Science and Civilisation in China, Part 6, Military Technology: Missiles and Sieges

The first volume of the three parts of Science and Civilisation in China deals with the art of war in ancient and medieval China.

Joseph Needham (Author), Robin D. S. Yates (Author)

9780521327275, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 March 1995

620 pages, 323 b/w illus. 5 tables
25.5 x 19.9 x 4.3 cm, 1.642 kg

'What can be said about this extraordinary work? In tracing the chronicles of Chinese development, Needham holds up the mirror to our own world, informs us of possibilities we never considered, or options of which we have only just become aware. No-one did more than Joseph Needham to open our eyes to the wonders of Chinese civilisation.' Ken Coates MEP, Full Employment: A European Appeal

Science and Civilisation in China Volume V Part 6 is the first of the three parts dealing with the arts of war in ancient and medieval China. The present volume opens with an introduction on Chinese attitudes to warfare in general. Four major sections follow: on the making and use of simple bows; on the crossbow, the standard weapon of the Han armies, and its introduction to the Western world; on the pre-gunpowder forms of artillery, including the invention of the trebuchet; and on the art of siege warfare in which the Mohists were particularly interested. There is a good deal of material on siege-warfare available, and this final section is a substantial one, covering all aspects in detail.

Part I. Military Technology: (a) Introduction
(b) Chinese Literature on the Art of War Krysztof Gawlikowski
1. The military theoreticians
2. The military encyclopaedists
3. Basic concepts of the classical Chinese theory of war
general principles of action
4. Combat and competition
5. Other components of the classical Chinese theory of war
6. The main controversies within Chinese military thought
(c) Distinctive Features of Chinese Military Thought: 1. Reasons for its perennial vitality
2. A syncretistic tradition
the non-military approach to war and the duties of soldiers
3. The great popularity of military thought among the people
4. Military thought in civil life
5. The place of the military element (wu) in the Chinese world order
(d) Projectile Weapons: I. Archery (with Edward McEwen): 1. The bow
2. The crossbow
3. The social role of the bow and crossbow
Part II. Ballistic Machinery: (with Wang Ling)
4. Spring, sinew, sling and swape
definitions and distribution
5. Forms of the arcuballista
6. Trebuchets, manned and counterweighted
7. Distribution and diffusion
(e) Early Poliorcetics: the Mohists to the Sung Robin D. S. Yates: 1. Early cities
2. The twelve types of attack
Bibliographies.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]