Weapons and equipment Books
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Napoleon’s Heavy Cavalry: Uniforms and Equipment
Book SynopsisCreated during the Peace of Amiens, the nineteen regiments of cuirassiers that existed during the course of the 1e Empire were, after the Imperial Guard, perhaps the most famous and recognisable soldiers of the epoch. This book explores the long gestation of clothing and equipping the cuirassiers, the development of the arm from twelve regiments to twenty-one – if we include the carabiniers from 1811 – and how their clothing evolved across the period. As well as assessing the curiassiers, the story of the evolution of the uniforms of the carabiniers is also told. Much ink has been spilt on the two regiments and their uniforms, yet, as with the cuirassiers, precious little archive research has been carried out. This is one of a series of ground-breaking books which will be the defacto study of this perennially popular subject for historians, researchers, wargamers, re-enactors and artists. Using archive records to ‘set the record straight’, as well as contemporary illustrations and original items of uniforms, the author sets out to describe the uniform of every regiment of Napoleon’s army. Using archive sources found in the Archives Nationales and Service Historique du Armee de Terre in Paris, the author’s unrivalled research over a period of twenty years, will reveal exactly how, for the first time in over 200 years, Napoleon’s army was mounted, clothed and equipped. Having been granted to access to over 1,000 archive boxes, the author assesses how the regulations were adopted in practice. This vast resource, as yet untapped by the majority of researchers and historians for understanding the Napoleonic era in general, include the many regimental archive boxes preserved in the French Army archives. These sources provide, potentially bias free empirical data from which we can reconstruct the life story of a regiment, its officers and above all its clothing. What did trumpeters wear? Did cavalry regiments really have sapeurs? We answer these questions and present the reality of how regiments were dressed derived from diaries, letters, inspection returns, regimental accounts and even cases of fraud. For the first time, this unique series of books discusses the wide ranging 1806 uniform regulation and the more famous Bardin regulation which applied to all arms of the Army and explores the way in which regiments on campaign adopted and adapted their uniforms. For the first time since the days of Napoleon, we can say exactly what was worn by the French army.
£23.80
Casemate Publishers The Origins of Surface-to-Air Guided Missile
Book SynopsisWorld War II saw the appearance of numerous revolutionary armaments on both sides of the conflict that would radically change the nature of warfare, from jet aircraft to the ballistic missile and the atomic bomb. The greatest conflagration in history also saw the conception of the first surface-to-air guided missile systems: technology pioneered by German scientists and engineers through an extensive development programme which ran from 1942 to 1945. Although the programme did not achieve its main objective – to introduce a functional weapon system into the Luftwaffe air defence network – German research and development in most aspects of the technology was ahead of comparable research in the United Kingdom and the United States.The history of the transfer of German SAM technology to the Allies after 1945 has previously been overshadowed by the well-published transfers of the V-1 and V-2 guided missiles. This book presents the first complete history of Germany’s wartime development of surface-to-air missile (SAM) technology, how the Allies acquired this secret research towards the end of World War II in Europe and in the early postwar period, and how they then exploited this knowledge.
£25.46
The History Press Ltd The Race for Hitler's X-Planes: Britain's 1945
Book SynopsisDuring World War 2, Hitler’s engineers had pioneered an incredible array of futuristic secret weapons, from the Me 262, the first operational jet fighter, to the deadly V2 inter continental ballistic missile. With the Third Reich shattered and lying in ruins, in the summer of 1945, the Allies launched a frantic race to grab what they saw as the justifiable spoils of war. The Americans and Russians in particular were anxious to secure not only the aircraft and the research and production facilities, but also the key German scientists and engineers.This Nazi technology would define the balance of power in the phoney peace of the Cold War era, launching an arms race that shaped our modern world for decades to come. But what of Britain’s role in this supermarket sweep? The Race for Hitler’s X-Planes tells the untold story of the British mission to Germany.
£11.69
The Crowood Press Ltd EM32: British Web Equipment Of The Two World Wars
Book SynopsisThe outbreak of WW1 in 1914 found the British Army unready in many respects for a new age of warfare. However, the British led the world in the personal equipment worn by the infantryman thanks to an American officer named Anson Mills and the skills of the company created to produce his design – the 1908 equipment set made in woven cotton web.
£10.40
Oficyna Wydawnicza KAGERO Damian Majsak The German Destroyer Z37
Book Synopsis
£22.91
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Pocketknife Making for Beginners
Book Synopsis
£23.79
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Way of Archery
Book SynopsisThe Way of Archery provides a detailed introduction to practicing archery in the traditional Chinese military style.
£31.44
The University of Chicago Press Drones and the Future of Armed Conflict Ethical
Book SynopsisPresenting a conversation among leading scholars in the areas of international legal standards, counter-terrorism strategy, humanitarian law, and the ethics of force, this book takes an account of American drone campaigns and the developing legal, ethical, and strategic implications of way of warfare.Trade Review"While the peak of drone usage may have passed, we will be evaluating and reevaluating the legality, justice, and utility of the drone war for decades. Cortright, Fairhurst, and Wall provide an important contribution to the broader discussion on drone warfare. Readers with an interest in political affairs and the use of force will find this book fascinating, and those studying international relations and international law will also find much to like." (Robert M. Farley, University of Kentucky)
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press Drones and the Future of Armed Conflict Ethical
Book Synopsis
£22.80
The University of Chicago Press Race Rights and Rifles
Book SynopsisAn eye-opening examination of the ties between American gun culture and white male supremacy from the American Revolution to today. One-third of American adultsapproximately 86 million peopleown firearms. This is not just for protection or hunting. Although many associate gun-centric ideology with individualist and libertarian traditions in American political culture, Race, Rights, and Rifles shows that it rests on an equally old but different foundation. Instead, Alexandra Filindra shows that American gun culture can be traced back to the American Revolution when republican notions of civic duty were fused with a belief in white male supremacy and a commitment to maintaining racial and gender hierarchies. Drawing on wide-ranging historical and contemporary evidence, Race, Rights, and Rifles traces how this ideology emerged during the Revolution and became embedded in America's institutions, from state militias to the National Rifle Association (NRA).Utilizing original survey data,Trade Review"This is a deeply informed, persuasive book, offering a compelling overview of how Americans became militarized and how that militarization is increasing....An enlightening, timely study of the evolution of arguments about gun ownership." * Kirkus (starred review) *“Theoretically ambitious, empirically rich, and politically pertinent, Race, Rights and Rifles examines how guns relate to US citizenship. Reconstructing the political history of guns in the US and dissecting its ongoing impact on the present-day, Race, Rights and Rifles shows how ascriptive republicanism transforms the right to self-defense—a basic human impulse for survival—into a rallying point for political polarization and a justification for an investment in illiberal democracy.” -- Jennifer Dawn Carlson | author of "Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy"“Why are gun killings in the United States an everyday occurrence? Race, Rights, and Rifles blends intellectual and political history, an eye-opening account of the National Rifle Association (NRA), and contemporary public opinion data to provide compelling answers. Alexandra Filindra shows that the American Revolution fused white male gun ownership with ideals of republican civic virtue in ways that the NRA has long championed. Consequentially, this has led a shocking number of Americans to believe that they have a fundamental right to engage in vigilante violence—like invading the Capitol or shooting a Black teenager who mistakenly knocks on the wrong door.” -- Rogers Smith | University of PennsylvaniaTable of ContentsList of Abbreviations Introduction Part One: Historical Foundations Chapter 1 Republican Ideology in Early America Chapter 2 An Exclusive Vision of Virtue and Citizenship Chapter 3 Militias and the Institutionalization of Ascriptive Republicanism Chapter 4 Cultural Transmission Part Two: The Origins and Worldview of the NRA Chapter 5 The Emergence of the NRA Chapter 6 An Organization of White Men Chapter 7 Political Virtue Chapter 8 Political Corruption Chapter 9 The NRA’s Theory of Democracy Part Three: Ascriptive Republicanism in Contemporary White Public Opinion Chapter 10 Ascriptive Republicanism and White Gun Attitudes Today Chapter 11 From “Stand Your Ground” to “Stand Back and Stand By” Conclusion Democratic Stability in Peril Acknowledgments Notes Index
£76.00
The University of Michigan Press Private Guns Public Health New Ed.
