry VIII - To All Gentlemen and Yeoman of England - The First Book Of The School Of Shooting- The Second Book Of The School Of Shooting - The Table Of Contents Of The First Book Of The School Of Shooting - The Table Of The Second Book Of The School Of Shooting - Glossary of Old Words - Imprints of the first two editions of Toxophilus - Originally published in 1544. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

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.