The international bestselling author returns with an exploration of one of the grandest obsessions of the twentieth century.

In the years before the Second World War, in a sleepy air force base in central Alabama, a small group of renegade pilots put forth a radical idea. What if we made bombing so accurate that wars could be fought entirely from the air? What if we could make the brutal clashes between armies on the ground a thing of the past? This book tells the story of what happened when that dream was put to the test.

The Bomber Mafia follows the stories of a reclusive Dutch genius and his homemade computer, Winston Churchill's forbidding best friend, a team of pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard, a brilliant pilot who sang vaudeville tunes to his crew, and the bomber commander, Curtis Emerson LeMay, who would order the bloodiest attack of the Second World War.

In this tale of innovation and obsession, Gladwell asks: what happens when technology and best intentions collide in the heat of war? And what is the price of progress?

Canada's most popular military leader since the Second World War tells his own story about our soldiers at war.

In the summer of 2008, General Rick Hillier resigned his command as Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces. You could almost hear the sigh of relief in Ottawa as Canada's most popular, and most controversial, leader since the Second World War left a role in which he'd been as frank-speaking, as unpredictable, and as resolutely apolitical as any military leader this country has ever seen.

Born and raised in Newfoundland, Hillier joined the military as a young man and quickly climbed the ranks. He played a significant role in domestic challenges, such as the 1998 ice story that paralyzed much of eastern Ontario and Quebec, and he quickly became a player on the international scene, commanding an American corps in Texas and a multinational NATO task force in Bosnia-Herzegovina. But it was his role as General Rick Hillier, Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, that defined him as a Canadian public figure. In Afghanistan, Canada faced its first combat losses since the Korean War and every casualty suddenly became front-page news. A country formerly ambivalent or even angry about its role in the conflict suddenly became gripped by the drama playing out not only in the war zone of a country half-way around the world, but in the unfriendly conference rooms in the country's capital as Hillier pulled no punches, demanding more funding and more troops and more appreciation for the women and men fighting a war on foreign soil.

"A Soldier First" is a hard-hitting, frank account of Hillier's role in his own words. The man who never backed down from the Taliban or Canada's top political leaders tells all in what will be one of the most important books to come out of this country this decade.

The paradox of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia The Obama administration's pivot-to-Asia policy establishes an important place for Southeast Asia in U.S. foreign policy. But Washington's attention to the region has fluctuated dramatically, from the intense intervention of the cold war era to near neglect in more recent years. As a consequence, countries in Southeast Asia worry that the United States once again will become distracted by other problems and disengage from the region. This book written by an astute observer of the region and U.S. policy casts light on the sources of these anxieties. A main consideration is that it still is not clear how Southeast Asia fits into U.S. strategy for Asia and the broader world. Is the region central to U.S. policymaking, or an afterthought? Ambivalent Engagement highlights a dilemma that is becoming increasingly conspicuous and problematic. Southeast Asia continues to rely on the United States to play an active role in the region even though it is an external power. But the countries of Southeast Asia have very different views about precisely what role the United States should play. The consequences of this ambivalence will grow in importance with the expanding role of yet another outside power, China.

This unique, new book covers the whole field of electronic warfare modeling and simulation at a systems level, including chapters that describe basic electronic warfare (EW) concepts. Written by a well-known expert in the field with more than 24 years of experience, the book explores EW applications and techniques and the radio frequency spectrum. A detailed resource for entry-level engineering personnel in EW, military personnel with no radio or communications engineering background, technicians and software professionals, the work explains the basic concepts required for modeling and simulation that today's professionals need to understand. Practitioners find clear explanations of important mathematical concepts, such as decibel notation and spherical trigonometry, necessary for modeling and simulation. Moreover, the book describes specific types of EW equipment, how they work and how each is mathematically modeled.