Book SynopsisA new edition of a classic: the first complete picture of the public-health approach to gun violenceTrade ReviewHemenway has written an accessible and compelling research brief that places the burden of proof squarely on the shoulders of those opposed to the policy reforms he discusses. . . . One does not have to endorse his interpretation of the current research literature to agree that improved surveillance of unintentional firearm injuries, suicides, and homicides would help determine whether the lives saved and injuries averted are worth the monetary and symbolic costs of stricter gun control."" - Journal of the American Medical Association "". . . a detailed, sober account of the effect of guns on society. . . . [Hemenway] compares the public health problems created by firearms with those of tobacco and alcohol . . . [and] calls for a public health approach to firearms that ‘is not about banning guns but is about creating policies that will prevent violence and injuries.'"" - John Langone, New York Times
£23.70
Harvard University Press Ukraines Nuclear Disarmament
Book SynopsisBased on original and previously unavailable documents, Yuri Kostenko’s account of the negotiations surrounding the Budapest Memorandum agreement between Ukraine, Russia, and the US reveals for the first time the internal debates of the Ukrainian government, as well as the pressure exerted upon it by its international partners.Trade ReviewA really, really interesting story, almost unknown in the West…Nuclear weapons were Ukraine’s security, and they gave it up because the US and Russia were working together…What has happened to Ukraine since it was disarmed has and will have a negative impact on the global story of denuclearization. Countries are going to think twice next time someone comes along proposing to give them a piece of paper in exchange for their nuclear weapons. -- Serhii Plokhy * Five Books *An interesting and timely document that will be of great interest not only to Ukraine scholars but also to the scholars of national security and global nuclear politics. -- Eglė Rindzevičiūtė * Slavic Review *An absorbing read, providing historical insights on the demise of the Soviet Union, the emergence of independent Ukraine, the management of its relations with Moscow and the West, and challenges and pitfalls of diplomacy from a position of weakness. It contains important lessons for the management of today’s proliferation challenges in North East Asia and the Middle East. -- John Tilemann * Australian Outlook *A story of David (new-born Ukraine) versus Goliath (Russia), with a fierce domestic debate in the political sphere in Ukraine—less so in the societal sphere—between actors with different beliefs and interests…Crucial in light of the current happenings, already at the beginning of the 1990s one could discern indications that it was extremely important to Russia that Ukraine would remain within its sphere of influence. -- Tom Sauer * Canadian Slavonic Papers *Revealing…Drawing on the parliamentary and executive government portfolios that Kostenko held during the 1990s, the book lays out a picture of the intense domestic and international political struggles that prompted Kiev to give up the bomb that some Ukrainians today wistfully believe could have deterred Russia from gobbling up Crimea while fomenting separatism in the country’s east. -- Bennett Ramberg * Political Science Quarterly *Yuri Kostenko has written a superb book explaining why Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in the mid-1990s, leaving itself without a deterrent against Russia. He shows in fascinating detail that pressure from Moscow and Washington left Ukraine with little choice but to surrender its nuclear arsenal. Kostenko directly ties that fateful decision to the war that broke out between Russia and Ukraine in 2014, in which Ukraine was largely defenseless and the United States, which had promised to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, sat on the sidelines. The implicit message of Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament is clear: there is no substitute for a nuclear deterrent when you live in a dangerous neighborhood. -- John J. Mearsheimer, R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago, and author of Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International RealitiesYuri Kostenko’s rich, cogent, and well-sourced insider account of Ukraine giving up the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal in the 1990s shows how power asymmetries and state-building affect international political outcomes in nontrivial and counterintuitive ways—with the security dilemma engendering hasty unilateral disarmament; costly commitments demanded from weaker rather than stronger states; and democratic peace falling short of its promises even with the endorsement of the world’s most powerful democracies. A must-read for students of international politics, the book explains how authoritarian adversaries can leverage America’s security concerns of the day to subvert fledgling democracies and why support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and integration with the West is in America’s vital long-term national interest. -- Mikhail Alexseev, Professor in the Department of Political Science, San Diego State University, and author of Without Warning: Threat Assessment, Intelligence, and Global StruggleUkraine’s Nuclear Disarmament is the definitive account of the fateful decision to unilaterally dismantle the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal. Yuri Kostenko was the consummate insider, with privileged access to the actors and arguments that led to a decision whose legacy continues to haunt Ukraine’s future. Not only does he produce a wealth of new material, some previously classified; he disposes of the myth that the opponents of this decision wished to maintain Ukraine’s nuclear status. Until now, the straw man of ‘nuclear-armed Ukraine’ has impeded critical thought about whether more could have been done to ensure ‘effective disarmament.’ Kostenko’s detailed and engrossing account will enlighten and disquiet in equal measure. -- James Sherr, Senior Fellow, Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the International Centre for Defence and Security, and Associate Fellow, Chatham House Russia and Eurasia ProgrammeEven readers who believe that Ukraine never had a realistic chance—technically or politically—of emerging as a full-fledged nuclear weapons state in the 1990s will find Yuri Kostenko’s book extremely illuminating. Having served as Ukraine’s minister of environmental protection and a member of the Ukrainian parliament during the protracted debates on the nuclear issue, Kostenko provides a richly detailed insider’s account that underscores the importance of political divisions within Ukraine in shaping the outcome. These divisions, he contends, gave greater leverage to external actors and prevented Ukraine from pursuing the kind of deal he favored: a deal that would have given Ukraine more robust security guarantees and greater financial compensation in exchange for relinquishing all the nuclear missiles left on its territory after the demise of the Soviet Union. -- Mark Kramer, Director of Cold War Studies, Harvard University
£64.76
Harvard University Press Thundersticks
