2016 Reprint of 1947 Second Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Klopsteg is assured a place in the history of archery through his scientific investigations of the bow and the revolution in archery technology that he launched. His introduction to archery came in the summer of 1929 when he bought a primitive archery set for the amusement of his three daughters. With his own training in physics and research experience in projectile flight, Klopsteg found himself fascinated by the ancient art of shooting arrows with the bow and quickly adopted the sport as his own hobby. Klopsteg, with the trained eye of the scientist, questioned whether the traditional English longbow which had remained essentially unchanged for centuries, expressed the bow's most efficient form. This scientific investigation of the physics of archery launched a revolution in bow design. Soon other archers were successfully experimenting with manmade materials for both bows and arrows, and the technology of archery is today very different from the sport as Klopsteg first found it. In addition to his research into the efficient design of the bow, Klopsteg pursued an academic investigation into the history and technology of Turkish archery. The result of his studies was the publication of "Turkish Archery and the Composite Bow." The publication of this book contributed to the adoption of the composite bows of reflexed shape in the late 1930s.

Whether you dream of making a better mousetrap or launching pumpkins into the stratosphere, Ingenium will tickle your fancy.

No one knows for certain just when the bow and arrow came into use in America, but they were in use from the far North to the tip of South America when Europeans first arrived. Over the hemisphere the equipment ranged from very poor to excellent, with the finest bows of all being made in the Northwest of North America. Some of these bows rivaled the ancient classic bow in beauty of design and workmanship. The attitudes of whites toward Indian archers and their equipment have ranged from the highest of praise with mythical feats rivaling those of William Tell and Robin Hood-–o mockery and derision for the Indians' short, "deformed" bows and small arrows. The Laubins have found most of the popular conceptions of Indian archery to be erroneous-as are most of the preconceived notions about Indians—and in this book they attempt to correct some of these false impressions and to give a true picture of this ancient art as practiced by the original Americans. Following an introduction and history of Indian archery are chapters on comparison of bows, bow making and sinewed bows, horn bows, strings, arrows, quivers, shooting, medicine bows, Indian crossbows, and blowguns. Those wishing to learn something about the use of archery tackle by American Indians, something of the ingenuity associated with its manufacture and maintenance, and something about the importance of archery in everyday Indian life will find in this book a wealth of new, valuable, and important information.