The Medieval Archer

This should really have been called "The Medieval English Archer", but given that restriction in scope, it's pretty good, albeit its age (originally published in 1985) is showing in some respects.

Bradbury has two main theses he's pushing: that there was nothing particularly new about the English longbow or longbowman in the Hundred Years' War era, rather it was a natural and gradual evolution of the technology and tactics of the preceeding centuries; and that, contra the consensus when he was writing, longbowmen were not deployed in triangular herces along the battleline, but normally massed on the flanks.

Bradbury's book examines the use of the bow in the Middle Ages. He does not confine himself to examining the romantic longbow of Robin Hood and Agincourt fame. However, in his study of the longbow he does question the Burne interpretation of how longbowmen were deployed in English armies. This is an important, ground-breaking book.

This is a semi-popular history of medieval archery, primarily military archery, primarily in England. Since there are lot a lot of other specialist studies on the subject, it is useful. Chapters are the archer and his weapons, archery at Hastings, from Hastings to Lincoln on foot, Robin Hood, the advent of the longbow, the triumph of the long bow, Agincourt, the last years of the military archer, and the archer in society. Aside from the discussion of Robin Hood, the main emphasis is on the famous battles on by English longbowmen.