The Crossbow

“I really appreciated the structure that Mike Loades utilized, starting with the individual components and accessories that really covered a broad range of crossbow utility. I found the section on the use of the Chinese repeating crossbow quite interesting. Essentially a short range defensive weapon, it was light enough that even a woman had enough strength to operate it. It used a large lever to draw the string back to allow a bolt from the magazine to drop into position. A low cost weapon, it typically carried ten bolts, although some variants carried up to 15 bolts. Variants of this repeater could fire two bolts simultaneously and remained in use in China into the 1950s.” –IPMS / USA

Mike Loades is a respected author, broadcaster, director and action arranger who has made numerous television appearances as a historical weapons expert and military historian. He is the author of Swords and Swordsmen (2010), The Longbow (2013) and The Composite Bow (2016). He lives in California.

Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. He lives in the UK.