A beautifully presented guide to 50 weapons and their historical impact on civilization. Fifty Weapons that Changed the Course of History is a fascinating guide to the arms and armaments that have had the greatest impact on the development of human civilization. Like the other titles in this series, the book organizes the weapons into brief illustrated chapters. Concise narratives describe the weapons, the "who, where, when, why and how" of their introduction and uses, and explain their influence in one or more of four categories -- Social, Political, Tactical, and Technological. The stories span human history, from our hunter-gatherer ancestors who devised the spear and the wheel, which brought about the war chariot, to gunpowder, which democratized warfare and has been the basis for almost every weapon used in war from that point on. Entries include: The longbow, which led an outnumbered English army to a famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 The Soviet T-34, the most effective and influential (in terms of design) tank to feature in World War II The Tomahawk cruise missile, which revolutionized tactics in modern warfare The Gatling Gun, the first rapid-repeating gun, which turned the tide in the Americans' favor during the Spanish-American War. The saga of human civilization has been formed and scarred by conflict. Defining episodes of violence -- sometimes long and simmering, at other times sudden and cataclysmic -- have produced new forms of weaponry. Some of these have been decisive, such as the terrifying war elephants deployed by Hannibal at the battle of Cannae in 216 B.C. Others have become iconic in our culture. Chief among these is the easily copied AK-47, at first the symbol of communism and now of terrorism, and the most widely found firearm in the world. Some weapons have been definitive in their simplicity, such as the bayonet; in other cases, such as the Tomahawk cruise missile, the sheer complexity is dazzling. Fifty Weapons That Changed the Course of History tells the story of the last 3,500 years through the arms and armaments that have shaped it. This is the story of the weapons that formed our world, and is sure to attract a wide readership.

"This path-breaking study is about how ordinary people are gaining the means to be extraordinarily lethal. States are also concentrating their technological power, but their gains lag behind a shift in relative capacity that is already disrupting the role of conventional armed forces. The dispersal of emerging technologies such as roboics, cyber weapons, 3-D printing, autonomous systems, and various forms of artificial intelligence is widening popular access to unprecedented destructive power. Based on hard lessons from previous waves of lethal technology such as dynamite and the assault rifle, the book explains what the future may hold and how we should respond"-

Discover how fifty great firearms influenced and helped shape our world. World history has always been interwoven with developments in firearms technology and so is peppered with legendary guns. Since the invention of gunpowder, nations have raced to create more useful and powerful firearms with which to protect, conquer, and hunt. 50 Guns That Changed the World explores the most significant firearms from the past two hundred years, from deadly weapons of war to quaint plinking guns. Included are: Winchester Model 1873 Colt 1911 Mauser Model 98 M1 Garand Ruger 10/22 AK-47 AR-15 Benelli M2 Glock G17 Barrett 82A1 Discover the history, design details, operation, variants, and users of each firearm, illustrated with archival photography from the manufacturers and of the guns in action. Firearms enthusiasts, history buffs, hunters, and shooters will all find something to marvel at in this gorgeous full-color book. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for hunters and firearms enthusiasts. We publish books about shotguns, rifles, handguns, target shooting, gun collecting, self-defense, archery, ammunition, knives, gunsmithing, gun repair, and wilderness survival. We publish books on deer hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, wing shooting, turkey hunting, deer stands, duck blinds, bowhunting, wing shooting, hunting dogs, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Small weapons that can be fired by one person have been in use for centuries and remain an integral part of modern warfare. This resource showcases handguns, rifles, and more through 3D digital modeling that allows readers to see each weapon from every angle. Each weapon’s features and safety measures are fully explained, and accompanying text provides the history of its use, complete with fascinating war stories.

William Weir, author of 50 Battles That Changed the World, takes another look at the history of warfare by focusing on the hardware that served those famous battles. In this text, you’ll uncover: · Crew-served weapons—from battering rams to Big Bertha. · Weapons carriers, such as tanks and bombers. · Unmanned weapons—punji stakes, Bouncing Betty landmines, trap guns, and more. 50 Weapons That Changed Warfare analyzes the most memorable tools known to man, many of which have had enormous effects on the conduct of war. This book describes the impact of these weapons and how they transformed warfare—from the bloody carnage produced by hand weapons throughout history, to the never used (but universally feared) fusion bomb. Each weapon is not only described, but also illustrated to give a clearer picture of its usage and effects. These weapons have changed not only how we fight…but also why and when.

The fascinating stories of the plants that changed civilizations.

A monumental, groundbreaking work, now in paperback, that shows how technological and strategic revolutions have transformed the battlefield Combining gripping narrative history with wide-ranging analysis, War Made New focuses on four "revolutions" in military affairs and describes how inventions ranging from gunpowder to GPS-guided air strikes have remade the field of battle—and shaped the rise and fall of empires. War Made New begins with the Gunpowder Revolution and explains warfare's evolution from ritualistic, drawn-out engagements to much deadlier events, precipitating the rise of the modern nation-state. He next explores the triumph of steel and steam during the Industrial Revolution, showing how it powered the spread of European colonial empires. Moving into the twentieth century and the Second Industrial Revolution, Boot examines three critical clashes of World War II to illustrate how new technology such as the tank, radio, and airplane ushered in terrifying new forms of warfare and the rise of centralized, and even totalitarian, world powers. Finally, Boot focuses on the Gulf War, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iraq War—arguing that even as cutting-edge technologies have made America the greatest military power in world history, advanced communications systems have allowed decentralized, "irregular" forces to become an increasingly significant threat.