3 comments about Backyard Catapults: How to Build Your Own.

1. Bill Wilson is no newcomer to catapults - nor to writing about them. His first book on the topic provided many insights: Backyard Catapults: How To Built Your Own offers even more, from photos of the building process updated by more recent plans and ideas to catapult websites and contests around the country. Packed with black and white photos and diagrams, Backyard Catapults is a must for any interested in the topic.



2. This short little book of about 80 pages lists instructions for building 3 devices. An onager, a Trebuchet, and a ballista. These are full size machines, all of which you build on the base of a wood pallet,THe first 19 pages are on the history of catapults.



3. There are so many good catapults in this book! My favorite is the pocket catapult, which is surprisingly strong. Not deadly, but pretty good. I also never knew you could make a catapult out of ham. I use mine to play skeet.

2 comments about The Practical Guide to Man-Powered Bullets: Catapults, Crossbows, Blowguns, Bullet-Bows and Airguns.

1. If, like me, you are an unapologetic fan of human-powered projectile launchers: airguns, blowguns, slingshots, bows - you will enjoy the heck out of Richard Middleton's The Practical Guide to Man-Powered Bullets.
   
   At almost every page, I found myself going "Aha!" because Middleton writes in such an entertaining and educational way, presenting both theory and practice, unexpected bits of information, experiments you can do yourself, and a lot else besides.
   
   The are 12 chapters in all, including two on crossbows, one on catapults (slingshots), one of blowpipes (blowguns), four on airguns (high pressure and low pressure, both practical and theoretical), and others on compound bows, velocity measurement, and ammunition.
   
   I found this book a delight to read, and a treat for the "big kid" in me. Highly recommended.



2. This is not a simple 'how-to', this is graduate level discussion of all manner of implements for launching projectiles without combustion. In short, a priceless resource for the engineering of these implements, but rather daunting for someone without a technical background.
   
   With patience and care, it can be a rewarding book for anyone interesting in things like catapults and crossbows, and has some great ideas for the do-it-yourselfers out their.
   
   E.M. Van Court

No comments about CATAPULT AIRCRAFT: Seaplanes That Flew From Ships Without Flight Decks.

1 comments about Ancient Warfare: From Clubs to Catapults (Ancient Technology).

1. This book is designed to be an introduction to the technology of warfare in ancient times, for young readers. It covers everything from sticks and stones to Roman siege artillery, with many colorful pictures. Although it is too general and lacking in details to be useful for any school project, it's colorful presentation is bound to please youngsters.

   I give this book a guarded recommendation.

No comments about The crossbow, mediaeval and modern, military and sporting, its construction, history & management with a treatise on balista and catapult of the ancients, ... on the catapult, balista & the Turkish bow.

5 comments about The Book of the Crossbow: With an Additional Section on Catapults and Other Siege Engines.

1. The all-time bestseller with a first edition as far back as 1903, later to appear with the 1907 appendix, was written by an amateur (in the true sense of the word) of archery who apparently had an unlimited source of money and time, but only modest background in physics. Along with the history of the crossbow, detailed accounts of the construction and maintenance of various crossbows designed for bolts and bullets are given. Related and/or relevant medieval weapon, like longbow, ballista and arquebus, are also treated in some detail, and the 1907 appendix on turkish bows serves to give a most interesting contrast to european archery of the epoch. When it comes to performance and comparison of the variety of weapon described, maximum range and -sometimes- draw force is the only information given, whereas obvious ballistic terms like exit velocity, time-of-flight and air resistance are conspicuously absent. Some self-evident details of construction or handling, clearly vi! sualized by the illustrations, are too often spelled out in full, while more obscure mechanisms of elaborate trigger systems, which would benefit from a whole lot more detailed explanation, are treated casually. This said, it must be stressed that on the whole it IS a very fine piece of work, made by a historian rather than an engineer, a book without a match for almost a century, and certainly well worth recommending.



2. This book is an interesting look at crossbows and siege engines, with lots of useful info for the DIY armourer. It's weakness is that it's written at the beginning of the century, and a little dated, both in writing style and content. I.e. modern materials are quite naturally not covered. It's strong points are the excellent drawings and illustrations. Highly recomennded overall.



