In 1997 War and History published my article, "Catapults Are Not Atomic Bombs: Towards a Redefinition of 'Effectiveness' in Premodern Military Technology." The title was hyperbolic as the article discussed neither catapults nor atomic bombs, but that hyperbole was to serve a purpose: to have military historians, primarily historians of military technology rethink their notions of military technological determinism, especially in interpreting premodern military history. In that article I used three examples: the chariot, the longbow, and gunpowder weaponry, suggesting that the use of these technologies by modern historians as determining catastrophe, invincibility, and revolution, respectively, was overstating their effects on history. After 22 years I was asked to revisit my original thoughts and here use the various chroniclers' descriptions at the battle of Crecy (1346) and the function of the English longbows (and longbowmen) to explore how the premodern world thought about technology in war. Ultimately, I reaffirm the importance of humans over technology in any military situation, even if the technologies are either characteristic or central to any particular engagement.
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