Books by Chris McNab

Chris McNab is a respected military historian and author whose works bring to life the tactics, technology, and human stories that have shaped armed conflict through the ages. Known for his meticulous research and clear, engaging style, he has written extensively on subjects ranging from elite special forces and weaponry to the evolution of warfare and survival skills.

Whether exploring the structure of ancient armies or the capabilities of modern combat units, McNab's books combine authoritative detail with accessible insight. His writing appeals equally to dedicated historians and general readers seeking a deeper understanding of military history and the people behind it.

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65 products


  • SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training:

    Amber Books Ltd SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training:

    Book SynopsisSAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training examines what it takes to be as mentally fit as a special forces soldier. The book explains why it is equally important to focus on stress management and mental discipline as it is to concentrate on push-ups, sit-ups and other physical exercises. Using simple steps, the book shows the reader how they can build up their endurance over a matter of weeks and months, and how their quality of life will benefit. SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training demonstrates how you can gain the psychological edge over your opponent, as well as ready yourself for critical challenges ahead. Whether you are competing in unarmed combat sports, running a marathon or just looking to get ahead, SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training will have helpful and practical advice for you. The book includes a number of military training programmes designed to assess a trainee’s fitness for the arduous life of a combat soldier, as well as chapters on leadership, battle tactics, escape and survival techniques, and improving intelligence and concentration. SAS and Special Forces Mental Toughness Training is an essential guide to testing and improving mental agility and resilience in the modern combat environment. Table of Contents1. Will to Survive 2. Handling Combat Stress 3. Recruitment and Training 4. Intelligence and Concentration 5. Building a Team Mind 6. Leadership 7. Battle Tactics 1: Handling Major Manoeuvres 8. Battle Tactics 2: Counter-insurgency 9. Detention, Escape, Survival 10. Peacekeeping and Diplomacy 11. Future Wars

    £17.99

  • Tracking a Serial Killer

    Amber Books Ltd Tracking a Serial Killer

    Book Synopsis“One side of me says, I'd like to talk to her, date her. The other side of me says, I wonder what her head would look like on a stick?" Edmund Kemper (1948–), ‘the Co-ed Killer’ This gripping, fully illustrated true crime book explores a range of serial murderers in an innovative new format, using timelines both of the murderers’ lives but also precise hour-by-hour timelines of the crimes. Tracking a Serial Killer tells the story of 25 serial killers, from the nineteenth century right up to the present day. It enables the reader to understand some of the thinking of men such as Ted Bundy, who stalked university dorms, or Andrei Chikatilo, whose killings happened at similar intervals, to Randy Kraft who murdered hitchhikers along California freeways over several years, to Volker Eckert, a German lorry driver who murdered prostitutes across western Europe across three decades. The timeline approach offers a visual overview of the major developments of the murderer’s life, both before the killing began and covering killing sprees, trials, incarcerations, escapes, releases and repeat offences, up to their deaths. The second timeline takes the reader into the events of one particular murder, showing how events developed in the twenty-four hours around the murder, how close they were to being caught, how the factors came into place for the murder, and how they managed to escape capture.Table of ContentsChapter One: A Lust for Killing Andrei Chikatilo • John Wayne Gacy • Harold Shipman • Ted Bundy • Pedro Lopez • Gary Ridgway Chapter Two: Special Desires H. H. Holmes • Albert Fish • Joachim Kroll • Dennis Nilsen • Edmund Kemper • Richard Ramirez • Jeffrey Dahmer Chapter Three: Predators Jack the Ripper • David Berkowitz • Robert Hansen • Randy Kraft • The Yorkshire Ripper • Beltway Sniper Attacks Chapter Four: Female Murderers Jane Toppan • Dorothea Puente • Aileen Wuornos Chapter Five: Serial Killer Couples The Moors Murderers • The Hillside Stranglers • Fred and Rosemary West Index

