Fifty Weapons That Changed the Course of History

Fifty Weapons That Changed the Course of History

by JoelLevy (Author)

Synopsis

The saga of human civilization has been formed and scarred by conflict. At eachstage of our history there have been defining episodes of violence, sometimeslong and simmering, at other times sudden and cataclysmic. And each stage has produced new forms of weaponry. Some of these weapons of war 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 AK-47-symbol of communism, and now of terrorism, and the most widely found fiream in the world. Some weapons have been definitive in their simplcity, 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 weapons that have shaped it. The technical specifications, statlingly illus-trated, are given context and meaning by explaining their part in human conflict and their long-tem legacy. More than a manual of materiel, this is the story of the weapons that formed our world.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Publisher: Apple Press
Published: 04 Sep 2014

ISBN 10: 1845435524
ISBN 13: 9781845435523

Media Reviews
From the stone axe to the ballistic missile, this run-down of the weapons that shaped our world is accesible and interesting. Let your Christmas go with a bang - or a twang. The Field
Author Bio
JOEL LEVY is a writer and journalist specializing in history and science. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Newton's Notebook, Great Scientists, Mad Science (revealing the secret histories of madness, magic, and mysticism among great inventors and scientists), The Doomsday Book (a guide to scenarios for the end of civilization), History's Lost Treasures, and the forthcoming History's Worst Battles. He has also written features and articles for the national press, and has appeared on national television and numerous local and national radio shows. A long-term student of the history of science and medicine, Joel has a BSc in Biological Sciences and an MA in Psychology.