[Leo Todeschini]

Hi All,

Broadcaster and historian Mike Loades has written a new book for the fantastically useful Osprey Publishing series called simply enough 'The Crossbow'. Tods Workshop supplied lots of pictures of crossbows I have made and during the writing of the book, took part in a number of discussions about the subject.

It deals mainly with medieval European military crossbows with side shoots to discuss interesting developments, such as the latchet and balestrino crossbows.

What is particularly interesting and is not so covered by most texts are the early appearances of the crossbow such as the Gastraphetes and the Arcubalista and then good detail on early wooden crossbows.

Recommended.

Tod

[Jean Thibodeau]

Interesting, I'll keep it on my short list of books to buy. I'm assuming that in addition to good historical research having good reproductions in hand helped the author with technical details and a reasonable idea of the characteristics of crossbows as to power and accuracy, speed in loading etc ......

Some things still hard to reproduce like composite prods because the period makers probably had secrets that are now lost ?

With period steel prods the quality of the steels and the lack of uniformity ( Flaws/Inclusions ) of the steel probably gave different results from a modern steel reproduction ?

I also assume that in period safety would be less a concern so that prods made and used in period might have been closer to the safe limits of the materials: Today you can't risk having a prod " explode '" by being overstressed ?

Maybe prods where tested for safety by overdrawing them and rejecting the ones that failed: Probably the only way in period to " Proof " a prod, and similar in concept to shooting a 17th century breast plate with a horse pistol to proof it ?

i'm mostly speculating above.