Bowman of Crecy [Hardcover]

Ronald Welch (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (1971)
• ASIN: B000XYHKM4
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The longbow arrives, March 23, 2004

By 

R. Rowan (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bowman of Crecy (Paperback)

Published in 1966, "Bowman of Crecy" is an exciting historical novel set near the start of the Hundred Years' War. Relating Hugh Fletcher's adventures, Ronald Welch explains some of the technical aspects of 14th century archery. Broadhead arrows were used to bring down horses; slimmer 'warheads' could penetrate a knight's body armor.

Welch taught military history. His retelling of the 1346 Battle of Crecy (France) is accurate, down to the carrion crows and the thunderstorm. The longbow revolutionized warfare at Crecy. In five minutes, English and Welsh archers loosed over 30,000 arrows, cutting down 1500 mounted French knights. After this battle, armies placed foot soldiers and archers in the vanguard, with mounted knights to the rear.

Ronald Welch was a terrific storyteller, yet just one of his books remains readily available. See my review of "The Gauntlet" for a list of his other titles. Check your local library.