3. This book was hugely helpful for me. The crossbow are explained in a clear, concise way, and the siege engine plans are easy to understand and work with. Thanks to the diagrams in this book, I am now in possesion of a medium military crossbow (with a draw weight of somewhere around 100 pounds,) a chu-ku-nu, or Chinese repeating crossbow, and a "Spring engine," as detailed by the author (all of them where comletely homemade). I'd recommend this book for anyone interested in crossbows or siege machinery, as well as anyone with an interest in weaponry.



4. This is one of the better crossbow books I've found. If you enjoyed this, you'll definitely want to pick up the 2007 version of The Crossbow by Ralph Payne Gallwey.



5. Any work on crossbows, or any work on the history of arms that includes crossbows will have this book in the bibliography. So if you're studying crossbows, the impact of crossbows on history and society, seige weapons, the evolution of projectile weapons, or any related topic, start here.
   
   Section I, history; Arguably the weakest section of the book, as new manuscripts have turned up and reconstructive work has been done. Still, it is a solid foundation to the military and civil (and uncivil in the case of poaching) history of crossbows. There is also a discussion of the first firearms. Note also that most modern reconstructions cite original crossbows in museums and private collections, and this book.
   
   Section II, construction and management of crossbows through the sixteenth century; wherein several crossbows from the eleventh century through the sixteenth century. Payne-Gallway meticulously details construction of the stock, lockwork, prod, string, and accessories. And he then gets into how to use the crossbows. This is an exhaustive discussion of all aspects of making and using the discussed crossbows, and provides more than enough detail to do this at home (although it lacks the caveats about "Don't do this at home, you'll put an eye out"). No kidding. Follow Payne-Gallway's directions, and you will have a serious crossbow, that could put a quarrel through an engine block.
   
   Section III, construction and management of crossbows nineteenth and early twentieth century (and some odds and ends); This section gets into sporting crossbows as made and used prior to the development of fiberglass and composites. The odds and ends are the best part. A Chinese repeating crossbow, bullet shooting crossbows, and arrow throwing are some of the best parts of the book.
   
   Section IV, seige engines; Heavy ordnance! Trebuchets, and catapults, and ballistas, oh my! These would make excellent directions for a model builder or someone with a grander vision.
   
   In the addenda, there are more seige engines and a discussion of Turkish bows.
   
   This is an inspirational book. Payne-Gallway details all manner of awesome toys for responsible adults, and provides a robust foundation for reseach into a wide range of topics.
   
   This book is, however, not for people who are inclined to say "Watch this!", or can't be trusted to handle lethal impliments. Do not launch automobiles from a trebuchet without a safe impact area and emptying the gas tank. Crossbows were tools of war, and can kill. Kids; don't do this at home.
   
   I loved this book. I've used it extensively in historical research and projects, and personally find it very engaging.
   
   E.M. Van Court

1 comments about Sabers, Spears, & Catapults: A Providential History of Warfare Technology.

1. I found this audio CD by Vision Forum a little advanced and I had a little difficulty following along with the lecture-style teaching, but I discovered that it was simply my lack of knowledge rather than a fault in the content of the CDs. My ten-year-old son is very much into history, war, the dynamics of weapons and weaponry, etc. He has listened to the CDs several times and he thoroughly enjoys them even though they are really more like lectures.
   
   This set would be incredibly useful for anyone in any school setting wanting to supplement history curriculum with a study of war, weapons, strategic development, etc. It's always great to find materials that target boys specifically, too.
   
   So overall, it retains the interest of my son, it's educational, I don't have to worry about "bad" material from Vision Forum... This definitely has my stamp of approval.
   
   Sonya Haskins, author of Homeschooling for the Rest of Us: How Your One-of-a-Kind Family Can Make Homeschooling and Real Life Work

5 comments about The Crossbow: Its Military and Sporting History, Construction and Use.

1. This book has everything you would want to ever possibly know about the crossbow: history, construction, evolution, the modern use of. The illustrations really help to show how the crossbow has changed over the centuries. This is a great look into the past and present.



2. Any work on crossbows, or any work on the history of arms that includes crossbows will have this book in the bibliography. So if you're studying crossbows, the impact of crossbows on history and society, seige weapons, the evolution of projectile weapons, or any related topic, start here.
   