A concise history of the development and use of incendiary weapons--flamethrowers, incendiary bombs, napalm, and more--by the American military in the twentieth century, with a focus on World War II. * Describes how the U.S. created its incendiary weapons program virtually from scratch during World War II * Pivotal episodes include Omaha Beach on D-Day and the skilled performance of an armored flamethrower battalion in the Pacific * Also covers the history of incendiaries from ancient times to World War II and through Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm

This newly-revised edition is written for professionals who need to gain an understanding of how weapon systems work and how these weapons can be intercepted and electronically jammed. It offers a thorough, up-to-date survey of sophisticated weapon and electronic warfare (EW) systems, and covers all the latest technological advances in this rapidly-changing area. Brand new material includes deep explanations of cutting-edge techniques, as well as an introduction to information operations and information warfare. The book explores a broad spectrum of defence equipment. It explains how these systems operate, the advantages and drawbacks of each system, and the theories on which these systems are based.

Lofortovo prison, built by Catherine the Great, was reputed to have niches in the walls of an underground hallway where executioners with silenced pistols concealed themselves before emerging to shoot in the back of the head an enemy of the state being walked along the corridor. Persistent rumors told of beatings and tortures at Lofortovo, but I kept repeating to myself: This is the new Russia, not the old Soviet state. The men taking me in have been pleasant, even courteous. No threats. No raised voices. "Just a few questions and you'll be on your way again."

Another eight-by-fifteen room. Three steel tablets meant as beds. One sink, one toilet, one small mirror embedded into the concrete, no bars, one opaque window. It was cold in the cell—not freezing, but 45 degrees Fahrenheit, kept at that temperature to make me miserable. I paced for a while. Nervous. Upset. Confused. Unable to sleep. Everything in the world went through my mind: I will get out of here, I won't get out of here, best-case scenario, worst-case scenario...

I lay down on the mattress, under the blanket, and was so cold that I had to put on my sport coat to keep from shivering. It was dim but not dark, as there was a light on in my cell that never went out. Every few minutes the quality of light coming from outside the opaque glass would change, and I guessed that the guards were checking in on me, making sure I hadn't tried to commit suicide or send a message from the Flash Gordon transmitter concealed in my wedding ring....
There was no sleep that night.
—from TORPEDOED

He was an innocent man: Edmond Pope—former Naval Intelligence officer, then private businessman, in Russia looking for some answers. Little did he know that he was looking in some very dangerous places.

There was the top-secret operation: Western military and intelligence agencies out to steal one of Russia's crown jewels—the plans to a submarine torpedo that traveled an astonishing 300 miles per hour.

There was the new man in charge: Vladimir Putin—former head of the KGB, now boss of all Russia and a man who wanted to set an example at almost any cost.

It would all come together, and the result would be an incredible story of duplicity, secrets, and lies. Now, for the first time ever, Edmond Pope tells the real story of what led to his becoming the first American since Francis Gary Powers to be convicted of espionage in Russia. Combining a gripping account of his arrest, trial, and 253-day imprisonment with a deeply disturbing look at today's Russia—where you can trust no one, and everything is for sale—his book reads like a John Le Carré novel come to life. And with a large dollop of espionage—insider information and secret submarine warfare technology, Pope's enthralling memoir will also remind readers of the best of Tom Clancy or Blind Man's Bluff.

Torpedoed reveals that the new Russia isn't that different from the old, that a fresh Cold War is brewing, and that Americans in Russia are at risk. With vivid portraits of Russians devoted to framing an American and Americans devoted to justice—Pope's wife Cheri first and foremost among them— it moves from dank Moscow prison cells to the White House to the inner rooms of the Kremlin. And like the secret torpedo in question, Edmond Pope's harrowing story races to a conclusion of devastating impact.

This authoritative new resource explores the communications aspect of electronic warfare and presents the major technical issues that drive the practice of land EW to help practitioners with their work in the field. The book offers a detailed understanding of the structure of tactical communications electronic warfare systems, the relationship between these systems and their targets, and the likely future development path of land electronic warfare. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand style, with accessible descriptions of tactical communications EW techniques, the book is a useful reference for technical and non-technical professionals alike.