Book SynopsisDavid Silverman argues against the notion that Indians prized flintlock muskets more for their pyrotechnics than for their efficiency as tools of war. Native peoples fully recognized the potential of firearms to assist them in their struggles against colonial forces, and mostly against one another, as arms races erupted across North America.Trade ReviewSilverman’s compelling rediscovery of the ‘gun frontier,’ imaginatively conceived and deeply researched, is must reading. For nearly two centuries, indigenous peoples everywhere in North America waged devastating arms races with each other, enabled by, but seldom under the control of, Euro-Americans eager to sell their lethal wares in defiance of laws and their nations’ interests. -- Daniel K. Richter, author of Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient PastsAfter reading Thundersticks, no one will ever be able to question that guns were fundamental to colonialism and that American Indians wanted them, used them with ferocity, and that they changed Native life forever. Silverman makes it all so obvious in his utterly convincing and transformative book. He has literally rewritten American history. -- Robbie Ethridge, author of From Chicaza to Chickasaw: The European Invasion and the Transformation of the Mississippian World, 1540–1715Tracking the impact of firearms across different eras and areas as Native peoples incorporated them into their arsenals, economies, foreign policies, and cultures, David Silverman shows how guns shaped the colonial and indigenous history of the continent. No one has done anything quite like this before. A major achievement. -- Colin G. Calloway, author of The Victory with No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American ArmySilverman’s command of a vast literature and his attention to evidence will put to rest any remaining doubts about the Indian preference for guns over the bow and arrow. -- Gregory Evans Dowd, author of Groundless: Rumors, Legends, and Hoaxes on the Early American FrontierSilverman tells this sad and bloody story with verve, making this an essential work for scholars of colonial encounters. * Publishers Weekly *A good measure of a work of history is whether it changes the way we understand its subject. By that measure, David J. Silverman succeeds admirably in Thundersticks: Firearms and the Violent Transformation of Native America…In Silverman’s sober, sprawling account, America is a nation built on slaves and guns. -- Thomas E. Ricks * New York Times Book Review *Focusing on the military and political changes stemming from the spread of firearms in North America, this is a well-informed, clearly argued account of the significance of access to these guns…Silverman’s book is a significant contribution to a field that is important for American studies, for military history and work on western expansionism. -- Jeremy Black * History Today *Written in an accessible and at times swashbuckling style, the book is in many ways a retelling of the U.S.’ Indian Wars from the 17th to the 19th centuries, with a twist. It cracks the mystery of how Colonial-era Native American tribes came to master a continent-spanning, gun-running network in smoothbore flintlock muskets, often decades in advance of European settlement. -- Casey Sanchez * Los Angeles Times *David J. Silverman has accomplished the rarest of feats; he has breathed new life into a very familiar topic among scholars—conflict in Native North America…No other author has elucidated quite so clearly how guns changed the lives, cultures, and futures of American Indians…Thundersticks is a marvelous accomplishment. Silverman’s work is accessible for nonscholars while at the same time essential reading for historians of Native America, the United States, the Atlantic World, and more. This is how history should be written. -- Jason Herbert * Western Historical Review *Given that indigenous life across the continent was profoundly reshaped by guns and gunpowder—two things no Native society had the capacity to produce—it is remarkable that we had to wait until 2016 for a book that marries sophisticated indigenous history with a focus on the transformative effects of firearms over the long term. David J. Silverman’s Thundersticks: Firearms and the Violent Transformation of Native America is worth the wait…The force of this book is in the details…Thundersticks is nonetheless the indispensable new work on an important and understudied topic. More than that, it presents an eloquent and penetrating new synthesis of Native American history before the reservation era. -- Brian DeLay * American Historical Review *Thundersticks powerfully extends the study of guns into early America and links such histories with the evolution of North America’s continental past. Silverman has offered a vital corrective to the historiography of firearms as well as to temporal and spatial frameworks that elide the enduring cycles of violence that have remade Native America. -- Ned Blackhawk * William and Mary Quarterly *
£23.70
Princeton University Press Firepower
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Firepower is the best scholarly analysis of the National Rifle Association (NRA) yet published …. [Lacombe] effectively argues that the NRA has long been political, but that the form of its politics changed from its "quasi-governmental phase" (pre-1970s) to its "partisan phase" (1970s onward) …. Anyone interested in the NRA and gun politics today should read this book." * Choice *"Lacombe’s book is a worthy read because it provides a new lens through which to view the NRA and the development of the gun rights movement more broadly. Its reorientation of the discussion from material and partisan to psychological processes makes Firepower an important addition to any syllabus on gun politics and interest group politics."---Alexandra Filindra, Perspectives on Politics
£25.20
Princeton University Press Firepower How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Firepower is the best scholarly analysis of the National Rifle Association (NRA) yet published …. [Lacombe] effectively argues that the NRA has long been political, but that the form of its politics changed from its "quasi-governmental phase" (pre-1970s) to its "partisan phase" (1970s onward) …. Anyone interested in the NRA and gun politics today should read this book." * Choice *"Lacombe’s book is a worthy read because it provides a new lens through which to view the NRA and the development of the gun rights movement more broadly. Its reorientation of the discussion from material and partisan to psychological processes makes Firepower an important addition to any syllabus on gun politics and interest group politics."---Alexandra Filindra, Perspectives on Politics
£18.00
The History Press Ltd Sand Planes and Submarines
Book SynopsisSand, Planes and Submarines: How Leighton Buzzard shortened the First World War
£16.19
The History Press Ltd Roman Cavalry Equipment
Book SynopsisDrawing on written records, coins, inscriptions and other archaeological evidence, the authors present a detailed picture of how the Roman cavalryman and his horse were equipped.
£19.12
The History Press Ltd Arrowstorm
Book SynopsisThis book chronicles the overwhelming importance of the military archer in the late medieval period. The longbow played a central role in the English victory at the battles of Crecy and Agincourt. Completely undermining the supremacy of heavy cavalry, the longbow forced a wholesale reassessment of battlefield tactics. Richard Wadge explains what made England''s longbow archers so devastating, detailing the process by which their formidable armament was manufactured and the conditions that produced men capable of continually drawing a bow under a tension of 100 pounds. Uniquely, Wadge looks at the economics behind the supply of longbows to the English army and the social history of the military archer. Crucially, what were the advantages of joining the first professional standing army in England since the days of the Roman conquest? Was it the pay, the booty, or the glory? With its painstaking analysis of contemporary records, Arrowstorm paints a vivid portrait of the life of a professional soldier in the war which forged the English national consciousness.
£16.14
The History Press Ltd The Machine Gun Story
Book SynopsisWarfare truly entered the industrial age with the invention and adoption of the machine gun. Armed with a machine gun, one or two men could potentially hold off a whole company of enemy soldiers, and inflict terrible losses while doing so. The Machine Gun Story describes how Hiram Maxim's invention in the late 19th century went on to transform the ways that armies and also air forces fought. Each stage in the technical development of machine guns is clearly explained, and the book also explores how submachine guns developed as a more portable offshoot, with their own set of consequences. While the tactical implications of machine guns are explored, the book never shrinks from the dark history of how machine guns have been used, whether fired from a trench on the Western Front in WWI or from a helicopter circling over the jungles of Vietnam. Chris McNab has written widely on the development and use of weapons in warfare throughout history.