   Section I, history; Arguably the weakest section of the book, as new manuscripts have turned up and reconstructive work has been done. Still, it is a solid foundation to the military and civil (and uncivil in the case of poaching) history of crossbows. There is also a discussion of the first firearms. Note also that most modern reconstructions cite original crossbows in museums and private collections, and this book.
   
   Section II, construction and management of crossbows through the sixteenth century; wherein several crossbows from the eleventh century through the sixteenth century. Payne-Gallway meticulously details construction of the stock, lockwork, prod, string, and accessories. And he then gets into how to use the crossbows. This is an exhaustive discussion of all aspects of making and using the discussed crossbows, and provides more than enough detail to do this at home (although it lacks the caveats about "Don't do this at home, you'll put an eye out"). No kidding. Follow Payne-Gallway's directions, and you will have a serious crossbow, that could put a quarrel through an engine block.
   
   Section III, construction and management of crossbows nineteenth and early twentieth century (and some odds and ends); This section gets into sporting crossbows as made and used prior to the development of fiberglass and composites. The odds and ends are the best part. A Chinese repeating crossbow, bullet shooting crossbows, and arrow throwing are some of the best parts of the book.
   
   Section IV, seige engines; Heavy ordnance! Trebuchets, and catapults, and ballistas, oh my! These would make excellent directions for a model builder or someone with a grander vision.
   
   In the addenda, there are more seige engines and a discussion of Turkish bows.
   
   This is an inspirational book. Payne-Gallway details all manner of awesome toys for responsible adults, and provides a robust foundation for reseach into a wide range of topics.
   
   This book is, however, not for people who are inclined to say "Watch this!", or can't be trusted to handle lethal impliments. Do not launch automobiles from a trebuchet without a safe impact area and emptying the gas tank. Crossbows were tools of war, and can kill. Kids; don't do this at home.
   
   I loved this book. I've used it extensively in historical research and projects, and personally find it very engaging.
   
   E.M. Van Court



3. Within the 5 mins of browsing through the book I was hooked! I couldn't put this bad boy down even to go to the restroom! This IS a COMPLETED WORK! GET IT!
   
   ask yourself this
   
   Do I want to learn anything about crossbows? or everything?
   
   If you answered yes to either of those, then this is the perfect book.



4. Skip the other books and choose this one. This book will give you a solid understanding of the crossbow and it's history. This book can be a wee bit dry, but it's technical drawings and solid information more than make up for that. If you have an interest in crossbows and/or in the the military history and applications of this fascinating weapon, well then this is the book for you!



5. The author of this book was clearly a very knowledgeable man on the subject of crossbows. I have a great interest in ancient weapons and consequently a large collection of books and videos. This is without a doubt one of the best books in my entire library. With a little side research I was able to confirm enough of the facts stated in the book to trust the author.
   
   The only downside (and a very small one at that) is that the instructions on construction and care can be confusing to anyone who is not familiar with cordage, metal working, carving, or mechanics. This slight handicap can easily be overcome with a little research into the specified area. All in all a wonderful book for anything from historical reference to making or maintaining your own crossbow. I highly recomend this as a must have book for anybody interested in history or weaponry.

3 comments about The Practical Guide to Man-Powered Weapons and Ammunition: Experiments with Catapults, Musketballs, Stonebows, Blowpipes, Big Airguns, and Bulletbows.

1. Ed McGivern has really created a great book on shooting here. Whether you are a new gunslinger, or experienced marksman, there is something for everybody in here. He is historically one of the best known shooters, and gives an entertaining glimpse into all of his experimentations in shooting.



2. This book was actually written by Richard Middleton and was first published in England. Stackpole published the first American edition in 2006 under the title "The Practical Guide to Man-Powered Bullets". The book was recently reissued by Skyhorse Publishing. It's a very good book. The first review appears to have been written by the publisher, as all of his other reviews are of Skyhorse books. Despite this, it's really a great book, but the emphasis is on tension and gas weapons, not "musketballs". Great treatment of stone and pellet bows, slingshots, and homemade airguns.



3. I don't remember having so much fun reading a book as this one. While the author is much better at math than I ever hope to be, his line of thought is so similar to that of any boy who has played with these toys ( so loved by every male child from the cradle to the grave), that you are drawn into a conspiracy with him to make it " shoot harder', "shoot farther", just better than the last one you made! The underlying humor, is obvious to anyone who's done such experiments.

