David slew Goliath with his slingshot: for millennia that was the norm, as men used a variety of non-explosive weapons to fire small stones and carefully rounded bullets of clay, glass, and even steel and lead. This unusual study explores in practical detail the many ways, old and new, in which man shot projectiles without recourse to gunpowder. They include the bow and arrow - a favourite for the last 10,000 years, pump-up air guns, blowpipes, catapults and homemade lead musketballs. There's information on ammunition and velocity, as well as a lively personal narrative filled with humour and the spirit of experimentation.