The Longbow has received yet another great 5-star review on Amazon UK. Many thanks to William Spencer for. The following: “I found this book an excellent and very easy read. Mike Loades explains everything in easy to understand terms and validates much of the facts and information the book contains. I particularly enjoyed reading his views on some of the historical facts. I read the book very quickly as I found it difficult to put down, its due a second reading as soon as I finish the book I am currently enjoying..” Given that I am always very quick to trumpet the news of a great review for one of my books, it seems only right that I should also let you know when I get a bad one. These are only to be expected when one writes about topics that so many people hold such very fixed opinions about. I have just received an appalling review for The Longbow on Amazon US. This one niggle is dwarfed by the 14 other good ones it has received here and the 16 good ones it has received on Amazon UK. However here it is – from Larry K. He gives it 3 stars and writes: “This is a typical amateur work of history-- narrow-minded, iconoclastic, anachronistic, unscientific and elevating tooth-sucking amateurishness over long-established scholarship and common sense. The experiments mentioned are nothing of the kind--they lack controls--but only the experiences of hobbyists. Loades special pleading claims about no volley fire or no armor piercing are contrary to actual Mediaeval accounts, other re-enactments and many qualified scholars. The book contains enough useful information to be worth a read.” I consider it fruitless to enter into debates about the merits or otherwise of ideas I have expounded in the book – that is why I wrote the book, the ideas are set out and explained and given context and qualification there. Mr K is, of course, entitled to his opinions but I strongly refute the charge of tooth-sucking – I do not suck my teeth. amazon.co.uk/The-Longbow-Weapon-Mike-Loades/dp/1782000852/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 16:36:41 +0000