£8.54
The History Press Ltd The Secret World of Vickers Guided Weapons
Book SynopsisBased on the author''s own involvement as an engineer at the company through the 1950s and early 1960s and on more recent research of the archives at Brooklands Museum and the PRO, this book explains the successes and failures of leading-edge developments at Vickers, in the early days of guided weapons. John Forbat explains missile and avionics systems and trials, with diagrams and photographs, and tells the story of the company and its individuals. Projects covered in depth include Red Rapier, Blue Boar, Red Dean and Vigilant anti-tank missile, of which the author has first-hand experience as he started working for Vickers as a graduate apprentice assembling airplanes and soon graduated into Special Projects where he was responsible for many of the trials.Trade Review'A researcher's goldmine, this detailed book is crammed with facts, personal anecdotes, previously classified material and comprehensive explanations which, in a very real way, chart the evolution of today's generation of breathtakingly advanced frontline weapon systems.' -- Wg Cdr Al Monkman
£16.19
The History Press Ltd Life at a Secret Location
Book SynopsisDuring the 1930s the popular press were carrying stories of a death ray that could disable aircraft, and it became such a popular notion that an investigation was carried out by a government scientist, Robert Watson-Watt. His discovery was that it was not that electro-magnetic waves could interfere with aircraft, but that aircraft could interfere with radio transmissions. The strategic importance of this was appreciated and a secret establishment was set up to develop a means of using radio transmissions to detect the approach of enemy aircraft the birth of radar. As World War II broke out Ian Goult joined this elite group of scientists aged only sixteen as a lab assistant, working on GEE, a navigational aid allowing accurate location of targets. Its success allowed Bomber command to effectively navigate as far as the Ruhr.In Secret Location, Goult describes taking part in work on radar and microwave techniques that gave Britain supremacy in the air, and greatly improved submarine detection during the Battle of the Atlantic, saving thousands of tons of materiel and many lives. Told in an engaging style, this book offers a unique insight in those men whose achievements during the war have been underappreciated, but whose efforts were a key factor in the Allied victory. Postwar, Ian Goult was closely involved in the development of ground proximity warning systems and and the very first ATOL.
£11.03
The History Press Ltd Soes Secret Weapons Centre Station 12
Book SynopsisThe full story of Aston House in the Second World War has never been told before. Its activities were top secret and as important to the Allied war effort as those of Bletchley Park, but in a different way. Situated near Stevenage, Aston House was one of many British country houses requisitioned during the Second World War by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Born out of Bletchley Park, where it began life as SIS Section ''D'' (for Destruction), Station 12''s scientific and military personnel invented, made and supplied ''toys'' for the Commandos, Special Boat Service, SAS, and resistance groups. Included in their deadly arsenal of weapons were plastic explosives, limpet mines, pressure switches, tree spigots, incendiary bombs, incendiary liquids and arrows, and a variety of time fuses. They worked on the tools for famous operations, such as the St Nazaire and Dieppe Raids, and the assassination of Himmler''s deputy in Prague. Also revealed are the human stories of personnel stat
£10.79
The History Press Ltd First World War Weapons 5 Minute History
Book SynopsisHow much can you really find out about the Weapons of the First World War in five minutes? This handy little history book will surpass all your expectations and leave you well versed on all you wish to know, and maybe even a little bit more…What was the deadliest weapon?
£6.19
University of British Columbia Press The Price of Alliance
Book SynopsisFor forty years during the Cold War, Canada garrisoned troops and tanks near the Iron Curtain. In the late 1960s, Pierre Trudeau announced plans to remove these tanks and focus on home defence, but allies resisted this decision. After six years of overt and subtle pressures, Trudeau was at last convinced that Canadian tanks in Europe were necessary to support foreign policy objectives, and the Leopard tanks, purchased in 1976, symbolized an increased Canadian commitment to NATO.Drawing on interviews and records from Canada, NATO, the US, and Germany, The Price of Alliance tells the story of the purchase, balancing high politics with military requirements in the first major reappraisal of Trudeau's defence policy. Frank Maas illuminates the problem of defence policymaking in a multi-country alliance as well as the opportunities and difficulties of defence procurement. At the same time, he challenges the relevance of NATO to Canada and the influence that Canada wieldsTrade ReviewThis is a solid work based on extensive research. There is much new material presented that historians will want to access. It is also well-written for the general reader and underscores the fact that the light/heavy debate continues into the present given recent controversies over yet another Leopard tank and the associated Close Combat Vehicle -- Dr. Peter Kasurak * CDA Institue Website *Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The 1964 White Paper on Defence: Responding to a New Strategic Context2 The Traditionalists at Work: Renegotiating NATO Commitments in 19673 Trudeau Takes the Reins: The Triumph of the Revisionists4 The Summer of 1969: Consultations with Allies5 The Revisionists Assert Control: Defence in the 70s6 The Scorpion and the Centurion: The Nadir of the Civil Military Crisis7 Tanks, Trade, and Strategy: Trudeau Relents8 “From a Beetle to a Porsche”: The Purchase of the LeopardConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex
£59.50
University of British Columbia Press The Price of Alliance The Politics and
Book SynopsisThe Price of Alliance balances high politics with military requirements in the first major reappraisal of Pierre Trudeau’s controversial defence policy.Trade ReviewThis is a solid work based on extensive research. There is much new material presented that historians will want to access. It is also well-written for the general reader and underscores the fact that the light/heavy debate continues into the present given recent controversies over yet another Leopard tank and the associated Close Combat Vehicle -- Dr. Peter Kasurak * CDA Institue Website *Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The 1964 White Paper on Defence: Responding to a New Strategic Context2 The Traditionalists at Work: Renegotiating NATO Commitments in 19673 Trudeau Takes the Reins: The Triumph of the Revisionists4 The Summer of 1969: Consultations with Allies5 The Revisionists Assert Control: Defence in the 70s6 The Scorpion and the Centurion: The Nadir of the Civil Military Crisis7 Tanks, Trade, and Strategy: Trudeau Relents8 “From a Beetle to a Porsche”: The Purchase of the LeopardConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.19
Johns Hopkins University Press Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe
Book SynopsisHall details the efforts of armorers across Europe as they experimented with a variety of gunpowder recipes and gunsmithing techniques, and he examines the integration of new weapons into the existing structure of European warfare.Trade ReviewHall has long been recognized as a leading authority on early modern military technology. Scholars of the period and historians in general will find this the best treatment to date of the impact of gunpowder on Western Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. History: Reviews of New Books Combines a good grasp of military history with an understanding of the history of technology... Hall manages to integrate his technical discussion into a refreshing reinterpretation of general military history in the period, and his book is an engrossing read. American Historical Review
£25.20
Stanford University Press Trust but Verify
Book SynopsisTrust, but Verify uses trustwith its emotional and predictive aspectsto explore international relations in the second half of the Cold War, beginning with the late 1960s. The détente of the 1970s led to the development of some limited trust between the United States and the Soviet Union, which lessened international tensions and enabled advances in areas such as arms control. However, it also created uncertainty in other areas, especially on the part of smaller states that depended on their alliance leaders for protection. The contributors to this volume look at how the emotional side of the conflict affected the dynamics of various Cold War relations: between the superpowers, within the two ideological blocs, and inside individual countries on the margins of the EastWest confrontation.Trade Review"This book offers an insightful explanation for one of the great puzzles of recent history: how the Cold War, a seemingly indestructible international regime, came to an end. And it will also make waves because the essays take seriously the mission of relating the political, economic, and cultural factors to emotions history."—Frank Costigliola, University of Connecticut"In an abundance of 'trust talk' in international relations, finally a scholarly analysis of how and why trust really matters: how it facilitated cooperation, enabled risk-taking, and helped to establish confidence-building politics, under the highly unlikely auspices of the Cold War."—Ute Frevert, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development
