This isn't hosted here, it is on another site, Community3e. This is an excellent site full of downloads and ideas for DnD - just don't go there and never come back here! To find my bows and crossbows article, look at the page linked to and find the download called discussion of bows. At the moment (2 July 2003) it is at the top, but it will go down as other things are added later.
There should have been a list of links to sources on the net about real-world historical and traditional bows with the download on community3e, but I left it off when I revised the rules suggestion one time. Here it is:
http://margo.student.utwente.nl/sagi/artikel/
This is probably the best single site I've found. The FAQ are a great starting point and much-copied around the web.
http://www.thebeckoning.com/medieval/medieval.html
Another good site with bow and crossbow comparisons.
http://homepages.tesco.net/~tinyclanger/albini/albini_equipment_crossbows.htm
An excellent crossbow site
http://www.kanga.nu/archives/MUD-Dev-L/1997Q3/msg00160.php
Another discussion of bow vs crossbow with some technical data.
http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/learn/ancient/archery.htm
Native American bows – not very technical but useful illustrations
http://www.unifi.it/unifi/surfchem/solid/bardi/archery/scalingbows/
article with a bit too much maths for me, but interesting discussion of what difference size makes and direct links to fantasy.
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/cite/staff/moorechr/shfac/eagle/
A modern supplier of bows to traditional archery enthusiasts, some pictures, etc.
http://www.dbtraditionalarchery.com/1999_bow_report.htm
Discussion of latter-day traditional archery