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Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Weapons & equipment > General
The machine-gun is one of the iconic weapons of the Great War
indeed of the twentieth century. Yet it is also one of the most
misunderstood. During a four-year war that generated unprecedented
casualties, the machine-gun stood out as a key weapon. In the
process it took on an almost legendary status that persists to the
present day. It shaped the tactics of the trenches, while
simultaneously evolving in response to the tactical imperatives
thrown up by this new form of warfare. Paul Cornish, in this
authoritative and carefully considered study, reconsiders the
history automatic firepower, and he describes in vivid detail its
development during the First World War and the far-reaching
consequences thereof. He dispels many myths and misconceptions that
have grown up around automatic firearms, but also explores their
potency as symbols and icons. His clear-sighted reassessment of the
phenomenon of the machine-gun will be fascinating reading for
students of military history and of the Great War in particular.
Individually and collectively, the Fellows of the Royal Society
were involved in many wartime activities. For example, prior to the
outbreak of World War Two Her Majesty's Government decided to
establish a Central Register of persons with 'professional,
scientific, technical or higher administrative qualifications', for
use in time of War, and entrusted this work to the Ministry of
Labour. The Secretaries of the Royal Society discussed the project
with officials from that Ministry, and at the beginning of 1939,
started to compile the part of the Central Register which dealt
with scientific research. Some Fellows such as Sir Winston
Churchill FRS, Albert Einstein ForMemRS, Alan Turing FRS, Sir
Barnes Wallis FRS and Jan Christian Smuts FRS were either in the
public eye during World War Two, or were the subject of films and
documentaries soon afterwards. Equally there are individuals who
have escaped the limelight. For example, Sir Harry Work Melville
FRS was Scientific Adviser to the Chief Superintendent of Chemical
Defence, Ministry of Supply (1940-1943) based mainly at Porton Down
and Superintendent of the Radar Research Station at Malvern
(1943-1945). Sir (Thomas) Angus Lyall Paton FRS organised staff for
the supervision of a number of the reinforced concrete caissons and
Phoenix units that formed part of Mulberry Harbours for the
invasion of France, which incidentally were designed by Sir Bruce
White. Of course Sir Frank Whittle OM CBE CB FRS also came to the
public's attention for his war work on the jet engine.
Interestingly, William Michael Herbert Greaves FRS was appointed
Astronomer Royal for Scotland, as well as Professor of Astronomy at
Edinburgh University and was in charge of the Royal Observatory in
Edinburgh. He helped to set up an independent time service there,
in case the regular Greenwich time service should be completely
disrupted. This service was run by Greaves with the help of only a
very small staff. These, and many other stories, provide a
fascinating and detailed picture of the men frequently labelled
'boffins', and the work they did during World War Two.
This handbook provides critical analyses of the theory and
practices of small arms proliferation and its impact on conflicts
and organized violence in Africa. It examines the terrains,
institutions, factors and actors that drive armed conflict and arms
proliferation, and further explores the nature, scope, and dynamics
of conflicts across the continent, as well as the extent to which
these conflicts are exacerbated by the proliferation of small arms.
The volume features rich analyses by contributors who are
acquainted with, and widely experienced in, the formal and informal
structures of arms proliferation and control, and their
repercussions on violence, instability and insecurity across
Africa. The chapters dissect the challenges of small arms and light
weapons in Africa with a view to understanding roots causes and
drivers, and generating a fresh body of analyses that adds value to
the existing conversation on conflict management and peacebuilding
in Africa. With contributions from scholars, development
practitioners, defence and security professionals and civil society
activists, the handbook seeks to serve as a reference for students,
researchers, and policy makers on small arms proliferation, control
and regulation; defence and security practitioners; and those
involved in countering violence and managing conflicts in Africa.
'War is a duel written large.' How did we get from clubs and spears
to machine guns and drone missiles? What led to the human race
firing projectiles across a no-man's-land, from straightforward
warfare to spies and insurgency? Here renowned military historian
Martin van Creveld has compiled a concise guide to the history of
war in 100 key events, from 10,000 BCE to the present day: Stone
Age 'wars'; Vikings raids; medieval conflicts; revolutionary wars;
Napoleonic wars; world wars; the Iraq war; women in war and much
more. With intriguing facts and a worldwide range, War in 100
Events is an immensely entertaining volume for military buffs and
laymen alike.
On an average day in the United States, guns are used to kill
almost eighty people and wound nearly three hundred more; yet such
facts are accepted as a natural consequence of supposedly high
American rates of violence. Private Guns, Public Health reveals the
advantages of treating gun violence as a consumer safety and public
health problem-an approach that emphasizes prevention over
punishment and that has successfully reduced the rates of injury
and death from infectious disease, car accidents, and tobacco
consumption. Hemenway fair-mindedly and authoritatively outlines a
policy course that would significantly reduce gun-related injury
and death, pointing us toward a solution.
Adopted by the German Wehrmacht at the end of 1939, more than 1.2
million P.38s were manufactured up to 1945. Designed by the Walther
company from its civilian model PP, it was the first double-action
military pistol. Its robustness and simplicity of manufacture made
it a worthy successor to the legendary P.08 Luger in the Second
World War. This illustrated book presents the design,
manufacturing, and development of the various models, from initial
acceptance by the German military in 1938 through their production
and use from 1939 to 1945. Includes close-up views of markings and
other details, as well as a visual breakdown of the weapon.
Accessories such as magazines, ammunition, holsters, and cleaning
kits are featured throughout the book, as are rarely seen
combat-related uniform and equipment items.
