[Archers] Hugh Soar's CROOKED STICK

[Jessica Mulligan]

We received this book for Christmas from a friend.  I thought the steel bows, and steel strings (?!) were interesting and that picture of the finger tab stood out right away.  I haven't had a chance to read the whole thing yet, mainly just skimmed and read sections here and there, along with the appendix, but I think it will be a good addition to our library.
 
Sanada Katsumi
aka Jess


________________________________
From: Garth Groff <ggg9y at virginia.edu>
To: archers at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org 
Sent: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 9:07 AM
Subject: [Archers] Hugh Soar's CROOKED STICK

Noble friends of the bow,

Just before Christmas I stumbled on a gently used copy of Hugh Soar's THE CROOKED STOCK (Westholm, 2005 & 2009). This is an archery book of which I had never heard, though I have two other works by Soar (I ought to have read the blurbs on their dust jackets). Anyway, I snatched it up for just $20.

This is really a great book. It is not particularly long or deep, but Soar explores a number of medieval archery topics that are not well covered in other works (including his own two books on the warbow). For example, he devotes a few pages in one chapter on medieval children's archery, and shows us a youngster's finger tab (which looks surprisingly modern). He also notes several times that left-handed archers ("sinistrals") were not tolerated, and if they couldn't adapt would not be allowed in retinues. The book continues discussing the changing post-medieval fortunes of archery in general, and the longbow in particular, almost up to the present. There are many photos of beautiful 18th and 19th century sport longbows in the author's own collection, usually with detailed descriptions. He also covers the brief craze for steel bows. Soar even shows us one longbow which belong to the fabled Olympic archer and soldier "Mad Jack" Churchill (he's in
 Wikipedia), who potted a German soldier with a hunting arrow during the retreat to Dunkirk (though Soar doesn't say this is THE infamous bow). The appendix also discusses such side issues as the history of bracers and quivers.

Altogether, I think this book is a very valuable work, and fills in some important gaps in the history of English archery. I urge you all to read it sometime, even the modern sections. It should be easily available through interlibrary loan.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Shire of Isenfir TA Marshal
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