In this hands-on history programme Weapons expert Mike Loades reveals just how the longbow archer caused havoc on the medieval battlefield. Shooting bows on foot and on horseback, he reveals how ordinary men with cheap, low-tech weapons devastated the flower of European aristocracy on one bloody day at the battle of Crecy. It caused shock waves across Europe. Mike trains his own band of archers to show how longbow and crossbow archers operated on the battlefield. In the laboratory arrows are shot against armour to find the most effective range. In this dramatic film, Mike demonstrates how devastating a simple weapon could be on the battlefield. It was a weapon that transformed medieval society, allowing ordinary men to make their fortunes in war.
