Catapult cover art

Catapult

Harry and I Build a Siege Weapon

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Catapult

Written by: Jim Paul
Narrated by: Colby Elliott
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About this listen

Catapult is the magical but true story of two men, a microscopic arts grant, and the siege weapon this volatile combination somehow produced. Bristling with idiosyncrasy, Jim and Harry are an odd couple whose story is the occasion for a sly meditation on the nature of modern masculinity. Their comic oscillations—between knowledge and innocence, for example, or science and art, each man taking his turn on the other side—amuse us even as they shed light on who and what we are. Their catapult quest is seasoned throughout by a carefully apportioned history of such devices in this profound meditation on men and war and technology. Jim Paul’s charming narration and deadpan wit light up every moment, which is why critics were rapturous when it was first published in 1991.

©1991 Jim Paul (P)2025 Last Word Audio
Military Weapons & Warfare

Critic Reviews

“I have often wanted to lay siege to the odd fortress or encampment. Jim Paul at last has shown me how such a thing is within the realm of my abilities.”—Tom Hanks

“Clever, subtle and adroit… A meditation on art, science, technology, fun and war.”—Richard Locke, The Wall Street Journal

“Inspired… Genuinely moving… Tells his and Harry’s story from first vision to final fine-tuning; along the way he also explores a few dozen pockets of military history.”—The New Yorker

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