The Book of the Crossbow With an Additional Section on Catapults and Other Siege Engines

This fascinating study, the only book devoted exclusively to the crossbow, traces its use as a military and sporting weapon as well as its construction and management in medieval and modern times. The work also covers such related weapons as the balista, catapult, Turkish bow, and more. Over 240 illustrations.

Sir Ralph William Frankland Payne-Gallwey (1848–1916) was an engineer, historian, and artist who wrote many books on military history.

"PART I THE HISTORY OF THE CROSSBOW, WITH NOTES COMPARATIVE ON THE LONGBOW SHORTBOW AND HANDGUN"
I. THE MILITARY CROSSBOW
II. THE SPORTING CROSSBOW
III. THE GENERAL DIMENSIONS OF CROSSBOWS
IV. THE BOLTS USED WITH CROSSBOWS
V. THE RANGE OF THE MEDIÆVAL CROSSBOW AND HOW IT COMPARED IN THIS RESPECT WITH THE LONGBOW
VI. THE SHORTBOW AND LONGBOW IN RELATION TO THE CROSSBOW
VII. THE HANDGUN IN RELATION TO THE CROSSOBOW
VIII. SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDIÆVAL HANDGUN
IX. A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE CROSSBOW
PART II THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CROSSBOWS: MEDIÆVAL
X. "THE PRIMITIVE CROSSBOW, WITH A BOW OF SOLID WOOD WHICH WAS BENT BY MANUAL POWER ONLY"
XI. "THE THIRTEENTH AND FOURTEENTH CENTURY CROSSBOW, WITH A COMPOSITE BOW (OF YEW, HORN AND TENDON) WHICH WAS BENT BY HAND, OR BY A THONG AND PULLEY, OR BY A METAL CLAW ATTACHED TO THE CROSSBOWMAN'S BELT"
XII. HOW THE BOW OF THE PRIMITIVE CROSSBOW WAS ATTACHED TO THE STOCK BY A BRIDLE OF CORD OR SINEW
XIII. HOW THE CROSSBOWMAN PLACED THE BOLT OF HIS CROSSBOW ON THE STOCK OF HIS WEAPON SO AS TO GIVE THE BOLT A FREE LOOSE AND CORRECT FLIGHT
XIV. THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES EMPLOYED IN THE THIRTEENTH AND FOURTEENTH CENTURIES FOR BENDING THE BOWS OF CROSSBOWS WHICH WERE TOO STRONG TO BE BENT BY MANUAL POWER ONLY-THE CORD AND PULLEY
XV. THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES EMPLOYED FOR BENDING THE BOWS OF CROSSBOWS (continued)-THE CLAW AND BELT
XVI. THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES EMPLOYED FOR BENDING THE BOWS OF CROSSBOWS (continued)-THE SCREW AND HANDLE
XVII. THE VARIOUS CONTRIVANCES EMPLOYED FOR BENDING THE BOWS OF CROSSBOWS (continued)-THE GOAT'S-FOOT LEVER
XVIII. "THE FIFTEENTH-CENTURY MILITARY AND SPORTING CROSSBOW, WITH A THICK STEEL BOW WHICH WAS BENT BY A WINDLASS AND ROPES AND DISCHARGED A BOLT"
XIX. "THE CONSTRUCTION OF A POWERFUL CROSS BOW, SUCH AS WAS USED IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY FOR KILLING DEER WITH A HEAVY NON-POISONOUS BOLT-THE STOCK"
XX. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-THE REVOLVING NUT AND ITS SOCKET
XXI. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-THE TRIGGER AND LOCK
XXII. "THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-THE STEEL BOW, THE BOW-IRONS AND THE STIRRUP"
XXIII. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-HOW TO FIX THE BOW TO THE STOCK
XXIV. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-THE GROOVE FOR THE BOLT
