Social sciences

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) is a South Dakota–class battleship. Launched just before US entry into the Second World War, Massachusetts saw action in the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters at Casablanca, the Philippines, and Okinawa. The ship survived the war and the scrapyard and is currently on display at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. This is a detailed pictorial history of t

A battleship of the Pennsylvania class, USS Arizona is most famous for her disastrous loss, along with over 1,000 of her men, during the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Armed with 12 14-inch guns, and numerous smaller weapons, Arizona was one of the most powerful warships in the world when commissioned in 1917. This volume illustrates the modifications and improvements made to the ship during h

Akagi and Kaga were the second and third aircraft carriers to enter service with the Imperial Japanese Navy. Akagi was initially laid down as a battle cruiser, and Kaga as a battleship; both hulls were converted into aircraft carriers during the 1920s. The two ships played key roles in most of the early engagements of the Pacific War, and both were sunk at the Battle of Midway. This is the illus

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II first flew in the 1950s, entered US military service in the 1960s, and remained on duty into the 1990s. The plane gained a reputation for tremendous lethality during the Vietnam War and remains one of the most celebrated American fighter designs of the jet age. This is a visual guide to the type. Chapters are dedicated to each model designation (C, D, E, etc.)

George Lowther was a mutineer and a pirate, one of the most prolific during the golden age of piracy. His first mate, Edward "Ned" Low, went on to establish himself as perhaps the most sadistic and depraved of all pirate captains. Virtually all popular sources specify Lowther's death being by suicide in 1723, while marooned on the small island of Blanquilla, off the coast of Venezuela. While res

This is the complete history of Israeli tanks and tankers, stretching from the First World War to the present. Included are hundreds of excellent photographs, maps, tables, and charts. Beyond all of that visual and technical information, the authors have also included a detailed narrative history of the Israeli Armored Corps and its precursor organizations. All the key leaders are profiled and the

This massive volume includes more than 1,150 vintage images of WWII aircraft nose art. The artwork appears on American planes in the Pacific theater, specifically from the US 5th Air Force. Readers will see all kinds of aircraft, from bombers to fighters and cargo planes. The artists range from amateurs to professionals, and the subjects include both the famous female "pin-ups" and more-aggressive

Maud Stevens Wagner, the "Mona Lisa of American tattoo," was an ardent individualist who left home at a young age to pursue a career as a carnival performer, a contortionist, a tattoo model, and an aerialist. She was a thoroughly modern woman who asserted her independence and her own identity. Maud and her husband, Gus (known as the “most artistically marked-up man in America"), traveled the cou

Kaman developed the Seasprite for the US Navy, specifically for shipborne operations. The type was adopted in 1962 and remained in service for more than 30 years, seeing combat both in Vietnam and during Operation Desert Storm. The Seasprite performed admirably in a wide variety of roles, including antisubmarine warfare and search and rescue.

The West Point Cemetery is one of the most beautiful military cemeteries in the world. It is also the resting place of more Medal of Honor recipients per acre than any place in the United States. Author Robert Holcomb was born on the grounds of the US Military Academy at West Point, graduated from the academy, and served in the US Army for 20 years. His parents are buried at the West Point Cemete

From 1940 to 1955, American society and culture underwent dramatic changes, including the introduction of the Comics Code in October 1954, which heavily impacted comic books. The Code aimed to moderate comic content in response to public opinion, including such topics as juvenile delinquency, wartime sentiment, teenage sex, drugs, violent crime, and more. While compliance was technically voluntary

The Nagato-class battleships, Nagato and Mutsu, were super-dreadnought-type vessels launched just after the end of the First World War. Mutsu exploded while at anchor in port in 1943. More than 1,000 crew were killed;the cause remains unknown to this day. Nagato survived the war and was sunk during the American nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll; the wreck is widely considered one of the premier divi

The ship currently referred to as US Coast Guard Cutter 37 (or WHEC-37) was christened Roger B. Taney in 1936. That was formally abbreviated to Taney in 1941, the name by which the vessel was most commonly known as throughout her 50-year service life. Taney engaged Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Today, she is the last warship afloat that was present for the attack, and one

This is a remarkably comprehensive illustrated history of the Soviet and Russian armored branch. Readers will learn about virtually every tank and armored vehicle that has been deployed from WWI to the present day, even including some obscure prototypes. Armor enthusiasts will gain great insight into both the technical details and operational use of these vehicles in the Russian Civil Wa

Over the past two decades the Star Wars Super Collector´s Wish Book series has brought knowledge and joy to tens of thousands of collectors. This comprehensively updated second edition to volume 1 provides a thorough survey of the non-toy merchandise and collectibles produced from 1977 to 2012. Key Features:

• 8,000 items from the pre-Disney era have been added to the f

Lotteva Wagner Davis was an American original—a tattooist and western artist in the early to mid-20th century. Following in the footsteps of her parents, Gus and Maud Wagner—tattoo artists and carnival performers—Lotteva was raised in the carnival and started hand tattooing in 1919, when she was just nine years old. She was one of few tattooists to have completely bare skin; her

The number 15 plane on the Doolittle Raid carried a flight surgeon, Dr. Thomas Robert White, MD (1909–92). White was a graduate of Harvard Medical School and recipient of both the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. During the war, White authored a 40,000-word account of the mission. He vividly described the bombing and subsequent escape and evasion through occupied China. This incl

Accounts of the paranormal: ghosts, hauntings, contact with the deceased, direct awareness of people´s thoughts, glimpses of the future, contact with spirits and aliens, and much more. Through academic research and personal experiences/observations by celebrated author, clinical psychologist, and professor Scott Quimby, this book offers some of the best stories you will encounter.

The Apollo Photo Archive series comprises the most comprehensive pictorial record of America´s moon-landing program ever published. In January 1967, the Apollo 1 command module caught fire on the launchpad, claiming the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. Apollo 1, expected to be a triumphant first manned mission for the program, thus ended in tragedy and devastation. W

The Apollo Photo Archive series comprises the most comprehensive pictorial record of America´s moon-landing program ever published. The series continues with Apollo 7´s launch in October 1968. Crewed by Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walt Cunningham, it was the first successful Apollo space flight. Less than two years after the Apollo 1 disaster in January 1967, the success of Apollo 7 helped re