A History of the World in 100 Weapons

It's a truism to say that history is written by the winners. But what is it about the winners that make them so powerful? In this enlightening new book, Chris McNab searches for answers to this question and much more, telling the story of the history of the world through the lens of the weapons used over time.

Arranged by age, McNab details 100 weapons of history in a highly-illustrated format. Among these 100 weapons:

‧ Roman gladius that helped establish the Roman Empire
‧ Japanese Katana, or Samurai sword
‧ English longbow, used to defeat the French at the battle of Agincourt
‧ Maxim gun
‧ Flying Fortress of World War II - the epitome of US military superiority
‧ bomb on Hiroshima that made a weapon the ultimate deterrent
‧ AK-47 rifle.

A History of the World in 100 Weapons presents each weapon in full detail, exploring the how and why of the weapon's development, the times from which it emerged, how it was used in battle and by whom, and to what extent and impact. details of how and why each weapon was invented, the times they emerged from, how they were used in battle.

Drawing on stories of famous battles, wars and leaders associated with each weapon, McNab presents a vivid history of the weapons themselves and their context in the development of world history.

Chris McNab is an author and editor specializing in military history and military technology. He has published over 25 books, including Weapons of War: AK47 (Spellmount, 2001), How to Pass the SAS Selection Course (Sidgwick & Jackson, 2002) and Tools of Violence (Osprey, 2008). He has also written extensively for encyclopaedias and has contributed to The Times on the war in Iraq. The author lives in Wales, UK.