£52.70
University of Pennsylvania Press Fighting Machines
Book SynopsisLethal autonomous weapons are weapon systems that can select and destroy targets without intervention by a human operator. Fighting Machines explores the relationship between lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS), the concept of human dignity, and international law. Much of this analysis speaks to three fundamental and related problems: When a LAWS takes a human life, is that killing a violation of human dignity? Can states and non-state actors use LAWS in accordance with international law? And are there certain responsibilities of human decision-making during wartime that we should not delegate to machines?In the book, Dan Saxon argues that the use of LAWS to take human life constitutes a violation of human dignity. Rather than concentrating on the victims of the use of lethal force, Saxon instead focuses on the technology and relevant legal principles and rules to advance several propositions. First, as LAWS operate at increasingly greater speeds, their use will undermine Trade ReviewLethal autonomous weapons systems – ‘killer robots’ — are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Their champions argue that taking targeting decisions out of the hands of fallible humans will save lives in wartime. In this powerful and rigorously reasoned critique, legal expert Dan Saxon warns that very soon the speed and complexity of the weapons will make it impossible to keep human decision makers in the loop. The result is a disastrous loss of responsibility – and responsibility lies at the heart of war fighters’ human dignity and capacity for empathy. This is the best book I know on the law and morality of autonomous weapons systems. * David Luban, Georgetown University Law Center *Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the moral and legal challenges posed by the use of lethal autonomous weapons. Saxon adeptly traverses multiple bodies of law to examine how such weapons will erode moral agency, human dignity, and international law. * Sarah Knuckey, Columbia Law School *
£55.80
Taylor & Francis Ltd Battlefield Forensics for Persian Gulf States
Book SynopsisBattlefield Forensics for Persian Gulf States provides an illustrative reference of various weapons, toolmarks, headstamps, and other traits in order to identify the origins of a variety of guns, casings, and ammunition that can be found in the Middle East. Various conflicts in the region have led to innumerable weapons being used throughout the years. The lead author, Don Mikko, has investigated and examined firearms related items of evidence in countless crime scenes throughout the world. As the Chief of the Firearms Branch at the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL), Fort Gillem, Georgia, he recruited, trained, and competency tested military contractors deploying to various combat related areas of the world, those providing forensic firearm and toolmark identification support to local commanders. What was learned was that various foreign weapons and ammunition were being utilized in conflicts and by opposing forces. This book educates readers on the technical data for different types of firearms, ammunition, countries of origin, proof marks, penetrator information and the typical firearm markings imparted on fired cartridge cases, such as breech-face, firing pin, ejector, and extractor markings. Forensics and biometrics within the Persian Gulf have been leveraged since the early 1990s and many of the firearms and types of ammunition covered in this handbook are addressed in an effort to assist those on the ground who are required to be able to identify such items in various scenarios. The information contained within the book has proven to be effective on the battlefield and has helped shape combat operations. This handbook will serve as a useful reference not only to assist military and contractor personnel within the various combat locations but will also prove to be beneficial for law-enforcement, crime laboratory personnel, forensic firearm and toolmark examiners, crime scene investigators, students, practitioners, and civilian personnel throughout the world. Table of Contents1. Opposing Forces Weapons Persian Gulf/Middle East 2. Foreign and U.S. Weapons Review 3. Weapons Proofmarks, Selector Marks 4. Armor-Piercing Penetrators in Persian Gulf/Middle East 5. Headstamps
£73.14
Johns Hopkins University Press Delta of Power
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsList of FiguresIllustrationsIntroductionPart I. The Cold War MIC, 1950-1991Chapter 1. Defining the ComplexChapter 2. Civil-Military RelationsChapter 3. State and IndustryChapter 4. Among Government AgenciesChapter 5. The Scientific-Technical CommunityChapter 6. Society and TechnologyChapter 7. International Arms TradePart II. Since the Cold War, 1991-2020Chapter 8. New World OrderChapter 9. War on TerrorChapter 10. A Peer RivalConclusionGlossaryNotesIndex
£21.60
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Medieval Longsword
Book SynopsisThe formidable European longsword featuring a double-edged straight blade in excess of 40in, and capable of being used with one or both hands remains one of the most impressive and distinctive edged weapons of the late medieval era. Also known as the bastard' sword and the hand-and-a-half' sword, the longsword evolved from the war swords and great swords of the 14th century, and emerged as a battlefield weapon in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. It went on to become a key weapon on the battlefields of late medieval Europe, creating a new system of sword fighting. Drawing together period sources, modern technical analysis and his own experiences with the longsword, Neil Grant explores the origins, manufacture and evolving use of this iconic late-medieval edged weapon. Illustrated throughout with specially commissioned full-colour artwork and an array of period illustrations and close-up photographs, this is the enthralling story of one of late-medieval Europe's most disTable of ContentsIntroduction Development Use Impact Conclusion Bibliography Index
£13.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC M48 Patton vs Centurion
Book SynopsisFeaturing artwork, expert analysis and absorbing combat accounts, this is the story of the clash between two leading tanks of the Cold War era that were never designed to fight each other, but rather to line up on battlefields as allies.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications /The Combatants /The Strategic Situation /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Bibliography /Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The MosinNagant Rifle
Book SynopsisThe Mosin-Nagant is the world''s longest-surviving and most widely distributed military rifle, having armed the forces of Russia and many other countries for more than five decades. It has seen action from World War I to the present day, but is most famous for its role during World War II when it proved to be an excellent sniping weapon in the hands of marksmen such as Vasily Zaitsev and Simo Häyhä. This study covers the rifle''s entire combat history, from its early development through to its service in combat and the impact it has had on modern firearms.Dramatic battle reports and specially commissioned artwork complement the meticulously researched examination of the Mosin-Nagant provided by author Bill Harriman as he delves into the history of one of the most iconic rifles of World War II.Table of ContentsIntroduction / Development / Use / Impact / Conclusion / Bibliography / Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Cavalry Lance
Book SynopsisThe development of cavalry firearms and the widespread disappearance of armor from the European battlefield saw a decline in the use of the cavalry lance in early modern warfare. However, by 1800 the lance, much changed from its medieval predecessors in both form and function, was back.During the next century the use of the lance spread to the armed forces of almost every Western country, seeing action in every major conflict from the Napoleonic Wars to World War I including the Crimean and Franco-Prussian wars and across the Atlantic in the American Civil War. The lance even reached the colonial conflicts of the Anglo-Sikh and Boer wars. It was not until the disappearance of the mounted warrior from the battlefield that the lance was consigned to history.Featuring specially commissioned artwork and drawing upon a variety of sources, this is the engaging story of the cavalry lance at war during the 19th and 20th centuries, from Waterloo to the Somme.