The M1 carbine is a .30-caliber, semiautomatic rifle that first
appeared in 1942 as a standard firearm for the US military during
World War II. It was later used by US forces in the Korean and
Vietnam Wars and continues to see worldwide use to this day.
Produced in several variants by many manufacturers, it was and is
still widely used not only by military forces, but by paramilitary
and police units worldwide. Its design, construction, and
variants-including the M1A1, M2, and M3-are shown in superb period
photography and clear, up-close color images. Accessories such as
magazines, ammunition, belts, pouches, and cleaning kits are
featured throughout the book, as well as rarely seen World War
II-related uniform and equipment items.
The seventh volume of trucks and cars used by Germany during WWII.
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The Bren Gun
(Paperback)
Neil Grant; Illustrated by Peter Dennis
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Adopted in 1938 and remaining in British service until 1991, the
popular and reliable Bren was an iconic light machine gun, and
arguably the most recognizable Commonwealth weapon of World War ll.
Gas-operated and magazine-fed, it was based on a Czech design and
was issued in large numbers during and after World War ll, as a
section-level automatic weapon. Offering remarkable accuracy for an
LMG, the Bren had an effective range of 600 yards, but could reach
out to over 1,500 yards. It was generally fired from the prone
position using a bipod, but could be fired from the hip when
necessary. If kept clean, the Bren gave a reliable service in the
harshest of environments, from the deserts of Libya to the Korean
mountains in winter. As well as widespread infantry use, the Bren
was widely supplied to resistance movements in Occupied Europe.
Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and based on
meticulous research, this is an engaging story of the iconic light
machine gun that equipped British and Commonwealth forces
throughout World War II and in a host of postwar conflicts, right
up to the Falklands and beyond.
A guide to sieges that took place in Europe and the Near East
between 450 and 1565. The chapter on weaponry is descriptive and
there are excellent drawings as well as contemporary illustrations.
Equally, the final chapter on the conduct of sieges is admirably
forthright... the index is particularly good. TIMES LITERARY
SUPPLEMENT In medieval warfare, the siege predominated: for every
battle, there were hundreds of sieges. Yet the rich and vivid
history of siege warfare has been consistently neglected. Jim
Bradbury's panoramic survey takes the history of siege warfare in
Europe from the late Roman Empire to the 16th century, and includes
sieges in Byzantium, Eastern Europe and the areas affected by the
Crusades. Within this broad sweep of time and place, he finds, not
that enormous changes occurred, but that the rules and methods of
siege warfare remained remarkably constant. Included are detailed
studies of some of the major sieges including Constantinople and
Chateau-Gaillard. Throughout, Bradbury supports his narrative with
chronicles and letters. irst-hand accounts of danger, famine and
endurance bring the acute reality of siege warfare clearly before
the reader. JIM BRADBURY is the author of The Medieval Archer; he
writes and lectures on battles and warfare in England and France in
the middle ages.
This book examines emerging defense technologies such as directed
energy weapons, nanotech devices, and bioscience applications that
have the potential to dominate international relations in the
future, just as nuclear weapons and space infrastructure-assisted
conventional weapons do now. Emerging Military Technologies: A
Guide to the Issues examines the potential of the United States to
bring new technologies to deployment in the service of America's
security and defense. The work also discusses how other
international actors may regard the United States' investment in
these high-tech capabilities, identifying possible resultant
counter actions, and presents several divergent viewpoints on what
the future may bring. The book thoroughly explores three general
categories of emerging technologies: autonomous computers,
nanotechnology and biotechnology, and the interrelated topics of
directed energy weapons and ubiquitous space access. Security
studies expert Wilson W.S. Wong balances coverage of today's
cutting-edge science and engineering with treatment of real-world
concerns of effectiveness, military ethics, and international
relations in the 21st century. An invaluable resource for members
of the military and intelligence communities, this book also
provides general readers with an accessible introduction to these
highly technical topics.
From the Capture of Algiers to the disbanding of the REP, through
the Carlist Wars in Spain, Camerone, the Great War, Bir-Hakeim or
Indochina, this book retraces the history of the most famous corps
in military history over the last two centuries.
Weapons of myth and scandal, that is the best way to describe the
spigot weapons deployed by the British in the Second World War.
Unlike conventional mortars, a spigot mortar does not have a barrel
through with the round is fired. Instead, the general concept
involves a steel rod - the 'spigot' - onto which the bomb is placed
before it is fired. This design was, as David Lister reveals, the
basis of a number of successful weapons used during the Second
World War. The myth of the PIAT man-portable anti-tank weapon is,
for example, tied closely to British paratroopers struggling in the
ruins of Arnhem with an inadequate design, one inferior to the
German equivalent. Similarly, the myth of the Blacker Bombard is of
a useless weapon, one of dubious quality, that was dumped on the
unsuspecting Home Guard. In reality, neither scenario is the case.
Both weapons were devastating creations of war, often superior to
any other nation's counterpart. At sea, the Hedgehog anti-submarine
weapon was another powerful spigot weapon. It was undoubtedly
capable of sweeping the U-boats from the sea and even winning the
Battle of the Atlantic before it had really begun. That it did not
is one of the great scandals of the Second World War, one hidden by
wartime secrecy until now. In _Defeating the Panzer-Stuka Menace_
the author explores a large number of spigot weapons from the
Second World War, many of which were created by the fertile mind of
one of Britain's great weapon inventors, Latham Valentine Stewart
Blacker.
Detailed photos of all Panzer types used between 1935-1945 in over
400 large format photos.
German long-range anti-shipping aircraft was also used as Hitler's
personal aircraft.
Among the makers of these unusual aircraft were Focke-Wulf,
Flettner and Wiener-Naustdter.
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