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.