Most archers today are familiar with bows made of synthetic materials and modern shooting methods which commonly employ sighting devices and mechanical string releases. While some have heard of drawing the string with three fingers, few are aware that Eastern methods were also used in the past. Among these methods, the best known was shooting with a ring; the so-called thumbring, allowed holding the bowstring with the thumb. This drawing method made using short Eastern bows more comfortable, and it was particularly important in horseback archery. Armies of mounted archers equipped with short reflexed bows terrorized the world at the time conquering half of Europe and most of Asia. The arrows of Turkish archers trained in flight shooting reached distances of over 800 m.Interest in the traditional archery of the East has increased steadily over the last few years. There are many websites and interest groups as well as horseback archery clubs. Many types of reflexed bows can be purchased, including those made in the traditional manner. Although many books have been published on this topic, we still do not know much about ancient shooting methods, and new owners of reflexed bows often do not know how to start. Adam Swoboda's book fills this gap very well.Very few traditional archers possess Swoboda's qualifications in this unusual field.The author not only found original sources, he also interpreted them in a way that is accessible to modern readers. This was an extremely difficult task which required a thorough understanding of equipment, as well as an in-depth knowledge of archery based on many years of practice.The reader will discover not only detailed and comprehensive descriptions of traditional reflexed bows, the positions of the archer while shooting, the grasp of the bow and methods of release, but also systems for aiming, which is often the most difficult skill for the archer to master. Even injuries that can be sustained from shooting are explained clearly and logically on the basis of original sources.As a veteran user of the thumb ring, I have no doubts the book by Adam Swoboda, recommended for beginners and experienced Eastern archers alike, will become an essential addition to the archer's library and will contribute to the popularization of this fascinating sport.

The first glimps revealed a high-quality book, from his paper weight to its well-made hard cover and brilliant pictorial content.Since then I have been trying to understand the texts, at least the few words below the photographs. By the way, photographs are really good! Honestly, I've never felt such an urge to learn a foreign language. I wanted "badly" to read and get into the book. A book that would attract and "absorb" any reader.And thank you for honoring me in your book. It's an undeserved honor and great pleasure to see my name in your book, and additionally with Adam Karpowicz's and Michal Sodja's. Good that Adam wrote the forward, another attractive feature of such an excellent book.The book will surely make any archery enthusiasts happy. Congartulations and thanks a lot!

I strongly endorse Adam Swoboda's book for anybody who would like to learn to shoot with a thumb ring. There has never been any comprehensive and so complete work done in modern language to date that would help us in understanding of shooting short, reflexed composite bows of Asian origin with the use of thumb draw. This work is as important, in my opinion, as the work of Klopsteg, Elmer and Karpowicz among others. I strongly recommend this work to anybody, who is inclined to learn this technique of shooting traditional bow.

This is a unique book. Adam has done a great job in gathering together and presenting systematically all the available historical materials. An additional advantage of this book is the fact that Adam is an archer and has tested personally all of the techniques described. I have no idea how he has managed to present such a vast number of details so accessibly, but he has.Archers who are interested in shooting with a thumb ring will find this book an invaluable source of information. It is, in fact, a ready textbook from which one can choose one's own optimal technique.The book also presents the entire richness of Eastern archery, while also ensuring that these achievements will not be lost to history.

This review concerns a new book by Adam Swoboda about a particular branch of archery which is made clear by its title, The Art of Shooting a Short Reflexed Bow with a Thumb Ring 1. This title might seem verbose, but it must be understood that thumb rings were used to shoot other than short reflexed bows 2 and short reflexed bows were sometimes shot using two fingers rather than the thumb. Using the information supplied in such books as Arab Archery 3, Saracen Archery 4, and Turkish Archery and the Composite Bow 5, he has set out to synthesise a modern technical manual for shooting in this traditional manner for the modern archer. Unlike his sources, his book is fully illustrated showing postures and techniques in a way earlier authors could have only envied.[...]

This book by Adam Swoboda is an excellent resource for everything I enjoy about archery and horse archery. [...] The photos are very clear, the book thorough and exhaustive, and the breadth of knowledge quite academic. I spent quite a bit of money on SARACEN ARCHERY by LATHAM. This book covers more, and is clearly on par with everything in that book.I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the art. I am reading it now, and find it is thorough and knowledgable.[...]