Addressing its technical evolution as well as its military and social impact, this comprehensive reference shows how historic leaders such as Dionysus of Syracuse, the Ottoman sultan Mohammad II, Oliver Cromwell, and Napoleon Bonaparte were successful in battle because of their innovative use of artillery. Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact charts the development of large, crew-operated battlefield weapons from the dart firers and catapults of the ancient world to the invention of gunpowder in China and its applications in medieval Europe, and from the emergence of naval and land gunnery four centuries ago to the latest rapid-fire, rocket propulsion, laser guidance, and antiaircraft technologies. Written by an expert on military history, Artillery explores the technological and strategic innovations that have made these weapons increasingly effective at breaking through fortifications, inflicting casualties from a safe distance, providing cover for advancing forces, demoralizing opponents, and defending positions from attack. Beyond the battlefield, the book also looks at the impact of artillery on history and on the lives of civilians as well as soldiers. Includes case studies of the wars of Louis XIV, the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, and the Franco-Prussian War illustrating the impact of specific technical and strategic innovations in artillery Dozens of photographs and illustrations show various types of artillery, artillery mechanisms, and projectiles

This ARW is the third NATO-sponsored workshop on Explosives Detection and Humanitarian Demining. The previous events were * Detection and Destruction of Anti-Personnel Landmines Moscow, 1997 * Explosives Detection and Decontamination of the Environment Prague, 1997. Over the last decade applied research in Humanitarian Demining has made progress to some extend, but according to the tremendous tasks of Demining and the lack of scientific methods for practical detection of explosive devices, research activities are still of the same importance than ever before. Concerning countermeasures against terrorism the detection of explosives is one of the keyfactors, but the practical applications are not sufficient solved. An international exchange of research results are therefore urgent, to find out the most promising measures for application. The coincidence of this ARW and the terrible disaster of New York and Washington may demonstrate the importance of this task. In consequence the explosive device detection technologies can make a major contribution to collective, family and individual security. In developed countries, these technologies provide a strong deterrent and preventative measure against terrorist threats. In less developed regions, they can improve individual, institutional and state security, lessening the insecurity that motivates many terrorists acts. The elimination of landmine threats is just one of many ways of achieving this. However our attempts to meet the extremely difficult technical challenges posed by landmine and UXO contamination are inevitably leading us to new technological approaches.

This book constitutes a multidisciplinary introduction to the analysis of air defence systems. It supplies the tools to carry out independent analysis. Individual sections deal with threat missions, observability, manoeuvrability and vulnerability. With the support of several examples, the text illustrates 12 air defence process models. These models form the foundation for any air defence system analysis, covering initial detection to kill assessment.

FRANCIS W. HOLM 7102 Meadow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sponsored an Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) in Prague, Czech Republic, on 1-2 July 1996, to collect and study information on mobile alternative and supplemental demilitarization technologies and to report these fmdings. The mobile, or transportable, technologies identified for assessment at the workshop are alternatives to incineration technology for destruction of munitions, chemical warfare agent, and associated materials and debris. Although the discussion focused on the treatment of metal parts and explosive or energetic material, requirements for decontamination of other materials were discussed. The mobile alternative technologies are grouped into three categories based on process bulk operating temperature: low (0-200 C), medium (200-600 C), and high (600- 3,500 C). Reaction types considered include hydrolysis, biodegradation, electrochemical oxidation, gas-phase high-temperature reduction, stearn reforming, gasification, sulfur reactions, solvated electron chemistry, sodium reactions, supercritical water oxidation, wet air oxidation, and plasma torch technology. These categories represent a broad spectrum of processes, some of which have been studied only in the laboratory and some of which are in commercial use for destruction of hazardous and toxic wastes. Some technologies have been developed and used for specific commercial applications; however, in all cases, research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT &E) is necessary to assure that each technology application is effective for destroying chemical warfare materiel.

The Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), unleashed by the integration of information technologies into weapons systems, military units, and operations is a phenomenon whose impacts have been felt well beyond the Gulf in 1991 or the Balkans in 1999. Technological developments lie at the center of these changes; however, the RMA is about more than technology. It includes the consequences of technological changes for defense and security. This study provides an assessment of the RMA that goes beyond a mere description of new defense-related technologies to deal with deeper, more fundamental issues.

Through the contributions of American, Canadian, Chinese, and French experts, this book surveys the RMA from various perspectives and evaluates it from the standpoints of military history and military science. The authors conclude that, while the RMA represents a significant challenge for defense establishments, it may fall short of being truly revolutionary. Whether one looks at power projection or information warfare, it appears that emerging technologies will translate into significant improvements in capabilities, but not necessarily a revolution in warfare. From a comparative perspective, the United States remains well ahead in thinking of and implementing changes that stem from the RMA, although other nations may make selective use of the RMA to promote regional security goals.

"When Virgil sang of arms and the man, words like ""smart"" and ""friendly"" characterized the warrior, not his weapons. Today, because of modern technology, these terms are more often used to describe the machine than the man. Dramatic advances have spawned a generation of weapon systems designed to tell friend from foe, to stalk the enemy with precision and stealth, and to destroy him with unprecedented efficiency. But can ordinary Americans operate and support these advanced systems, or have emerging technologies pushed military hardware beyond the capabilities of the people the armed forces can expect to attract and retain? How can the military better match weapons and skills? Martin Binkin looks at the complex issues from several angles, starting with skill levels and jobs in today's military. He profiles America's arsenal in the 1990s and examines the implications of electronic warfare for manpower needs. Links among hardware complexity, reliability, and maintenance are unraveled, and current demographic trends traced. The study assesses various policy options available to hedge against the possibility that the military could become squeezed between growing demands for technologically adept people and a declining supply of recruits. Among these are efforts to design simpler systems with more reliable engineering techniques. Binkin reviews ways to make weapons easier to maintain, stressing component accessibility, technical documentation, and automated diagnostics. He covers the use of advanced technology to prepare people to handle new systems. Finally, he discusses the principal manpower management alternatives-expanding the role of women, substituting civilians, retaining more personnel, and returning to conscription. "

The period from the Indian wars to WWI saw the evolution of the U.S. Army from a 25,000 man frontier constabulary to a modern professionally led two million man force fighting in a coalition war in Europe. This study describes the context within which the Leavenworth schools--begun in 1881--evolved.

This volume is the only current treatment of security issues in Central Asia for the nonspecialist, as well as specialists and policy-makers. Global Security Watch—Central Asia is the first authoritative examination of the security issues affecting, and affected by, the region where Russia, South Asia, China, and the Middle East meet. The author provides a comprehensive account of the strategic importance and challenges facing Central Asia written for policymakers, students, researchers, and interested general readers alike. Global Security Watch—Central Asia goes behind the scenes to explore both the internal factors and global influences affecting the stability of region and the nations that comprise it. Coverage includes the dynamics of each country's domestic politics, the allure of the region's natural resources, Central Asia's role in U.S./Russian relations, and the renewed focus on the region in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

This book covers the design and use of the self-propelled armored vehicle Wespe in WWII.

A very complete survey of different approaches adopted by Eastern and Western countries for the disposal of surplus ammunition. Incineration and other techniques for the disposal of high explosives, gun and rocket propellants are introduced and discussed in relation to environmental and safety requirements. Proposals for and examples of the re-use of military explosives in commercial applications are given. Topics discussed range from the conversion of energetic systems into chemical raw materials to the new development of energetic systems with special features for commercial use (such as producing artificial diamonds by detonation, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, fire extinguishing, etc.).

