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William Gurstelle
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The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery Paperback – July 1, 2004

by William Gurstelle (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 137 ratings
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Whether playing at defending their own castle or simply chucking pumpkins over a fence, wannabe marauders and tinkerers will become fast acquainted with Ludgar, the War Wolf, Ill Neighbor, Cabulus, and the Wild Donkey—ancient artillery devices known commonly as catapults. Building these simple yet sophisticated machines introduces fundamentals of math and physics using levers, force, torsion, tension, and traction. Instructions and diagrams illustrate how to build seven authentic working model catapults, including an early Greek ballista, a Roman onager, and the apex of catapult technology, the English trebuchet. Additional projects include learning how to lash and make rope and how to construct and use a hand sling and a staff sling. The colorful history of siege warfare is explored through the stories of Alexander the Great and his battle of Tyre; Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Third Crusade; pirate-turned-soldier John Crabbe and his ship-mounted catapults; and Edward I of England and his battle against the Scots at Stirling Castle.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 years and up
  2. Print length
    192 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 6
  5. Dimensions
    6.75 x 0.5 x 9.75 inches
  6. Publication date
    July 1, 2004
  7. ISBN-10
    1556525265
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1556525261
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up–This collection of 10 working catapult projects offers a fascinating look at world history, military strategy, and physics, related with an engaging yet lighthearted touch. This historical context makes the projects all the more interesting. The working model of the Macedonian Ballista is cool, but even more so when one learns the role that catapults played in the campaigns of Alexander the Great. Instructions are clear, with full materials lists, helpful diagrams, and no skipped steps. Saw and drill are often required, along with hardware store purchases such as PVC pipe or specifically sized wood. Some of the finished results are large, such as God's Stone Thrower, a 5' x 5' construction with considerable flinging power, while a couple are smaller, tabletop-sized models that still propel successfully. Since the ultimate object is to fling things through the air, there is repeated emphasis on safety, including a first chapter entitled "Always Be Careful," an "adult supervision required" statement for every construction, and repeated warnings within the text. As for projectiles, water balloons, peanuts, and plastic cows are mentioned among "suitable ammunition," rather than the venomous snakes, cattle manure, or severed heads referred to in the historical portions. There's excellent booktalk potential here, and lively reading even for those who never get around to constructing a catapult.–Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Fascinating." -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Puts the weapons in context of their times." -- Sacramento Bee

"This book is a hoot . . . the modern version of Fun for Boys and Harper s Electricity for Boys." -- Natural History

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press (July 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1556525265
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1556525261
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 6
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 0.5 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 137 ratings

About the author

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William Gurstelle

William Gurstelle

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In 2011, Popular Mechanics Magazine added five special editors to its masthead: William Gurstelle, Jay Leno, the Mythbusters' Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman, and Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds. There's a reason Bill is there along side those luminaries: His views on risk taking, combined with his best selling books have put him in the spotlight.

Media Attention

Long features about Bill and his ideas have run in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Popular Science, the London Daily Telegraph, National Public Radio, PBS, Radio Canada, and scores of other media outlets.

Best Selling Author

Now, because of his groundbreaking views and easy writing style, he's one of the most widely read science and technology authors in the world. His best sellers include Absinthe and Flamethrowers, Backyard Ballistics, Adventures from the Technology Underground, and The Practical Pyromaniac. More than a half million copies of his books have been sold, a truly amazing amount for a technology author.

National Magazine Columnist

In addition to his books, he writes frequently on culture and technology for national magazines including Popular Mechanics, Wired, the Atlantic, and Make. Online, he is a frequent contributor to BoingBoing, Makezine, and Wired.

Popular Speaker

Bill has given lectures to groups all over the world including North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Select clients and their comments are available through the navigation panel to the left.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
137 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mike Van
5.0 out of 5 stars Great of my nephews
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2015
Verified Purchase
I bought 2 of these books for Christmas gifts this year. The one nephew loves history, so I know he will get a lot out of it. He is 11. My other nephew is 9, and I hope this sparks an interest in history and making some of the catapults.
One person found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of history and a few fun designs
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
Each chapter has a well written history and background and a set of plans for a catapult project. Some are very simple and easy. Some are more on the complex side. It's not a definitive work, but it's a great place to start if you're looking to build something with your kids.
2 people found this helpful
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rokrobin
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for science.
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
Great for physical science projects.
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Rose Sefton
5.0 out of 5 stars Cool, liked it
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
Got it for myself - kids stole it. Excellent book in case you ever want to build a catapult in your backyard to terrify the neighbors.
6 people found this helpful
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J. Nystrom
3.0 out of 5 stars Science or history teacher's idea book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
Gurstelle leaves much to be worked out by the user, but does provide some guidance for those wanting to experiment. The history is the 'quick, once over' but will work for elementary or middle school students. Projects are less dangerous, and problematic, than some in the author's "Backyard Ballistics", and a bit less attention getting, good and bad.
One person found this helpful
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Ron
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book to get the kids to work with you.
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2013
Verified Purchase
These are really fun to make and easy, not hard but will teach you a lot, and get the grandkids with you you will really have fun. Just do not poke an eye out. lol
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M. Lindquist
4.0 out of 5 stars Machines of war
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2009
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for my middle schooler as a present, and it has become the cornerstone of his research into building both a trebuchet and a catapult for science fair projects. There are some sketchy spots in the instructions where you have to read into the instructions to get proper locations for attachments, but nothing that can't be worked out with a little creativity. We will see what the finnished products are like. Overall though it is an easy read and enjoyable for my teen age son.
5 people found this helpful
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Barb
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2014
Verified Purchase
This was purchased for my grandson and he loved it. He built one of the catapults for a Social Studies project and all of the kids had a great time!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Henri Hilger
3.0 out of 5 stars Enttäuschend
Reviewed in Germany on February 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Obwohl im Detail auf manche Kriegsverichte zurück gegriffen wird, hatte ich mir mehr ein DIY Buch zum Bau solcher Kataplute gewünscht. Einige sind gut beschrieben, und auch modelle zum Nachbauen sind vorhanden, aber der "Funke" stieg nicht über. Schwerfällig geschrieben. Eher von einem Historiker geschrieben als von einem Holzwerker. Deshalb nur 3 Punkte, da das Buch und die Beschreibung auf letzteres hoffen lies.
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Saladin The Wise
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice book about catapults
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
I did expect a bit more from this book but it is nevertheless informative about catapults overall.
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TonyC
2.0 out of 5 stars non serve a niente.
Reviewed in Italy on September 26, 2013
Verified Purchase
non e' un libro ben fatto. Non ho capito a cosa serve, perche' non e' interessante ne per un adulto ne per un bambino.
One person found this helpful
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Kozzy
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in Canada on April 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
Gave as a gift to my son
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Gaudesign
3.0 out of 5 stars Catapult Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2016
Verified Purchase
Looked at it once.
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