[SCA-AS] New Archery Books by Hugh Soar, Hon. Sec. Society of Archer-Antiquaries

[mmagnusol]

Please note the special relevance of the first 
book to what we do.
It is based on the Mary Rose surviving examples.
The chapter in the Hardy Longbow book was good, 
but this is
much better.

Soar, Hugh D. H.; Joseph Gibbs, Christopher Jury, 
Mark Stretton:
Secrets of the English War Bow; Westholme 
Publishing Llc, 2006;
Hardcover - Sewn binding. Paper over boards. 	With 
dust jacket.
245 p. with Illustrations. ISBN 1594160252  $26.60
	"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, the sole surviving 
examples of this fearsome
weapon—the military version of the longbow—are 
those recovered
from the Tudor warship Mary Rose. 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, arrowsmith,
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.
   About the Author:
   Hugh D. H. Soar has written extensively about 
the longbow, including
the best-selling The Crooked Stick: A History of 
the Longbow, also
available from Westholme Publishing. Mark 
Stretton, master blacksmith,
  holds the world’s record for heaviest 	longbow 
shot. Joseph Gibbs is a
talented bowyer who specializes in creating the 
replica war bow.
  Written in English   Amazon $26.60 - eligible 
for free shipping.
'
Soar, Hugh H. D.:  The Crooked Stick: A History of 
the Longbow
(Weapons in History); 	Publisher: Westholme 
Publishing [United States],
Hardcover, ISBN: 1594160023,  Amazon $17.47 
October 2004.

He also has another book that is new but I could 
only find it in England
on Amazon.co.uk and the shipping is more expensive:

Soar, Hugh D. H.: Of Bowmen and Battles; 
Publisher: The Glade, 2003;
Paperback: 230 pages, 	ISBN 0951764519.  New. 
Amazon.co.uk 	
	£13.98 + Postage & Packing: £6.98 = Total: £20.96

Anyone wishing to join the Society of 
Archer-Antiquaries outside the
U.K. I can put in touch with Hugh.  It is possible 
to cheaply transfer membership
funds through PayPal if you have that.  They would 
like more international
members.  It costs £20 per year and there is an 
annual journal and several
smaller newsletter publications that also includes 
archery news and small
articles.

Master Magnus
Great Barony of Windmasters' Hill, Adria, the 
Manx, GDH, Soc. of Archer-Antiquaires