Utilizing easy-to-find and inexpensive materials, this handy resource teaches desktop warriors how to build a multitude of medieval siege weapons for the modern era. Novice combatants will learn to build 35 defense weapons, including a marshmallow catapult, a chopstick bow, a bottle cap crossbow, and a clothespin ballista. In addition to beefing up their Dark Age arsenal, would-be warriors are provided with a number of targets on which to practice their shooting skills. Clear diagrams, instructions, and safety tips for each project are included, making construction of each of these weapons simple, safe, and fun.

This volume offers an innovative and counter-intuitive study of how and why artificial intelligence-infused weapon systems will affect the strategic stability between nuclear-armed states. Johnson demystifies the hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of nuclear weapons and, more broadly, future warfare. The book highlights the potential, multifaceted intersections of this and other disruptive technology - robotics and autonomy, cyber, drone swarming, big data analytics, and quantum communications - with nuclear stability. Anticipating and preparing for the consequences of the AI-empowered weapon systems are fast becoming a critical task for national security and statecraft. Johnson considers the impact of these trends on deterrence, military escalation, and strategic stability between nuclear-armed states - especially China and the United States. The book draws on a wealth of political and cognitive science, strategic studies, and technical analysis to shed light on the coalescence of developments in AI and other disruptive emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence and the future of warfare sketches a clear picture of the potential impact of AI on the digitized battlefield and broadens our understanding of critical questions for international affairs. AI will profoundly change how wars are fought, and how decision-makers think about nuclear deterrence, escalation management, and strategic stability - but not for the reasons you might think. -- .

Drawing on his legendary firearms knowledge and combat experience, U.S. Navy SEAL and #1 bestselling author of American Sniper Chris Kyle dramatically chronicles the story of America--from the Revolution to the present--through the lens of ten iconic guns and the remarkable heroes who used them to shape history: the American long rifle, Spencer repeater, Colt .45 revolver, Winchester 1873 rifle, Springfield M1903 rifle, M1911 pistol, Thompson submachine gun, M1 Garand, .38 Special police revolver, and the M16 rifle platform Kyle himself used. American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice.

Featuring a foreword and afterword by Taya Kyle and illustrated with more than 100 photographs, this new paperback edition features a bonus chapter, "The Eleventh Gun," on shotguns, derringers, and the Browning M2 machine gun.

Perhaps no one in history has played the role of scientist as celebrity with as much skill--and as much deception--as Wernher von Braun. America's leading rocket expert and most enthusiastic advocate of space travel, he had a closet full of secrets that would have shocked his colleagues and millions of admirers if they had been told during his lifetime. "Wernher von Braun: The Man Who Sold the Moon" is the first critical biography of the young German aristocrat who created Hitler's most advanced terror weapon, the V-2 rocket, and who came to the U.S. under the Army's Project Paperclip to develop missiles as a central weapon of the Cold War. The book reveals that factions of the U.S. Army, in their zeal to have von Braun's team of scientists working for American interests, covered up what they knew about his complicity in Nazi causes and abetted him in the perpetuation of the myth he carefully created about his past.

Declassified Army documents and war crime transcripts, as well as the discovery of Europe of Dora concentration camp survivors' accounts, and von Braun's published writings and personal papers, have enabled biographer Dennis Piszkiewicz to document von Braun's career more fully than any previous historian. The man who tirelessly promoted space travel, worked with NASA to collaborate with Walt Disney creating television programs and the Tomorrowland section of Disneyland, and put the first astronauts on the moon, was actually a member of the Nazi party, held a rank in the SS equivalent to that of Major, and was an accomplice in the use of slave labor from the Dora concentration camp to produce his V-2 rocket. When the Third Reich collapsed, von Braun unashamedly switched his allegiance to the victor, and adroitly distanced himself from his Nazi partners. By going on to promote NASA and sell the American people on his dreams of space exploration, he became the man who sold the moon--a man who began his brilliant career by selling his soul to the Nazis.

The end of the Cold War, the Revolution in Military Affairs, 9/11 and the War on Terror have radically altered the nature of conflict and security in the twenty-first century. This book considers how developments in technology could and are effecting the prosecution of war and what the changing nature of warfare means for human rights and civil society.