12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Build it and they will come, January 16, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Build a Catapult in Your Backyard (Pirates Business) (Paperback)
A friend and I built a catapult using this book as a guide. We couldn't find a garage door spring, but we found a good spring at the local hardware store. This thing is a kick. We have tosses in her (very large) backyard and make bets on how far we can get things to go. We've tossed paper mache people, pillows, potatos, bags of chips and a watermellon (to see what would happen). We didn't have any trouble with the instructions and I can attest to the fact that it works. Her kids bring their friends over to have tosses too. There is something appealing about a catapult that is just too fun. I wish the book was longer but it says what it needs to--so I guess it doesn't need to be longer. Loompanics sent it the same day I asked for it. 8003802230 no hassle.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Concise guide to a world of fun, July 15, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Build a Catapult in Your Backyard (Pirates Business) (Paperback)
First off: if you're not serious about actually building a catapult you won't enjoy this book. It is what the title says: a guide to building a modern version of an ancient weapon. It isn't unneccesarily padded with mindless verbage, it simply does what it's supposed to do. Also, be warned: it doesn't try to show you how the Romans built a catapult; it shows you how the author did it. Historical "purists" should pass this one by.
By reading it, you will gain a working knowledge of the history of mechanical artillery. You will also learn how to build a simple, fun, safe device that can, for example, toss a standard sized masonry brick app. one hundred yards. The supplies are easily obtaained at any building store such as Lowe's, etc., and the cost is quite reasonable. The photos are clear and the text easy to read. The author is an offbeat, whimsical person by nature, and that comes through in his writing style. Bottom line: it is short and concise, and it packs a helluva lot of information into its pages. Highly recommended for those who want to build a fun project.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
FBI Watch List, February 21, 2011
This review is from: Build a Catapult in Your Backyard (Pirates Business) (Paperback)
I still enjoy showing my students how this book got me on the FBI watch list! This book has ads for other publications in the back. My favorite is "Waging War from Canada." CLASSIC!
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