    £15.29

  • World's Worst Historical Disasters: Natural and

    Amber Books Ltd World's Worst Historical Disasters: Natural and

    Book SynopsisWorld’s Worst Historical Disasters examines some of the most significant natural and man-made disasters in world history, from those almost lost in the mists of time, such as the plague in Athens which killed 75 per cent of the population and the earthquake in Corinth that left 45,000 people dead to modern day catastrophes such as the New Delhi air collision and the Samastipur train disaster which both cost hundreds of lives. All kinds of horrendous disasters are covered including plagues, earthquakes, volcanoes, genocides, floods, train crashes and aeroplane crashes. Each fascinating account gives a full and detailed analysis of the events leading up to the disaster, the actual disaster itself and then the extent of the damage and the dreadful aftermath. Learn about the massacre at Milan, the great fire of London and the historic San Francisco earthquake. Each story is highly illustrated bringing every disaster to life, plus key facts outline the most important information and allows the reader the see facts at a glance. Whether the result of mankind or an inevitable and uncontrollable act of nature, World’s Worst Historical Disasters will provide an educational and riveting read.Table of ContentsAncient Disasters: 3000BC – 0 Sodom and Gomorrah (2nd millennium BC) Modern science throws light on what could have caused the violent event recounted in the Bible. Indus Valley (1750 BC) The soil turns saline in the Indus Valley, the crops fail, and two great cities (Harappa and Mohenjo- Daro) fall into ruin. Thera (1628 BC) A massive volcanic eruption destroys the city of Akrotiri in Greece and turns the sky yellow over China. Aegean (c.1650) A tsunami 150m (500ft) high devastates the coastline of Crete. Athens (429 BC) Seventy-five per cent of Athens is wiped out by plague. Imperial Disasters: 0 – 1000 AD Rome (64) Fire beginning in the Circus Maximus destroys half the city. Pompeii (79) Pompeii is destroyed in a massive volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius. Rome (189) Plague kills 2000 people every day in Rome. Antioch (526) Over 200,000 people are killed in a massive earthquake Milan (539) The population of Milan, 300,000 people, are massacred by the Ostrogoths. Constantinople (732) Plague reduces the population of Constantinople by around 50 per cent. Corinth (856) An earthquake destroys the great city, leaving 45,000 dead. Medieval Disasters: 1000 – 1500 Jerusalem (1099) The Crusaders kill 40,000 people in Jerusalem, although they themselves have suffered 240,000 dead from disease and starvation. Northern Hemisphere (c.1200) The onset of the ‘Little Ice Age’ results in starvation, crop failure and epidemics across the northern hemisphere. Japan (1274) Kublai Khan’s invasion fleet is destroyed off the coast of Japan by a typhoon, sending 200 ships and 13,000 men to the bottom of the sea. Europe (1347–51) The Black Death plague kills 75 million people – one third of the population of Europe. Hispaniola (1493) The Spanish begin colonizing the Americas, beginning the destruction of entire American civilisations and the deaths of 24 million from war and disease. Africa (1497) Portugal establishes its first colonies in Africa, and begins the transatlantic slave trade which will cost over 10 million African lives. Early Modern Disasters: 1500 – 1700 Lisbon (1531) An earthquake wrecks the historic city. Natal (1552) The Portuguese ship Sao Joao runs aground on the Natal coast, drowning 100 and costing the lives of a further 500 during their walk to the nearest Portuguese outpost. Shansi province (1556) An earthquake kills 830,000 people, the greatest seismic disaster in history. New England (1617) Smallpox decimates the North American Indians of New England. North Atlantic (1622) The Spanish galleon Atocha sinks in a storm with 200 people and 200 million pesos on board. India (1632–69) Famine kills four million people in India following a severe drought. London (1666) The Great Fire of London turns large parts of central London to ashes. Zenta (1697) 10,000 Turks drown in the River Zenta when attacked by the army of Eugene of Savoy. Industrial Age Disasters: 1700 – 1900 Japan (1703) The city of Edo is wiped out by earthquake, with 200,000 dead. Lisbon (1755) A huge underwater earthquake destroys Lisbon through tremors, fire and tsunamis. India (1769) Ten million people die in the Great Famine of Bengal. Japan (1783) The eruption of Mount Asama wipes out Japanese crop yields, resulting in massive famine and infanticide. Moscow (1812) Moscow is burnt to the ground by Russian