The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, And More Ancient Artillery
 Calling all pumpkin chuckers, wannabe marauders, and tinkerers of all ages! Flinging things and playing at defending your own castle has never been more fun.
     Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults.
     Updated and improved instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build 10 authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction.
     The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier Jon Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle. For the legions of Tolkien fans, budding backyard warriors, and engineering wizards, this book is a must-have.
 
1111516435
The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, And More Ancient Artillery
 Calling all pumpkin chuckers, wannabe marauders, and tinkerers of all ages! Flinging things and playing at defending your own castle has never been more fun.
     Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults.
     Updated and improved instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build 10 authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction.
     The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier Jon Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle. For the legions of Tolkien fans, budding backyard warriors, and engineering wizards, this book is a must-have.
 
16.99 In Stock
The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, And More Ancient Artillery

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, And More Ancient Artillery

by William Gurstelle
The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, And More Ancient Artillery

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, And More Ancient Artillery

by William Gurstelle

Paperback(Second edition)

$16.99 
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Overview

 Calling all pumpkin chuckers, wannabe marauders, and tinkerers of all ages! Flinging things and playing at defending your own castle has never been more fun.
     Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults.
     Updated and improved instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build 10 authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction.
     The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier Jon Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle. For the legions of Tolkien fans, budding backyard warriors, and engineering wizards, this book is a must-have.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780912777337
Publisher: Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date: 07/01/2018
Edition description: Second edition
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range: 10 - 18 Years

About the Author

William Gurstelle is a professional engineer who has been building model catapults and ballistic devices for more than 30 years. He is also a contributing editor at Popular Science, a columnist for Make magazine, and a frequent contributor to the AtlanticMaximWired, and other national magazines.

Table of Contents

Time Line vii

Introduction: The Days Before Gunpowder ix

1 Always Be Careful 1

2 The Science of Siege 5

3 Catapults Around the World 17

Wild Donkey: An Onager Catapult 27

Viking Catapult 35

4 Shooting Snakes in a Barrel: The Catapults of Alexander the Great 43

Alexander's Artillery: The Macedonian Ballista 53

The Slings of the Ancients 62

A Ballearic Hand Sling 62

A Thracian Staff Sling 65

5 To the Last Man: Jotapata 67

The Magnet-Powered Onager 68

6 A Black Flag Flies Over Acre: Saladin, Richard, and the Third Crusade 73

God's Stone Thrower: A Traction-Style Catapult 78

7 The Great Khan's Catapults 89

The World's Best Tabletop Catapult 91

8 Cabulus, the Great Horse Trebuchet 97

Cabulus, the Great Horse Trebuchet 105

9 The Flour Sack Thrower of Gibraltar 113

The Gibraltar Catapult 114

10 John Crabbe: Tinkerer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy 121

Making Rope 129

Spring Engine Catapult 131

11 The Hammer of the Scots 139

Ludgar, the War Wolf 146

12 The Sun Sets on Catapult Warfare 155

Basket-Pult 158

Glossary 165

Aknowledgements 167

Bibliography 169

Index 171

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