The Composite Bow

The composite bow is one of the most influential weapons of all time, having a profound impact on human history. An ancient design emerging from Central Asia in the second millennium BCE, the composite bow came to be adopted by a staggering variety of cultures, from nomadic tribal peoples such as the Huns, Turks, and Mongols, to mighty empires such as Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Muslims and Chinese. In this important study, an expert on Eastern military technology tells the story of this extraordinary piece of military hardware; how it was made and how various cultures developed differing tactics for using it.