Image Gallery (Click Thumbnails for Large Images):

Product Information

Horace A. Ford (1822-1880) is known as the greatest target archer of all time. He first picked up the bow in 1845, and a mere four years later he won the Grand National Archery Meeting held in the United Kingdom. He proceeded to win an amazing, and unmatched, eleven consecutive championships, and a twelfth "comeback" win. His high score - that of 1271 in the Double York Round in 1857 - remained archery's high mark for over 70 years.

His masterwork, The Theory and Practice of Archery, is one of the all-time classics of archery.

Contents Covered:

• Introductory
• A Glance at the Career of the English Long Bow
  • The Anglo-Norman Period
  • Military Achievements of the Bow in the Middle Ages
  • Its Decline and Fall
  • Revival for Amusement
  • Grand National Archery Society
• The Bow
  • Variety of its Form and Material
  • The Flodden Bow
  • The Self-Bow
  • Quality and Superiority of Yew
  • How to Secure Pins
  • The Proper Shape and Correct Length of the Bow
  • The Backed Bow
  • A Comparison between Self and Backed-Yew Bows
  • The Carriage Bow
• How to Choose a Bow, and How to Use and Preserve It When Chosen
  • Popular Errors in the Choice of a Bow
  • Most Accomplished Shots
  • Directions as to Strength of Bow to Be Chosen
  • General Principles to Guide its Selection
  • Reasons Why Bows Are Broken
  • General Directions for its Preservation and Repair
  • Of Broken Limbs
  • Concerning Unstringing
  • Weight and Length of Ladies' Bows
  • Care in the Choice and Use of a Bow Recommended
• The Arrow
  • Essentials of an Arrow
  • How to Test its Straightness and Strength
  • Best Kind of Arrow, and Best Materials for its Manufacture
  • Apparent Antagonism between the Theory and Practice of Archery
  • Various Shapes of the Arrow
  • Its Feathering, Pile, Nock, Length and Weight
  • How to Preserve the Feathers from Damp
  • Curious Effects in Different Feathering of Arrows
  • How to Keep and Preserve Arrows
• The String, the Bracer, and Shooting-Glove
  • The Best Strings and Directions in Their Choice
  • How to Make the Loop
  • Some Directions for its Preservation
  • The Object of the Bracer
  • Directions for its Make, Material, and Mode of Fixture
  • Importance of a Well-fitting Shooting-Glove
  • Difficulty of Laying down Defined Rules for Its Size, Shape, etc
  • Some Directions for Its Manufacture
  • Some Specimens of Good Gloves
• The Grease-Box, Tassell, Belt, etc
  • The Grease-box
  • The Tassel
  • The Belt
  • The Scoring Apparatus
  • The Ascham
  • The Register
  • The Targets
  • The Stands
  • The Quiver
• Bracing and Nocking
  • Different Modes of Bracing
  • How to Accomplish it
  • The Proper Bend of the Bow When Strung
  • How to Ascertain it
  • The Nocking Place
  • The Proper Degree of Tightness
  • A Word to the Young Archer as to Changing the Nocking part
• Position
  • The Standing and Attitudes of the Archer
  • Requirements of a Good Position
  • What to Observe, and What to Avoid
  • The Position of Feet, Heels, Knees, Shoulders, Body, and Head
  • The Grasp of the Bow
  • The Proper Grasp
• Drawing
  • Drawing an Essential Feature of Archery
  • Examples of Bad Methods
  • Different Modes adopted by Good Archers
  • The Best Mode
  • Necessity of Drawing an Even Length, and inutility of Devices to attain it
  • Unremitting Practice the only way
  • A Common Failing of All Archers
  • General Directions for Drawing
  • Position of Left Arm a most important Feature
  • Necessity of an Unobstructed Passage of the String demonstrated
  • Proper Position of the Left Arm
  • The Length of the Draw
  • Concluding Remarks
• Aiming
  • Prevailing Ignorance on this Point
  • Absence of Scientific Instruction upon it in all Existing Works
  • Curious Expedients resorted to Obtain an Aim
  • Directions for its Full and Proper Attainment, and its Theory clearly elucidated
  • The Direct and Indirect Vision
  • The Point of Aim Explained
  • How the Direct Vision should be applied
  • Aiming at Lengths beyond the Target Distances
  • Shutting One Eye
• Holding and Loosing
  • Ascham's Directions the Correct Ones
  • Importance of Loosing
  • Misapprehension amongst Archers Concerning it
  • Necessity of its Perfect Command
  • What is and What is not a Good Loose
  • Its Effect upon the Flight of the Arrow
  • Directions for its Proper Attainment
  • Position of the String upon the Fingers
  • Some Ugly Habits
• Distance Shooting
  • Its Divisions
  • Clout-shooting
  • The Modern System considered as a Test of Skill or Strength
  • The Edinburgh Match
  • Justice to Modern Clout-shooting not Forgotten
  • Roving
  • Flight-shooting
  • Length of Probable Range considered
  • Experiments of Mr. Muir and My Own
• Ancient and Modern Scoring
  • Best Shots of the Toxophilites
  • Best Scores of Mr. Brady, Mr. Crunden, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Cazalet, Mr. Shepheard
  • Result of Mr. Waring's Arm-striking Theory
  • Mr. Anderson the "Incomparable" Archer
  • More Modern Archers
  • Shooting at the National Meetings considered
  • Concluding Remarks

Price: $1.95

• Tell a Friend