If your passion is longbow shooting, longbow making or longbow history, you will gain some great insight from this book. "Modern Longbow Design & Toxophilus" takes the words of Roger Ascham (the longbow archers god) and relates them to modern longbow in a way that is both interesting and logical. The book has sufficient depth, allowing you to make your own longbow and understand why. The knowledge in the book comes from the past, and is interpreted for you by the author in a way that is, so obvious that you wonder why people make such a fuss about longbow making. The author actively tries to dispel your fears on making longbow and the diagrams beautifully illustrate the points made.Apart from the fine illustrations, the book contains many quotes from Ascham; a gentleman writing about longbow in the time of King Henry the VIII, his words illuminate the book, these words are controversial but are very enjoyable when read with the authors interpretations. If you want to understand your longbow then start here.