saboteurs. Sumbawa Island (1815) An enormous volcanic eruption in Indonesia ejects 50 cubic kilometres of magma into the air. Russia (1830) A cholera epidemic kills one million people. Ireland (1845) The potato crop fails and Europe-wide starvation takes hold. Mississippi River (1865) The paddle steamer Sultana, chronically overloaded with Civil War veterans, blows up and kills 1700 soldiers. Mobile, Alabama (1865) An ammunition magazine explodes, wrecking the town of Mobile and killing 300 persons. Abergele (1868) The UK’s first major rail disaster kills 33 passengers Chicago (1871) A city-wide fire leaves 100,000 people homeless. Fiji (1875) Measles is introduced into Fiji accidentally by the king, and kills a third of the population. China (1876–79) The worst drought ever recorded, in which nine million people lose their lives. Krakatoa (1883) The island of Krakatoa is destroyed by the biggest volcanic eruption in history. Disasters of a New Century: 1900–45 Martinique (1902) Mont Pelee erupts, killing the entire population of the nearby town of St Pierre. New York (1904) Fire aboard the steamboat General Slocum kills over 1000 people on the East River. San Francisco (1906) The San Francisco earthquake destroys two thirds of the city. West Virginia (1907) An explosion at the Fairmont coal mine kills 362 men and boys. New York (1911) Nearly 150 sweatshop employees of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company die in a factory fire. Atlantic (1912) The cruise ship Titanic hits an iceberg and sinks on her maiden voyage. Ireland (1916) The liner Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat off the Irish coastline, costing 1198 lives. Global (1918–19) A worldwide influenza pandemic kills over 21 million people. USA (1925) A three-state tornado kills nearly 700 people in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. France (1930) The British airship the R101 crashes north of Paris. China (1931) A dam across the Yangtze bursts, flooding 104,000 square kilometres of land and precipitating a famine. Soviet Union (1936–38) Stalin’s Great Purge extends over two years and costs the lives of around 10 million Soviet citizens. Nanking (1937) Japanese soldiers commit a month-long massacre of the citizens of Nanking. Leningrad (1941–44) The four-year siege of Leningrad causes the deaths of nearly 800,000 people. Connecticut (1944) The tent of the Barnham & Bailey circus catches fire, and 162 audience members of killed. Baltic (1945) The German refugee ship Wilhelm Gustloff is sunk by a Russian submarine, resulting in history’s worst maritime disaster. Modern Disasters 1945–Present Day China Famine (1959–61) Around 40 million people die of famine, a famine caused mostly by the political tamperings of the communist government. Baikonur Space Centre explosion (1960) The world’s worst space exploration accident – 91 people are killed when an R-16 rocket explodes at the Baikonur Space Centre in Kazakhstan. Aberfan (1966) Over 100 children are killed in their school by a coal waste tip landslide. Bangladesh Cyclone (1970) One million people die when a massive cyclone hits the Ganges Delta Islands, Bangladesh. Tenerife air crash (1977) In the world’s worst civil aviation disaster, two Boeing 747s collide on the runway at Los Rodeos, Tenerife, resulting in 582 dead. Samastipur Train Disaster (1981) A train plunges off a bridge into the Bagmati River in Bihar, India, killing 800 people in the world’s worst train disaster. Bhopal (1984) Thousands die at Bhopal, India, after poisonous gas leaks out from the Union Carbide Factory. Chernobyl (1986) An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclea power station leads to over 2000 deaths from the effects of radiation poisoning. Hillsborough (1989) A crowd surge at the Hillsborough stadium, Sheffield, leads to 96 fans being crushed to death against perimeter railings. New Delhi air collision (1996) Two passenger aircraft collide over New Delhi, killing 351 people. World Trade Center (2001) The worst terrorist attack in history is unleashed against the World Trade Center, New York. Space Shuttle Columbia (2003) The Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up over Texas 16 minutes before landing. Iranian Earthquake (2003) An earthquake in Bam, Iran, results in huge urban destruction and a death toll approaching 40,000. Asian Tsunami (2004) The worst tsunami incident in history kills over 120,000 people in territories bordering the Indian Ocean. Hurricane Katrina (2005) South-eastern America's coast is left devastated by flooding. Haiti Earthquake (2010) One of the world's poorest countries suffers widespread damage and approximately 250,000 people killed. Index

