-> On 25 Apr 09  18:46:00, Bob Klahn got back to Dan Ceppa 
-> Re: Truisms

 DC> the History channel just recently was the battle at
 DC> Agincourt.

 BK> I saw a show about the same battle on a PBS show, I believe it
 BK> was "Connecitions".
 
And to think I typo bad!  It was probably the same show I had recently 
watched. The one I saw was on the History Channel. 

 DC>  made of of archers.  Their weapon:  The English long bow.

 BK> According to Connecitons, it was really Welch. The British like
 BK> to claim everything on the Island, and used to claim everything
 BK> in Ireland. The other groups had differing opinions.

That part didn't make it into my memory.  After all, I was aware of 
the "English longbow" long before such shows came up with the 
real origins.  

 DC> What got me was the draw weight.  Those suckers require 120
 DC> lbs of pull!

 BK> A modern compound bow does as much with much less work. They had
 BK> the latest technology then.

Compound bows are heavy at 60 or 70 pounds of pull.  

 BK> On Connections the host said there was a law passed in England
 BK> that every village male had to practice with the long bow every
 BK> week. One generation later he said it would have been difficult

Practice makes perfect, as well as a Robin Hood.  

 BK> Of course, the military came up with cannon so the fun could
 BK> continue. And the prosperity didn't last all that long either.

Cannon and handguns pretty wuch made such weapons obsolete.  Then 
again, there's the bayonette.  ISTR that there was an actual bayonette 
charge in WWII.  I'm not sure if they still teach it any more.  

As to the PBS _Connections_, was that hosted by James Burke?  If so, 
I've seen them.  They were great!  The 10 episode series came out 
in 1979.  



... Redundancy:  An air bag in a politician's car.
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