THE BOW BUILDER'S BOOK - Fleming Alrune et al.

[Dennis La Varenne]

By some embarrassing feat of ineptitude, I managed to order 4 copies of this excellently produced book on European bowbuilding from the stone age to the present.

So, for the princely sum of $40 each, I would like to sell off 2 of them for the price they cost me landed here. Postage anywhere in Australia is included.

For those of you who enjoy the historical as well as the practical side of bowmaking, especially from another aspect of Western bowmaking outside of the United States and Great Britain, this book is a wealth of information, both historically, archaeologically and practically. It covers most aspects of bowmaking in Western Europe as far back as archaeological records go and demonstrates the remarkable range of bow designs found throughout Western Europe through the ages.

The book is printed hardcover on high gloss paper with both mono and full colour pictures of everything from bows, bow woods, plants and their flowers all used in the process of bow and arrow making. Included is a section on the rather different approach to arrowhead design found in the European meso- and neolithic periods - shapes not known in the Americas or elsewhere that I have ever read or heard about - especially the chisel-shaped head which seems peculiar to north Western Europe.

All in all, one of the better produced books on the subject of ancient archery.

The only downside which I found annoying is that the writers are European and English is not their native language, nor is their use of archery terminology. For instance, the writers commonly use the terms 'front' and 'back' of the bow instead of the correct 'back' and 'belly' or 'face' of the bow and in some instances, is it not clear to which side of the bow to which they are referring. Also, the writers are not even consistent in their misuse of terms. One writer will use back and front to mean something different to what another writer means. However, the problem is not insurmountable by the reader, but it does beg for better editing. Surely the editors could have sought a glossary of the correct English usage of the terminology rather than try to translate the Danish, German or central European terms into something approximating English.

Attached are pictures of the front cover and the contents pages for perusal. Anybody interested, please send me a PM.

[rmcpb]

pm sent

[woodie]

PM sent

woodie

[Dennis La Varenne]

SORRY FOLKS, BUT THEY ARE ALL GONE NOW. YOU CAN ORDER THEM EASILY ENOUGH ON AMAZON BOOKS THOUGH. THEY SHOULD STILL BE ABOUT THE SAME PRICE LANDED (I HOPE).

I have kept the one for myself and sold three of the four books.

[rodlonq]

Looks like a good read Dennis, no wonder you off-loaded the spare copies so quickly. Thank you for the heads up. I will have a look on Amazon.

Cheers... Rod

[Dennis La Varenne]

And sadly, Rod, they are all still sitting here until the local PO opens after its Christmas break.

[Dennis La Varenne]

To you three blokes who bought my 'excess' copies of 'The Bow Builder's Book', they were posted off yesterday. Hope you get them by week's end.

[rmcpb]

Mine turned up while we were away but was safely on the doorstep when we got home. My eldest son is looking at making a series of bows and arrows for his HSC woodwork so it would be great to have historic styles to show the history, technical advances and his woodwork. This book looks like it will be well and truly used.