    £9.49

  • The Manual for British Men: 120 Manly Skills from

    The History Press Ltd The Manual for British Men: 120 Manly Skills from

    Book SynopsisAirmen and soldiers, knights and pages, gentlemen and rogues: to you we say stiffen your lip and tighten your sword belt! Tie down your trebuchets, wax your moustache and delve into this manliest of manuals, containing everything the well-bred British man needs to know.The Manual for British Men teaches day-to-day skills such as how to besiege a castle, fire a longbow, correctly clean a Maxim machine gun and capture an enemy trench; sporting sciences such as jousting, fencing and boxing (Queensbury Rules, of course); and domestic essentials such as how to hunt, kill, clean and cook a wild boar.

    £10.44

  • Farming: Growing the food that feeds us

    Amber Books Ltd Farming: Growing the food that feeds us

    Book SynopsisFarming – whether domestic crops, forestry, fish or livestock – is one of the pillars of human civilization, dating back to the early settlements of Neolithic times. Today, approximately one billion people work the land, providing food and other products for our ever-increasing human population. Arranged geographically, Farming explores the many types of farm and farming that exist today. See how farmers in Malaysia extract milky latex from the bark of rubber trees, used to make everything from protective gloves to vehicle tires; be amazed at the gorgeous stepped rice fields of Bali, where the traditional subak irrigation system is created around ‘water temples’ and managed by Hindu priests; marvel at the vast corn and soya bean fields of Ontario, much of it used for animal feed to support Canada’s beef industry; learn about nomadic pastoralism in low rainfall areas such as Somalia, where herders move camels, cattle, sheep and goats in search of grazing; explore the wineries and vineyards in Bordeaux, where more than 700 million bottles of wine are produced each year by more than 8,500 châteaux; and see how freshwater prawns are harvested for export in the watery deltas of Bangladesh. Presented in a landscape format and with more than 180 outstanding photographs of farming from every part of the planet, Farming offers a pictorial celebration of mankind’s deep connection with the land that sustains us.Table of ContentsContents include: Europe • Livestock farming, cows and sheep – Germany, France • Dairy farming – everywhere • Fruit farming – Kent • Hop farms and oast houses – Kent • Hill farming – Wales • High tunnel greenhouses • Wind farms • Oranges, apricots, lemons – Spain • Wineries and vineyards – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece • Champagne, France – largest farms in France North America • Cattle ranches • Arable crops – Midwest • Peanut farms – Georgia • Aquaponics • Fruits, vegetables, and nuts –Salinas valley, California • Corn belt – Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, southern Michigan, western Ohio • Wheat belt – from Alberta tocentral Texas • Cotton and tobacco farming – Deep South • Catfish farm, Mississippi • Scallop farms, Vancouver Island • Cattle, grains and oilseeds – Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan • Wild berries, caribou, musk, ox – Nunavut Central & South America • Sugarcane, coffee, soybeans – Brazil • Cattle ranches – Argentina • Cocoa – Ecuador • Coffee, cocoa, plantation – Columbia • Vineyards – Chile, Argentina • Andean farming – maize, potatoes Africa and the Middle East • Nomadic herding – Saharan Africa (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Libya, Algeria) • Farming around the Nile – crop rotation, corn (maize), rice, wheat, sorghum, and fava • Citrus, wine, table grapes, corn and wool – South Africa • Tea, coffee – Kenya • Cocoa – Ivory Coast and Ghana • Maize and cassava – Nigeria Asia and the Pacific • Poppy farms – Afghanistan • Fruit farms – Afghanistan • Dry farming – India, Iran • Tea plantations – India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia • Rubber plantations – Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia • Rice cultivation – China, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam • Bali – subak irrigation system and water temples • Sugarcane, cassava (manioc), corn (maize), sweet potatoes – Vietnam • Sorghum farming – China • Fish farms – Fujian coast, China • Tilapia pens in Laguna de Bay, Philippines • Slash-and-burn – Indonesia • Subsistence farming – China, India, Nepal • Fish farms – India, Bangladesh, Thailand • Cocoa – Indonesia • Palm oil – Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo • Coconut farming – Malaysia, Thailand • Vertical farming – Japan • Sugarcane – Queensland • Stock farming – Australia • Wheat, barley, chickpeas – Australia

