Ranging primarily from the late 18th century to the present, this richly illustrated volume tells the fascinating, sometimes problematic, history of rifled weapons and ammunition for military use. Battle to battle, readers will see how faster-loading, more accurate rifles changed the battlefield. Readers will also encounter many instances where decisionmakers chose to issue rifles ill-suited for the task at hand when better options were available.
Author David Westwood has handled every weapon he describes, from muskets to breechloaders, from repeaters and bolt-action rifles to...
Ranging primarily from the late 18th century to the present, this richly illustrated volume tells the fascinating, sometimes problematic, history o...
"Helicopters: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" covers the development of helicopters from a concept in Leonardo daVinci's mind to the first successful machines in the early 1900s to the latest tilt-rotor designs. Time and again, in a story of constant innovation, designers answered the concerns of military planners with more maneuverable, more capable rotorcraft.
With expert analysis and specific details of every significant model ever used, "Helicopters" shows how these once denigrated machines became essential to a variety of missions (reconnaissance, transport, attack,...
"Helicopters: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" covers the development of helicopters from a concept in Leonardo daVinci's mind to the first ...
"Pistols" follows the evolution of personal sidearms in Europe, the United States, and Asia from medieval-era "hand cannons" with their clunky ignition systems, to the revolutionary Colt revolvers of the 19th century, to the modern semiautomatic weapons of today.
Full of fascinating insights and details, this work shows how pistols brought about the decline of knights in armor, and ultimately replaced the sword on the battlefield. The book also explores the pistol's astonishing "democratization" as it moved from being a luxury item of the nobility, to standard issue for soldiers, to a...
"Pistols" follows the evolution of personal sidearms in Europe, the United States, and Asia from medieval-era "hand cannons" with their clunky igni...
"Destroyers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" tells the story of one of the most-recent, most-rapidly evolving additions to the world's navies. Coverage ranges from the 1882 launch of the first destroyer, through the nonstop technical and strategic innovations of the world war eras, to the current high watermarks of destroyer design such as the Arleigh Burke class (named for the navy's most-famous destroyer squadron combat commander).
With its ship-by-ship analysis, this masterful volume shows how destroyers have continually met the challenge of protecting naval and land...
"Destroyers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" tells the story of one of the most-recent, most-rapidly evolving additions to the world's navi...
"Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" is a detailed, authoritative exploration of the role and development of military aviation, from its beginnings to the conclusion of World War I. Military history scholar Justin Murphy carefully illustrates the impact of aircraft on military warfare, examines the different types of aircraft, and includes a wealth of photographs and descriptions.
Organized thematically, the work covers everything from the origins of military aviation and the impact of aircraft on World War I to the role of reconnaissance...
"Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" is a detailed, authoritative exploration of the role and development o...
In the Middle Ages, the lack of standardized weapons meant that one warrior's arms were often quite different from another's, even when they were fighting on the same side. And with few major technological advances in that period, the evolution of those weapons over the centuries was incremental. But evolve they ultimately did, bringing arms, armor, and siege weapons to the threshold of the modern era. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, "Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" covers the inexorable transformation from warrior in the...
In the Middle Ages, the lack of standardized weapons meant that one warrior's arms were often quite different from another's, even when they were f...
"Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact" charts the development of large, crew-operated battlefield weapons from the dart firers and catapults of the ancient world to the invention of gunpowder in China and its applications in medieval Europe, and from the emergence of naval and land gunnery four centuries ago to the latest rapid-fire, rocket propulsion, laser guidance, and antiaircraft technologies.
Written by an expert on military history, "Artillery" explores the technological and strategic innovations that have made these weapons increasingly effective at breaking through...
"Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact" charts the development of large, crew-operated battlefield weapons from the dart firers and catap...
"Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" reveals how underwater warships evolved to become major threats to battle fleets and merchant shipping, as well as primary platforms for deterrent forces and crucial symbols of military power.
In a series of chronological chapters, "Submarines" describes key developments in diving ability, underwater endurance, and weapons capabilities in specific periods, while highlighting strategic and operational innovations; the role of technological research; famous submarine events, battles, and commanders; and the impact of submarine services...
"Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" reveals how underwater warships evolved to become major threats to battle fleets and merchant ...
From their World War I deployment in the Black Sea by the Imperial Russian Navy, to their coming of age in World War II, to their role in recent conflicts in Vietnam, the Falklands, and the Persian Gulf, "Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" charts the evolution of carrier systems both militarily and within broader political and diplomatic contexts.
Covering both the ships and the planes they support, this convenient, authoritative handbook offers complete descriptions of carrier systems from all of the world's major navies--from their operational histories,...
From their World War I deployment in the Black Sea by the Imperial Russian Navy, to their coming of age in World War II, to their role in recent co...
"Military Aircraft, 1919-1945: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" covers a crucial era in modern warfare technology. Ranging from the development of airpower doctrines in the aftermath of World War I to the aircraft and missions that put those doctrines into action during World War II, it provides an expert summing-up of the decades when the use of aircraft in battle came of age.
In chapters covering both the history of air power and specific types of aircraft (fighters, bombers, reconnaissance and auxiliary planes), "Military Aircraft, 1919-1945" introduces key theorists and...
"Military Aircraft, 1919-1945: An Illustrated History of Their Impact" covers a crucial era in modern warfare technology. Ranging from the developm...