XXV. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CORSSBOW (continued)-THE BOW-STRING
XXVI. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-HOW TO FIT THE BOW-STRING TO THE BOW
XXVII. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-THE WINDLASS
XXVIII. "THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSSBOW (continued)-THE BOLT OR QUARREL, AND HOW IT WAS ARRANGED ON THE STOCK OF THE CROSSBOW"
XXIX. THE SLURBOW
XXX. "THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY SPORTING CROSSBOW, WITH A THICK STEEL BOW WHICH WAS BENT BY A CRANEQUIN"
XXXI. "THE CRANEQUIN, AND HOW IT WAS APPLIED TO BEND THE STEEL BOW OF A CROSSBOW"
XXXII. "THE SIXTEENTH AND EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY SPANISH SPORTING CROSSBOW, WITH A STEEL BOW OF MODERATE STRENGTH WHICH WAS BENT BY A CRANEQUIN"
XXXIII. "THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY STONEBOW, WITH A LIGHT STEEL BOW WHICH WAS BENT BY MANUAL POWER ONLY"
XXXIV. "THE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY STONEBOW, WITH A THICKER STEEL BOW WHICH WAS BENT BY A LEVER FIXED IN ITS STOCK"
XXXV. "THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SPORTING AND TARGET CROSSBOW, WITH A LIGHT STEEL BOW WHICH WAS BENT BY A WOODEN LEVER"
XXXVI. THE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY IMPROVED LOCKS WHICH WERE FITTED TO SPORTING AND TARGET CROSSBOWS THAT DISCHARGED BOLTS
PART III THE CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CROSSBOWS-(continued) : MODERN
XXXVII. THE BULLET-SHOOTING CROSSBOW-ENGLISH
XXXVIII. THE BULLET-SHOOTING CROSSBOW-ENGLISH (continued)-THE BASTARD-STRING
XXXIX. THE BULLET-SHOOTING CROSSBOW-ENGLISH (continued)-HOW TO MAKE AND FIT THE BOW-STRING
XL. THE BULLET-SHOOTING CROSSBOW-ENGLISH (continued)-THE LOCK AND THE SIGHTS
XLI. THE LARGE BOLT-SHOOTING CONTINENTAL TARGET CROSSBOW
XLII. THE SMALL BOLT-SHOOTING TARGET CROSSBOW AS NOW USED IN BELGIUM
XLIII. BELGIAN TARGET CROSSBOW (continued)-THE LOCK
XLIV. BELGIAN TARGET CROSSBOW (continued)-THE SIGHTS
XLV. BELGIAN TARGET CROSSBOW (continued)-THE LEVER AND HOW TO USE IT TO BEND THE BOW
XLVI. THE BULLET-SHOOTING TARGET CROSSBOW WITH A BARREL-AS NOW USED IN BELGIUM
XLVII. "THE POPINJAY, WITH NOTES ON THE ANCIENT COMPANIES OF CONTINENTAL CROSSBOWMEN"
XLVIII. THE CROSSBOWMEN OF DRESDEN-PRIVILEGIRTE BOGENSCHUTZEN-GESELLSCHAFT
XLIX. THE CHINESE REPEATING CROSSBOW
L. ARROW-THROWING
PART IV A TREATISE ON THE SIEGE ENGINES USED IN ANCIENT AND MEDIÆVAL TIMES FOR DISCHARGING GREAT STONES AND ARROWS
LI. INTRODUCTORY NOTES ON THE SIEGE ENGINES USED IN ANCIENT AND MEDIÆVAL TIMES FOR DISCHARGING GREAT STONES AND ARROWS
LII. THE ANTIQUITY OF BALISTAS AND CATAPULTS
LIII. THE EFFECTS OF ANCIENT SIEGE ENGINES IN WARFARE
LIV. THE DISTANCES TO WHICH ANCIENT SIEGE ENGINES CAST THEIR PROJECTILES
LV. "THE CATAPULT, ITS CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT"
LVI. "THE CATAPULT, ITS CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT (concluded)"
LVII. "THE BALISTA, ITS CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT"
LVIII. THE TREBUCHET
LIX. THE SPRING ENGINE
INDEX
APPENDIX (separately-paginated)