    £17.99

  • SAS and Special Forces Extreme Fitness

    £9.49

  • Coal Mine History  Engineering  Technology

    Haynes Publishing Coal Mine History Engineering Technology

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis manual explains the evolution of British coalmining from the 18th to the 20th century, the heyday of British mining, and examines every aspect of life as a pit worker.

    10 in stock

    £18.75

  • Neuer Kaiser Verlag Handwaffen Ein historischer berblick

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £14.95

  • Tikal Ediciones Armas

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisCualquiera que sea el punto de vista defendido respecto a las armas de fuego, es innegable que se encuentran entre los inventos más influyentes de la historia de la humanidad. Antes de su aparición, el armamento personal dependía principalmente de la potencia individual del que la usaba, de su fuerza física y de unas habilidades concretas para blandir una espada, un hacha o una maza, o para tensar ballestas y arcos. Las armas de fuego cambiaron radicalmente esta situación. Este libro pertenece a la promoción libros bélicos.

    3 in stock

    £11.14

  • Haynes A1 - Pract Lifestyle HB Napoleons Military Machine Operations Manual

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £8.23

  • Motorbuch Verlag Das Survival Handbuch der Eliteeinheiten

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £17.95

  • The SS: Facts, Figures and Data for Himmler's

    Amber Books Ltd The SS: Facts, Figures and Data for Himmler's

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis'The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But we don't ask for their love; only for their fear.' – HimmlerMost people would associate the SS with Heinrich Himmler, but the latter was not the first (or the last) leader of this infamous body. SS 1923– 1945 examines the history and development of the Schutzstaffel from its origin as Hitler’s personal bodyguard to its growth into a millions-strong organisation by the war’s end in 1945. Broken down by the key constituent parts of the SS, such as the police, concentration camps, security services, Waffen-SS, slave labour, Einsatzgruppen and so forth, the book includes exhaustive reference tables, diagrams, maps and charts, presenting all the core subject information in easy-to-follow formats. The SS 1923–1945 will be an essential reference guide for anyone interested in the history or demographics of this infamous organisation.Table of Contents1. The Origins and Rise of the Schutzstaffel 2. The Allgemeine (General) SS 3. The Waffen-SS 4. The Foreign SS 5. Einsatzgruppen and Totenkopfverbände 6. Police and Intelligence 7. SS Culture and Ideology Appendix Bibliography Glossary Index

    1 in stock

    £19.99

  • Extreme Fitness: Military Workouts and Fitness

    Amber Books Ltd Extreme Fitness: Military Workouts and Fitness

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWho’s going to guide you when your military boot camp class is over? What’s going to help you prepare for the next boot camp challenge? With the aid of superb line artworks, SAS and Elite Forces Guide: Extreme Fitness demonstrates to the reader how special forces soldiers are trained to reach and maintain peak physical fitness. The book explores the different training methods to build up physical strength, speed, agility and endurance, across running, swimming, weight training, circuit training and triathlon events. In addition, it addresses the importance of diet and nutrition, injuries and rest, and using mental fitness to help physical health. With more than 300 easy-to-follow artworks, training tips and workouts used by the U.S. Navy SEALs and British Royal Marines, Extreme Fitness is the definitive guide for the person who wants to be their best.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Preparing the Body2. Military Workouts3. Extreme Running4. Extreme Water5. Extreme Resistance6. Mixing It Up7. Mental Preparation8. InjuriesGlossaryIndex

    1 in stock

    £19.99

  • Amber Books Ltd Iceland

    1 in stock

    1 in stock

    £27.61

  • Motorbuch Verlag Unbezwingbar wie ein SASEliteKämpfer

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.95

  • Heel Verlag GmbH Der Survival Guide

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Edimat Libros S.A. El gran mundo de las armas ligeras

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £17.43

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