Overview

This is a new edition of a classic book about the history and development of modern warfare. The strategy and tactics of the use of the bow and arrow as a military weapon were the forbears of the missile-based battle methods of today. Remotely launched deadly projectiles, first used in Asia more than 2500 years ago, changed the character of armed conflict world-wide. The importance of the lessons learned and the historic paradigms described by the author should not be underestimated. Arrows Against Steel, the History of the Bow and How It Forever Changed Warfare, is the product of more than forty years of the author's military experience, travel, and research. It places this weapon into its proper historical perspective. The bow and arrow has been the most devastating killer of men in history - greater than the machine gun, the cannon, and even the atomic bomb. Its use throughout history revolutionized warfare and taught the importance of a unified strategy, battle discipline, and mobility. A superior weapon with a deadly range, it triumphed over the thrust-and-parry tactics of earlier battle methods, and gave birth to many modern offensive military strategies such as: - The creation of fear and terror in the enemy military and civilian populations from the continuous expectation of an invisible but anticipated attack; - The element of surprise from attacks by a weapon with long-range deadly capability; - The element of shock from rapidly deployed and highly mobile unexpectedly powerful forces; - The element of awe at the overwhelming and deadly hail of remotely launched missiles; - The destruction of enemy forces in the field rather than the attack of strongholds; - The ability to attack strongholds from remote and safe positions; - The use of fluid military feints to force the enemy to concentrate force at one or more points, weakening other parts of a defensive line; - and the strategic importance of effective and safe supply sources rather than reliance on in-field foraging. Although often ignored, it is difficult to undervalue the strategic and tactical consequences of the history, development, and use of the bow in battle. Modern military weapons are merely technologically advanced remotely launched missiles, still guided by these historic principles. For those interested in the broader question of war and weaponry, a fascinating reflection may be found in Vic Hurley's Arrows Against Steel; The History of the Bow. Nominally a discussion of the role of archery in warfare, this book is in fact a review of important infantry and cavalry tactics over 3000 years of recorded history. A Passchendaele Portrait by Daniel M. Dobkin; w-d-family.com

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