Medieval Siege Weapons (2): "Byzantium, the Islamic World & India AD 476-1526" (New Vanguard) (Pt. 2) (Paperback)

~ David Nicolle (Author), Sam Thompson (Illustrator) "In the medieval Middle East it was widely said that 'Nimrod the King of Babylon' was the first person to construct a stone-throwing mangonel, and..." (more)
Key Phrases: great crossbows, twisted skeins, siege weapons, Middle East, Byzantine Empire, Middle Ages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The medieval period was one of the most inventive in military history when it came to non-gunpowder machine development. During this period, the pre-existing military-technological traditions from the ancient worlds were brought together. Three civilisations; Graeco-Roman World, Persia, India, and China, were primarily responsible for this evolution – the Late-Roman or Byzantine Empire, the Islamic World, and latterly the Mongol ‘World Empire’. This book examines the resulting stone-throwing machines that used assorted power sources from torsion ‘energy storage’ systems, to manpowered and counterbalance sling devices, rockets et al.

From the Publisher

The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841764590
• ISBN-13: 978-1841764597
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #120,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Short by even Osprey's minimal standards, March 13, 2009

By	Lucas Mcmahon (Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Perhaps calling this a "book" is a little too generous. "Pamphlet" is perhaps slightly more accurate. The information in the 'book' is generally well-balanced between Byzantium and the Islamic world, with a good focus on Greek fire and other incendiaries which comprised a larger part of the siege retinue in the east than in the west. The book says that it also covers India, but this is largely neglected, although there is a short section on northern Europe and their siegecraft. As is typical with many an Osprey book, it is extremely well illustrated. However, in this work, many of the colour illustrations are all the wrong ones. There are a good number of manuscript pictures in this little book, and some are in colour in their original form, but none of those colours have been preserved. I'd much rather have that than some recreations by Osprey's artists.

3 stars for being short even by Osprey standards, a hefty price for such a tiny thing, and some poor choices in what plates were produced in colour.

4.0 out of 5 stars Fenomenales armas Bizantinas, July 12, 2005

By	Ingeniator (Colima, México) - See all my reviews

Excelente información sobre las armas bizantinas, islámicas e indias, aunque desde mi punto de vista, faltaron algunas armas bizantinas y más información en dibujos.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval Siege Weapons, February 23, 2007

By	Benjamin E. Holmes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Overall a good book.
I had hoped it would be more of an instruction guide to build your own.
It still does cover the basics, with resonable diagrams