£12.34
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Longbowman vs Crossbowman
Book SynopsisFor centuries, the crossbow had dominated the battlefields of continental Europe, with mercenaries from Genoa and Brabant in particular filling the ranks of the French army, yet on the outbreak of the Hundred Years'' War they came up against a more powerful foe. To master the English longbow was a labor of years, requiring far greater skill to use than the crossbow, but it was much more flexible and formidable, striking fear into French men-at-arms and cavalry.This study examines three battles: Sluys (1340), Crécy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), and shows how the use of the longbow allowed England''s armies to inflict crushing defeats on numerically superior forces. The longbow changed the shape of war, becoming the defining weapon of the age and wreaking havoc upon the French armies that would face it. Featuring full-color artwork, this is the engrossing story of the first clashes between the English longbowmen and the crossbowmen of the French king on the bloody battlefields
£14.24
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Luger
Book SynopsisPatented in 1898 and produced from 1900, Georg Luger's iconic semi-automatic pistol became synonymous with Germany's armed forces throughout both world wars. Initially chambered for the 7.65×21mm round, from 1902 the Luger was designed for DWM's 9×19mm round, which even today remains the most popular military handgun cartridge. It was adopted by the Imperial German Navy in 1904, followed by the German Army in 1908, receiving the name Pistole 08. Despite being supplanted by the Walther P38, the Luger remained in widespread service with all arms of Nazi Germany's armed forces throughout World War II, and even equipped East Germany's Volkpolizei in the years after 1945.Featuring full-colour artwork, expert analysis and archive and present-day photographs, this engaging study tells the story of the Luger, the distinctive and deadly semi-automatic pistol that has come to symbolize Germany's armed forces in the 20th century.
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Crossbow
Book SynopsisTechnologically sophisticated and powerful, the crossbow has long enjoyed a popular reputation for villainous superiority because it could be used with little training as a weapon of assassination. The study of bow designs, trigger mechanisms and spanning devices reveals a tale of considerable mechanical ingenuity; advances that produced a battlefield weapon requiring comparatively little training to use. It was an extremely useful weapon, and especially effective in siege warfare for both attack and defence.Known to the Ancient Greeks and the Chinese as early as the 5th century BC, the crossbow developed both in Western Europe and in the Far East. Advances in trigger mechanisms, spanning and bow design allowed the development of ever more powerful bows. In this study acknowledged weaponry expert Mike Loades traces the origins, development, combat record and lasting legacy of the crossbow, the formidable projectile weapon that played a key role in a host of battles and siegeTable of ContentsIntroduction / Development / Use / Impact / Conclusion / Bibliography / Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Spatha
Book SynopsisThe Roman long sword, the spatha, was central to the Romans'' defense of their empire--this title investigates the origins, development, combat use, and lasting legacy of this feared close-combat weapon. Adopted from the Celts in the 1st century BC, the spatha, a lethal and formidable chopping blade, became the primary sword of the Roman soldier in the Later Empire. Over the following centuries, the blade, its scabbard, and its system of carriage underwent a series of developments, until by the 3rd century AD it was the universal sidearm of both infantry and cavalry. Thanks to its long reach, the spatha was the ideal cavalry weapon, replacing the long gladius hispaniensis in the later Republican period. As the manner in which Roman infantrymen fought evolved, styles of hand-to-hand combat changed so much that the gladius was superseded by the longer spatha during the 2nd century AD. Like the gladius, the spatTable of ContentsIntroduction Development: Changing function Use: The cut and thrust Impact: The sword that defended an empire Conclusion Bibliography Index
£13.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Walther Pistols
Book SynopsisWhile the PP and PPK were intended for police work, the Walther P 38 was produced for the Germany military; all three pistols have garnered a formidable international reputation since the 1930s.The innovative Walther PP (Polizeipistole), a double-action semi-automatic pistol intended for the law-enforcement market, became available in 1929 and went on to arm the police of several European countries in the 1930s. Its smaller cousin the PPK, more readily concealed for undercover work but with reduced magazine capacity, was produced from 1931. Intended to replace the P 08 Luger, the Walther P 38 was issued from 1940 and equipped the armed forces of Germany and other countries during and after World War II, but never entirely replaced the Luger in German service. All three pistols went on to have lengthy and varied service across the world after 1945. Both the PP and the PPK remain in production today, while the P 38 re-emerged as the P1 and equipped West German forces frTrade ReviewThis excellent volume deals with the history of this company, their various designs from the 1930s and how these pistols were used in the service of many post-war nations. The PPK and P 38 are the mainstay of Walther’s reputation and the chapters on their history are outstandingly informative. There is so much information in this book that makes this volume a must have book for anyone interested in these pistols. Osprey Publishing have been producing the Weapon Series for several years and every book in this Series is an excellent concise guide to a particular weapon or class of weapons. This book is yet another outstanding volume added to this Series, and it is very welcomed. All the books in the Series have a similar format namely an introduction to the weapon or class of weapons, a history of their development, a detailed description of their usage, the long-term impact of the weapon / class of weapons on future derivatives / designs, a conclusion, and a highly useful bibliography. If the development of these three Walther handguns appeals to you then you must consider this book as a necessary addition to your personal library. It is priced very competitively and given the quality of the author’s research it is an excellent publication. There are masses of information on various designs / sub-variants, serial numbers, engraving and stampings etc which make this volume a superb read. The author must be congratulated on this volume and all readers will no doubt be pleased by the high quality of his work. If you have one of these guns, then this book will reveal a considerable amount about its history. -- Dr Stuart C Blank * Military Archive Research *The PP, PPK and P38, some of the most famous pistols of the 20th Century, are covered in this new title, number 82 in the Osprey Weapons series. An 80-page soft-cover book in the usual Osprey style. The book opens with an Introduction that gives some historical background to the area of the Thuringen Forest of east-central Germany and a tradition of gunmakers to which Walthers became a part. With some early designs that led to the design of the PP, the Polizei-Pistole, a semi-automatic designed for police and personal use. Then the PPK, a slightly smaller version known generally of the Polizei-Pistole Kriminal, intended to more easily concealed. Added to these was the work on a military pistol, to replace the P08 Luger, something easier to manufacturer and simpler to maintain in the field, this resulted in the P38. There is great detail on the weapons themselves, the markings you will find on them, the numbers made, the serial numbers used, and in terms of the German military, who they were issued to. They proved reliable weapons, with the small PP & PPK popular with AFV and aircrews where they suited the more confined spaces and after the war they remained in production, not only in Germany but in France as well. Fascinating text accompanied by lots of photos of preserved examples long with some beautiful artwork which included cutaways of both the PPK and P38 weapons. These Walther guns remained in production after the end of the war and used by both the German and French military post-war. If you have any interest in these famous guns, either for their wartime military use or with the fame the PPK gained for being used by James Bond then there is a lot to like about this book. I for one was able to discover a little more about my own examples of the PPK and the P38, which for example I now know was made by Mauser at their Obendorf factory. A fine reference to keep if you have any interest in these famous Walther products. Thanks to Osprey for our review copy. -- Robin Buckland * Military Model Scene *I found this book fascinating, in the way the author relates the gradual evolution of the three weapons , their variants and special orders and serial numbers, also including some unusual derivatives that I had never heard of -- Susan Wilson * Army Rumour Service *Table of ContentsIntroduction Development Use Impact Conclusion Bibliography Index
