Traditional Archery from Six Continents: The Charles E. Grayson Collection (Hardcover)

~ Charles E. Grayson; Mary French; Michael J. O'Brien (Author), Photographs by Daniel S. Glover (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: self nocks, sinew reinforcement, recreational archery, North America, South America, Possibly Persian (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

As a major hunting tool and weapon, the bow changed human history around the world, and its diverse forms reflect the cultures that adopted it. This book presents color photographs and descriptions of some three hundred items, including quivers, thumb rings, and more, from the Charles E. Grayson Archery Collection. The artifacts are organized by region, taking in equipment from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Europe used over the last five hundred years. The introduction provides an overview of traditional archery and its nomenclature, and chapter essays situate the items in their historical, cultural, and technological contexts. Plate descriptions note materials, construction methods, dimensions, and temporal and cultural affiliations. This first wide-ranging survey of European and non-European archery equipment will be the standard reference work in the study of archery.

About the Author

Charles E. Grayson is a physician who has studied archery as a historian, bowyer, and hunter. Now retired, he lives in Clatskanie, Oregon, and continues to participate in archery competitions. Mary French is Cultural Resources Coordinator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Michael J. O Brien is Professor of Anthropology and Dean of the College of Arts and Science at theUniversity of Missouri Columbia. Daniel S. Glover is Associate Museum Curator at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Missouri Columbia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri Press (October 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826217516
• ISBN-13: 978-0826217516
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #418,056 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traditional Archery: the Life Work of Charles E. Grayson, October 24, 2007

By	Christopher Bergman (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This volume provides an overview of the world-class Charles E. Grayson collection of archery equipment, housed at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Traditional Archery is an important guide to the diversity of bows, arrows and other related paraphernalia used by ancient and modern cultures across the globe. This work will become a standard reference on the subject, taking a rightful place alongside other classic studies such as Mason's 1893 North American Bows, Arrows and Quivers, Heath's 1971 The Grey Goose Wing, and Hamilton's 1982 Native American Bows, for example.

Traditional Archery is well-written, providing information on the nomenclature and technology of bows and arrows, as well as region-specific discussions of equipment from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. The photographs complementing the text are superb, providing the reader with representative examples from the Grayson collection. Additional illustrative materials include photographs, drawings, and paintings showing archery equipment in use in a variety of settings such as hunting and warfare.

The value of this book lies in the presentation of a large amount of information in a manner that is accessible to the general reader, but is also detailed enough for scholars researching the prehistoric and historic manufacture and use of archery equipment. Dr. Grayson is an outstanding authority on the subject, having studied archery in all its aspects as a historian, bowyer, and hunter. His background, along with the breadth of the collection he amassed over many decades, makes Traditional Archery a unique contribution.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars traditional archery, January 7, 2008

By	Beverly Chrisman "Kehau" (Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bert Grayson has incredible knowledge on this subject, and we are so happy that someone has taken the time to put this all in a book that can be shared with others instead of sitting in a room in Missouri. Awesome, informative...a must for anyone who loves archery through the ages!

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Illustrated Book!- Loved It., December 12, 2007

By	BookWoman/BookMan TV REVIEWS (Nashville, Tn United States) - See all my reviews

Did you know that the bow was used for both hunting food and as a weapon? Traditional Archery is a beautifully illustrated book about how archery shaped civilization for many centuries.