4 comments about Catapult Design, Construction and Competition with the Projectile Throwing Engines of the Ancients.

1. If you've ever wondered how to build a catapult or trebuchet, or wondered what you'd do with it once you've built one, then this book can help. Filled with anecdotes, plans, photographs, drawings and detailed descriptions of the workings and history of all the major types of catapults, these pages will help you get started in this fascinating hobby. You too will feel the joy of harnessing the power and energy of simple and ancient machines.
   
   Those who involve themselves with a catapult project invariably find within themselves the enthusiasm, lit by a private spark of wonder, to participate meaningfully in the work. Almost at once and without planning, the task draws participants into a mature collaboration many have never known before. Here is a project that teaches one how to learn-- not to parrot, but to generate knowledge. Catapultors discover that they are collecting real information concerning a phenomenon about which very few people in the world know anything.
   
   It's easy to design a simple catapult with modern tools and materials, but when you constrain the project to use only tools and materials available from a thousand years ago, and require that machine to compete with modern equivalents, then you start to see a lot of creativity sprout up. It's a puzzle, a challenge that inspires people to learn and it generates new respect for the ancients and their ingenuity.
   
   The ancients had limited power and resources available, and had to concern themselves with efficiency and clever applications of leverage and other basic principles of physics. Helping kids to learn how they did these things in the Medieval world also helps those kids compete in today's world by inspiring them to be more creative and do more with our limited resources.
   
   Catapult Design, Construction and Competition is a truly unique book that describes all types of catapults, including tension bow powered machines, ballistae, onagers and mangonels, and of course, trebuchets! There are a multitude of photographs, including some truly large machines that can hurl 100 lb. missiles! But there's more than just pictures. Schematics are included for four record setting machines, and detailed descriptions of their construction too.
   
   This book also includes the results of early catapult and trebuchet competitions, and the rules and regulations for holding your own competitions. Including the definition of what is a catapult, safety, classes and categories of machines, judging, registering results, and lots of other details.
   
   Also included in this volume is The Projectile Throwing Engines of the Ancients. This is one of the most important books in the history of hurling. Written by Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey in 1907, it's the first serious work on the ancient catapults to be written in modern times.
   
   In this book, Sir Ralph explores the ancient writings of seiges and their artillery. Not content to take the writings at face value, he endeavors to assign credibility to the writer, and then go on to produce his own working versions of the ancient machines to test the principles and the claims of the ancient writers.
   
   Containing forty-four pages with over 22 illustrations, this section gives details about the design, construction and operation of the three fundamental types of siege engines- the Catapult (also known as the Mangonel or Onager), the Balista (Ballista) and the Trebuchet, as well as the history and effects of such weapons.



2. My son and I are using a design from this book as a basis for a ballista we intend to enter in the Punkin Chunkin contest. The book appears to be designs entered in a contest during the 1970s where the object was to toss a one pound bolt. That is a far cry from a pumpkin. Still it has good ideas although many are more geared to school projects rather than fathers and sons playing with power tools in the garage.



3. If you are interested in this book because you think it will give you useful plans or instruction or hints on building a trebuchet DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Everything about the book is executed poorly. I have built 2 competition winning pumpkin trebuchets and thought the book would have some tips I could use to maximize distance, take it up a notch. The publisher certainly makes it seem this is a definitive look at seige engines and how to build them.
   What you have here is a collection of really bad 1970's pictures of people and their hurling machines and pages upon pages of results of compitions held decades ago, simply listing distances acheived by folks.
   The book is touted as a primer for the construction of seige engines but I was hard pressed to find any examples of triggering mechanisms one could employ or practical tips on building the counterweight or sling length ratios that work well.
   As far as the "Historical" look into seige engines, they consist of a a couple of commonly seen woodblock prints that are of no significance.
   
   If you are looking to make a trebuchet you will find much much much more information on google looking for pictures, plans, hints,discussion groups,youtube videos of working machines. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK it is a real stinker.



4. This book looked like it was done on a typewriter and appeared disjointed. Bought it as a Christmas gift for my brother, so was disappointed. My brother didn't like it very much, saying it was a bunch of articles from the author "thrown together and not well written." He also says the book doesn't really cover the basics and fails to build on it very well. Spend your hard earned money on another book on this topic.