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Soviet Pistols
Book SynopsisThis is the absorbing story of the development, combat use and legacy of the influential sidearms used by the armed forces of the Soviet Union. Featuring archive and present-day photography and specially commissioned artwork, this is the story of the pistols that armed the forces of the Soviet Union and its allies during and after World War II. In 1930 the TT, a single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev and firing 7.62×25mm ammunition, began to supplement the venerable Nagant M1895 revolver in Soviet military service. From 1933 the TT-33, a simplified version, was also issued; all three would equip Soviet and proxy forces throughout and after World War II, seeing action across the globe. In 1951 a new pistol designed by Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov entered Soviet service; it became the primary Soviet military and police sidearm during the Cold War era and continued in use into the 21st century. The 9×18mm Makarov round was used in various weapons useTrade ReviewIn summary, this is a superb and concise book on the range of pistols developed during the Soviet era. It is well presented, highly informative and wonderful to read. It is a “must have” book for any connoisseur of Soviet pistol designs. -- Stuart Blank * Military Archive Reseach *Highly illustrated throughout, there are plenty of detailed photos showing the various pistols, and their holsters, plus some fine sectioned artwork. There are archive photos and a lot of modern pictures showing preserved examples. As an owner of a deactivated example of a Tokarev, I found this an interesting read. -- Robin Buckland * Military Model Scene *The author clearly knows these weapons very well, and has test fired just about all of them. This shows in the clarity of the text, and also in the choice of illustrations, which support the text very well. -- John Rickard * Historyofwar.org *Table of Contents[provisional] Introduction Development Use Impact Conclusion Bibliography Index
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Dacians and Getae at War
Book SynopsisThis intriguing book describes the Romans'' formidably warlike enemies in modern Romania and Bulgaria their ''most illustrated'' opponents, thanks to friezes on Trajan''s Column and carvings on Trajan''s Adamklissi monument.Formidable warriors, able to field tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry and led by a military aristocracy, the Dacians and Getae presented a real threat to Rome''s north-eastern frontier. They inflicted several defeats on Rome, crossing the Danube to invade the province of Moesia, and later stubbornly resisting counter-invasions from their strong mountain fortresses.Historians believe that the Dacians and Getae were essentially the same group of tribes during successive periods, related to Thracian tribes from territory south of the Carpathian Mountains, but their exact relationship in place and time is a subject for debate. Those called the ''Getae'' by ancient Greek sources were actively expanding by at least the 4th century BC; somTrade Reviewwell-produced, extensively illustrated and carefully edited little book. * Army Rumour Service *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION SELECT CHRONOLOGY THE GETAE AND DACI IN ANCIENT SOURCES SOCIAL STRUCTURES ARMIES CAMPAIGNS APPEARANCE MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND USE SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Nambu Pistols
Book SynopsisThis is the absorbing story of the handguns credited to Nambu Kijiro, the principal personal-defence weapons of the Imperial forces.Featuring full-color artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this book charts the origins, development, combat use, and legacy of the Nambu pistols. Cutaway artwork reveals the inner workings of these important handguns, while specially commissioned battlescenes depict them in use in action.Influenced by the German C 96 and other semi-automatic pistols, the first Nambu model was never accepted for universal issue, being confined largely to purchase by Japanese officers. Adopted in 1925, the 14th Year Type was to become the best-known of these handguns, serving in every campaign undertaken by the Japanese in the 1930s and then throughout World War II. It served alongside the bizarrely conceived Type 94, intended as the weapon of airmen, tank crew, and anyone to whom its compact dimensions were useful.When World War II endTrade ReviewWithout a doubt the author has done a great service to those interested in Japanese personal weapons. -- Stuart Blank * Military Archive Research *With a mix of archive and modern photos, along with artwork that does include fine cutaway diagrams, the story of the design is well illustrated. * Military Model Scene *Table of ContentsIntroduction Development Use Impact Conclusion Bibliography Index
£14.39
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The FN FAL Battle Rifle
Book SynopsisOf all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German ‘assault rifle’, the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.Trade ReviewFor those of us who did have a love affair with this rifle, it is a book that should be on our bookshelves if not in our hands, and for those who have never experienced the weapon, it's an interesting and illuminating read that may help to understand why it was so revered. - arrse.co.ukTable of ContentsIntroduction/ Development /Use /Impact /Conclusion /Bibliography
£14.39
Amber Books Ltd Modern Military Aircraft: Development, Weaponry,
Book SynopsisModern Military Aircraft is a fascinating guide to the most important military aircraft developed since World War II. This highly illustrated book features a wide range of aircraft that served in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, conflicts in the Middle East and the Falklands. Types of aircraft range from front line fighters to reconnaissance aircraft to bombers to interceptors and helicopters. Spanning such famous planes as the Lockheed Blackbird and the MiG-21, Modern Military Aircraft also includes lesser-known examples such as the South African Atlas Cheetah and the EH101 Merlin helicopter. Arranged by countries, each of the 75 featured aircraft is presented with outstanding fully annotated three-view colour artworks, development and service history, specification tables and colour and black-&-white photographs. With a wealth of information and splendidly presented, this book is a must for aviation enthusiasts.Table of ContentsIntroduction Czech Republic/Slovakia France Italy International Israel Japan South Africa Sweden Taiwan United Kingdom United States USSR/Russia Index
£11.69
Amber Books Ltd Aircraft of World War II: Development, Weaponry,
