The ENGLISH LONGBOW was one of the most feared weapons from the 900’s to 1400’s A.D.  This weapon helped make England one of the world’s superpowers for half an eon.  It was cheaper for the English to equip and maintain a large army of archers than it was for other countries to maintain an equivalent sized force of armored knights.  For a time, every teenage and adult male had to practice each Sunday for two hours after church to build their strength and skills.  That practice definitely paid great dividends.  

The long range of these amazing bows made most battles easier to win.  It also infuriated England’s enemies because people of lower social classes could kill their knights and noblemen with relative ease.  They had an effective killing range of over 200 yards.  The range that they could wound opponents and/or their horses extended much further.

Some battles of note which expertly used the English longbow were Brannock in Scotland as well as Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt in France.

Great Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj_qvGHxGnI ~ Illustration of the battle of Crecy, France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhZ3sNLFMNI ~ The battle of Poiters, France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oog-6XVhY4M ~ The battle of Agincourt by Kevin Hicks who portrayed Robin Hood at the REAL Sherwood Forest.  He also portrayed an archer at Warwick Castle in England for many years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW3XElkafkg ~ Invigorating depiction of the battle of Agincourt, France by the incomparable Kevin Hicks.

Agincourt 1415 by Anne Curry, 2000

Combat  Longbowman Versus Crossbowman by David Campbell, 2017

English Longbowman 1330 - 1515 by Clive Bartlett  Published in 1995

Poiters 1356 by David Nicolle, 2004

Who Were The Bowmen Of Crecy? by Richard Wadge, 2012

With A Bended Bow by Erik Roth, 2012

Here's a great place to buy bows and arrows:  https://www.facebook.com/longbowshop/