From ancient times to the Middle Ages, throwing weapons played an exceptional role on the battlefield, more than once deciding the outcome of battles. It was the Persian archers who shot the Spartans at Thermopylae. The winner of Spartacus, Crassus, and his legions died under the Parthian arrows. English riflemen destroyed the flower of French chivalry at Crecy and Agincourt. The bow was the main weapon of the warriors of Ancient Egypt, the Mongol cavalry, and the Japanese samurai. And crossbowmen were rightfully considered the elite of the medieval infantry... Is it true that a crossbow “bolt” could pierce any armor? What was the rate of combat bow shooting in different military cultures? Where other than Japan was the practice of dodging arrows and deflecting or intercepting them in flight widely used? Were cavalry crossbows used in Rus'? How far do long-range arrows fly, how much do armor-piercing arrows weigh, and what does “non-standard ammunition” look like for various types of projectile weapons? Richly illustrated and encyclopedic in its coverage, this book reconstructs the complete history of projectile weapons, from the sling of primitive man to the powerful prefabricated bows and crossbows Middle Ages.