Book SynopsisAircraft of World War II details the design and specifications of 75 of the most important warplanes used during the conflict, from the venerable Fairey Swordfish biplane, through legendary aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire and Douglas C-47 Dakota, to the Messerschmitt Me-262, the first operational jet fighter. Presenting the information in an innovative format, the book features three-view colour artworks of each aircraft along with informed text giving a detailed account of the aircraft’s development. Examining each featured aircraft over two spreads, full technical information is provided for each type, including maximum speed, range and powerplant. Arranged by country, expertly written and attractively presented, Aircraft of World War II is an accessible guide for any aviation enthusiast.Table of ContentsIntroduction France Italy Japan Poland Soviet Union United Kingdom United States Index
£11.69
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Art of Swordsmanship by Hans Lecküchner
Book SynopsisEnglish translation of one of the most significant medieval texts on fighting with swords. Completed in 1482, Johannes Lecküchner's Art of Combat with the "Langes Messer" (Messerfechtkunst) is among the most important documents on the combat arts of the Middle Ages. The Messer was a single-edged, one-handed utility sword peculiar to central Europe, but Lecküchner's techniques apply to cut-and-thrust swords in general: not only is this treatise the single most substantial work on the use of one-handed swords to survive from this period, but it is the most detailed explanation of the two-handed sword techniques of the German "Liechtenauer" school dating back to the 1300s. Lecküchner's lavish manuscript consists of over four hundred illustrations with explanatory text, in which the author, a parish priest, rings the changes on bladework, deceits, and grappling, with techniques ranging from life-or-death escapes from an armed assailant to slapstick moves designed to please the crowd in public fencing matches. This translation, complete with all illustrations from the manuscript, makes the treatise accessible for the first time since the author's untimely death less than a year after its completion left his major work to be lost for generations. An extensive introduction, notes, and glossary analyze and contextualize the work and clarify its technical content. Jeffrey L. Forgeng is curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art at the Worcester Art Museum, and teaches as Adjunct Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.Trade ReviewIt is clear that Jeffrey Forgeng is not only a technical expert on the weapon illustrated in this manual, but also a scholar deeply versed in the manuscript tradition of which this volume is a part as well as in the accumulated historiography that treats it. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *A fantastic attempt to make the fecht-bücher increasingly accessible to a wider audience.... What sets this book apart is the contextualisation of the source and the excellent translations. * MEDIEVAL WARFARE *For anyone really interested in fighting styles and techniques, this is a must-read. * SLINGSHOT *Forgeng's translation is clear and accessible. His experience not only as a scholar of early swordsmanship, but as a practitioner, is readily apparent. . . . [Forgeng makes] a vital text more widely available for practitioners not only looking to better understand the use of single-handed swords of all types, but also to how those techniques complement other medieval martial practices. * DE RE MILITARI *
£105.31
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Sword: Form and Thought
Book SynopsisA multidisciplinary overview of current research into the enduringly fascinating martial artefact which is the sword. The sword is the most iconic of all weapons. Throughout history, it has connected various, sometimes conflicting, dimensions of human culture: physical combat and representation of political power, definition of gender roles and refinement of body techniques, evolution of craftsmanship and mythological symbolism. The articles collected here explore these dimensions, from a variety of disciplines, among them archaeology, medieval history, museum conservation, and linguistics. They cover topics from the production and combat use of Bronze Age swords via medieval fencing culture to the employment of the sword in modern military. They question traditional sword typologies and wide-spread theories about sword making, discuss medieval sword terminology and the use of swords as royal insignia, and describe the scientific methods for approaching original finds. Arising from an international conference held at Deutsches Klingenmuseum Solingen (the German Blade Museum), the volume provides fresh insights into the forms the sword can take, and the thoughts it inspires. LISA DEUTSCHER and MIRJAM E. KAISER work in prehistoric archaeology, specialising in La Tène and Bronze Age swords, respectively. SIXT WETZLER is the deputy director of the German Blade Museum; his research focuses on the history of edged weapons, and their use. Contributors:Matthias Johannes Bauer, Holger Becker, Jan-Heinrich Bunnefeld, Rachel J. Crellin, Vincenzo D'Ercole, Andrea Dolfini, Raphael Hermann, Daniel Jaquet, Robert W. Jones, Ulrich Lehmann, Claus Lipka, Stefan Maeder, Michael Mattner, Florian Messner, Nicole Mölk, Ingo Petri, Stefan Roth, Fabrizio Savi, Ulrike Töchterle, Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis, Marion Uckelmann, Henry YallopTrade Review[The] contributions...combine to provide many insights into sword form, use and meaning across a wide prehistoric to early modern timeframe. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY *This book is likely to be of interest to scholars, as well as serious sword enthusiasts, reenactors, and reproduction swordsmiths. -- H-NET REVIEWSTable of ContentsForeword Preface "What is the Riddle of Steel?": Problems of Classification and Terminology in the Study of Late Medieval Swords - Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis Challenging Typologies: Swords in the Utrecht Psalter - Stefan Maeder "...schirmen mit Federklingen": Towards a Terminology of Fencing Swords (1400-1600) - Daniel Jaquet Phosphoric Iron and Welded Patterns: The Reconstruction of an Early Medieval Sword from Beckum - Ulrich Lehmann Phosphoric Iron and Welded Patterns: The Reconstruction of an Early Medieval Sword from Beckum - Stefan Roth Phosphoric Iron and Welded Patterns: The Reconstruction of an Early Medieval Sword from Beckum - Claus Lipka Material and Properties of VLFBERHT Swords - Ingo Petri A Sword from the Rhine: Restoration, Examination and Classification of a Chance Find - Holger Becker The Highest Art of Smithery: Research on a Tyrolean Sword - Florian Messner and Ulrike Töchterle The Battle for Glory: Form and Function of Early Nordic Bronze Age Swords - Jan-Heinrich Bunnefeld The Iron Sword from the "Warrior's Grave" in Lanuvium - Fabrizio Savi The Swords of the Italic Kings - Vincenzo D'Ercole The Three Treasures in One Blade: Thoughts on a Rare Form of the Japanese Sword - Michael Mattner ".j. veel feble fauchon dil anxien temps." The Selection of the Falchion as Symbol of Tenure: Form, Function and Symbolism - Robert W. Jones The Way of the Northmen: The Development of the Norman Sword from Duke Rollo in Normandy to Emperor Frederick II in Sicily from the Tenth to the Thirteenth Century - Nicole Mölk Researching Bronze Age Swordsmanship: Experiments and Wear Analysis - Raphael Hermann and Andrea Dolfini and Rachel J. Crellin and Marion Uckelmann Egenolff's Fight Book: Form and Thought, Then and Now - Matthias Johannes Bauer A Sword for a System: The Pattern 1796 Light Cavalry Sword - Henry Yallop Bibliography Index
£58.50
The Crowood Press Ltd Military Pistols: Handguns of the Two World Wars
Book SynopsisThis book provides a convenient reference to the history and characteristics of the self-loading pistols that were adopted by the military forces of the nations involved in the two World Wars. It presents a selection of nineteen self-loading pistols - and the firms engaged in their manufacture - during this period, together with a technical appraisal of each weapon. For each pistol a history of both manufacturer and pistol is provided, along with a colour photograph and cutaway views of both the pistol and its breech operation. Details and cutaway views are also provided for the cartridges used by these pistols. All of the weapons illustrated are representative of the pattern issued to the military, and in many cases they continued to be produced for the commercial market.
£12.30
