Release date: October 19, 2010 | Series: Weapon (Book 3)
Osprey’s new Weapon series provides a highly-detailed yet affordable overview of the development, use, and impact of small arms throughout history—from the sword to the machine gun.
Journey back to the time when handguns had no moving parts! Variously called handgonnes, hackbuts, coulevrines, pistolas, schiopettos, tyufyaks, and even bombardelles, the first black powder infantry weapons were extremely crude by today’s standards. In his new book, Sean McLachlan, author of American Civil War Guerilla Tactics, dispels the myth that these weapons were ineffective on the battlefield (beyond their terrifying noise!). Rather, he demonstrates through careful examination of the historical records that the handgonne was a viable weapon from its inception in the early 14th century, even as it saw action side-by-side with the cross-bow.
Readers will be treated to a lush collection of rare photographs and artwork from such far-flung locales as Danish National Museum and the Bayerisches Armeemuseum. Original artwork from Gerry and Sam Embleton illustrate how these weapons were used on the battlefield and reenactor photos demonstrate step-by-step how they were loaded and fired.
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"... this book reveals the true history of what may be the most revolutionary weapon in history. The author uses the latest scientific and historical research to expose the accuracy and the penetrative power of the medieval handgonne. He includes firsthand accounts of battle experiences and a discussion on the impact the handgonnes had upon tactics and the use of armor during the medieval and later periods." -www.mataka.org (November 2010)
"One often wonders about the origin of hand held gunpowder weapons and thanks to this book, author Sean McLachlan carries us back to the early 14th century to tell us the story of those early projectile weapons ... another superb title in Osprey's new Weapons series." - Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness (October 2010)
"This book charts the rise of the 14th century new weapon that used black powder to shoot projectiles ... Military weapons collections will welcome this survey!" -The Midwest Book Review
About the Author
Sean McLachlan is a full-time writer who has previously written American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics for Osprey Publishing as well as a number of magazine articles and books for other publishers on a range of historical subjects. His interest in medieval handgonnes was first fueled by a visit to the Medieval Centre in Denmark where groundbreaking research is currently being undertaken on the subject of medieval technologies.
Sean McLachlan is a former archaeologist who worked for many years on excavations in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Now a full-time writer, he specializes in history and travel. His main historical research interests are medieval weapons and the Civil War west of the Mississippi. For his travel writing, he focuses on historical destinations and adventure travel.
Sean spends much of his time on the road researching and writing. He's traveled to more than 30 countries, interviewing nomads in Somaliland, climbing to clifftop monasteries in Ethiopia, studying Crusader castles in Syria, and exploring caves in his favorite state of Missouri.
Sean is always happy to hear from his readers, so drop him a line!
The development of early artillery is a topic hotly debated by historians. Many questions still remain poorly understood, more so as few researchers have a proper grasp of both the primary sources on the one hand and the chemistry and technology on the other hand to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Since most of the scholarly research has been devoted to heavy artillery you would be hard pressed to find any kind of publication focusing on the handgonne. Sean McLachlan's work attempts to fill this void and the timing is certainly well chosen. Typically for Osprey titles, it is not a heavyweight scholarly analysis but rather an accessible, richly illustrated volume aimed at the general public.
At a first glance, the book covers all the bases one would expect, starting with the invention of gunpowder and ending in the early 16th c. when the matchlock arquebus finally replaced the simple handgonne. However, the text is not without serious flaws though most might not be readily apparent to a casual reader. It is basically a compilation and not based on any serious amount of original research. There are no footnotes and citations but anyone professionally involved in this field of study will be able to tell quite easily where the author was borrowing from.
Sadly, in many cases the information has been »borrowed« a bit too hastily. Overly simplified conclusions have been drawn and on a few occasions the information is flat out wrong. For example, the discussion on the experiments at Graz is based on an inaccurate reading of the German text, resulting in a number of errors. Many of the major conclusions in the book are necessarily flawed as well or at least unconvincing. Also, some of the eqipment depicted on the illustrations is clearly anachronistic, i.e. 17th c. style Ottoman matchlocks and janissary uniforms on a scene from the siege of Constantinople in 1453.
The less than stellar impression is reflected in the photographic material. Though the overall design of the book is quite professional, many of the author's pictures are of inferior quality. They were apparently taken in museums under less than satisfactory lighting conditions. Obtaining proper professional photos of those objects and publishing them with a proper permission of the respective museums would have taken a little more time and effort but the end result would look much better.
As much as I would love to like this book it falls short of its goal and below the usual Osprey standards. It seems to have been something of a rushed effort. Had the author taken more time to do his research and explore some of the issues into more detail the extra work would have paid off. As it is, it looks more like an introductory work written by an enthusiast with limited historical background aimed at the reenactor market.
Fine examination of the first "black powder infantry weapons," as the subtitle for this book has it. This is another volume in Osprey Publishing's "Weapon" series.
The 14th century witnessed the first serious military use of black powder. This book traces the development of black powder weapons through the mid-14th century and the next 150 years or so. These were the precursors to the matchlock arquebus from the late 15th and 16th centuries. The early guns were simple weapons (Page 4), ". . .lit by a slow match held in the hand for want of a trigger and lock." However the guns evolved fairly rapidly. The handgonnes certainly look different from pistols/muskets/rifles that we are used to (e.g., see a drawing of a soldier firing a handgonne on page 5). The handgonne itself is defined as a pre-matchlock hand held black powder weapon.
The book begins with a discussion of the development of black powder and the military revolution that it set off. Cannons developed early, using powder to throw a variety of weapons ahead (including arrows!). The process of making gunpowder is discussed, as well as the variety of powders actually used. Given the increased use of cannons, why were handgonnes developed at all? It appears that when handgonnes were paired with the bow and arrow, one had a pretty effective multiple weapon formation. And the technology for making gunpowder improved the quality and capability of firepower.
Three different types of handgonnes were deployed in combat--from fairly simple to considerably more complex. An actual example of a surviving handgonne as well as a depiction of these weapons being used in combat on pages 30-31 and 37 help illustrate the look of these weapons. The book also discussed the use of handgonnes in various wars (e.g., The Wars of the Roses). By the second half of the 15th century, handgonnes had become widely adopted.
The book concludes with an effort to determine the actual combat value of the handgonne. Useful is the report of results of tests using handgonnes by contemporary researchers to determine what value it might have had in combat.
I knew nothing about the handgonne until I read this slender volume. However, this book packs a lot of information in 78 pages. If interested in a brief introduction to the handgonne, this is a good place to start.
MEDIEVAL HANDGONNES: THE FIRST BLACK POWDER INFANTRY WEAPONS joins others in Osprey's new 'weapons' series to provide a review of the impact of small arms in military service. This book charts the rise of the 14th century new weapon that used black powder to shoot projectiles. The weapon's successful use in the field lead to the development of mobile troops and the first handgonnes offered accuracy and new strategic power. Military weapons collections will welcome this survey!
