Social sciences

This is the history of the distinctive fighting knife of the Gaelic Irish, the skean (Irish: scian). Author Robert Gresh has scoured primary sources for references to the weapon in use and traveled to examine the known surviving examples. The skean fell into disuse in the 18th century without being well documented, and surviving examples are often out of sight in reserve collections, private colle

In many ways, the M26 Pershing was the most advanced and most powerful tank fielded by the US military during the Second World War. The prototype T26 "heavy" tank design was developed to answer the threat of the German Panther and Tiger tanks. Unfortunately for US Army tankers, the T26 tank wasn't ready for field use until 1945. The T26, specifically the E3 variant, was adopted and standardized as

What’s Your Call Sign? is filled with cleverly written and funny stories behind the seemingly mean-spirited nicknames naval aviators use to address each other as terms of endearment. As such, these stories provide a realistic and true insight into the life of naval aviators that reveals their human side. Movies like Top Gun depict the intensity and professional drive of naval aviators trying to be

Reborn in 1951, the Myasishchev design bureau made its mark by creating the M-4 strategic bomber. Yet, this subsonic aircraft was soon made obsolescent by supersonic fighter technology—any new strategic bomber would need supersonic performance to avoid being intercepted. Hence in 1952, Myasishchev started work on supersonic bomber projects, which led to the M-50 of 1955. Designed for sustained sup

Anzio Annie, Anzio Express, "Leopold"; known by many names, the German 8 cm Kanone 5 Eisenbahngeschütz (railway gun), commonly abbreviated K5(E), was the most successful and widely used of Germany's railway gun designs. Twenty-four of the weapons, capable of shelling England from positions in France, were built and were used by Germany on most of their fronts, including France, Italy, Russia, and

The PBY Catalina, designed and produced by Consolidated Aircraft, whose production was supplemented by that of Boeing Canada, Canadian Vickers, and the Naval Aircraft Factory, was the most widely used flying boat of all time. Developed in the 1930s, the famed patrol bomber was used around the world by the United States and its allies—the Soviets even produced hundreds of duplicates. The versatile

During WWII, Germany fielded a variety of six- and eight-wheeled armored cars, which were used in numerous ways, including reconnaissance, antitank, infantry support, and other roles.  The earliest of these vehicles, the 6-Rad, or six-wheeled vehicles, were based on 6 × 4 truck chassis. Once the limitations of this design became evident, later models utilized specially designed all-wheel-drive pow

This is a comprehensive history of Italian mountain troops (the Alpine infantry “Alpini” and the mountain artillery “Artiglieria da Montagna”) from the 1870s to the present. The Alpini suffered a crushing defeat to the Ethiopian army at Adwa in 1896. During WWI, the Italian mountain troops fought against Austrian Gebirgsjäger high in the Alps. This fighting, known as the war of snow and ice, invol

With a midengined configuration, sturdy tricycle landing gear, and nose-mounted 37 mm cannon, the Bell P-39 was a thoughtful and innovative design. However, the plane lacked the all-out performance of some other key fighters available to Allied fliers (e.g., Spitfire, Hellcat, Mustang), particularly at altitude. Largely rejected by British and American combat squadrons, the Airacobra was much bett

When America declared war on Germany in 1917, it unleashed a resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare off the North American coast.

Until now, German naval records have not been extensively utilized in English-language histories of this brief but intense period of naval combat in the Atlantic. By studying and comparing

As of 2023, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest manned jet aircraft ever produced. It set the record in 1976 and has been retired since the late 1990s. With its unrivaled speed and stunning appearance, the Blackbird has maintained an almost supernatural mystique to this day. The type entered service in the 1960s as a high-altitude (and obviously extremely high speed) military reconnaissanc

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is one of the most successful fighter designs of the 20th century. The type first flew in 1972, transitioning directly from the drawing board to production with remarkably few hiccups. By late 1974, planes were already being delivered to operational units, and it remains on active duty with several major international militaries today, including the US Air Force. A

he Douglas DC-3 was a twin-engine airliner that first flew in 1935 and was a pioneer during the early years of international commercial flight. An elegant and robust design, the DC-3 was the definitive American airliner of the immediate pre–World War II era and was flown by many of the world’s most famous airlines at the time, such as Delta, Eastern, Pan Am, United, Swissair, Air France, Cathay Pa

The vintage heyday of American pinups is presented here in full view, with a modern flare and that unique Alvarado touch. Military-uniform- and gear-clad models featured with classic combat aircraft—from the WWII P-51 Mustang and Spitfire to the Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom jet to the present day—hint at the lure of Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas´s vintage pin-up art. Fun and sexy in-stud

The M42 Duster was a tracked antiaircraft vehicle developed by Cadillac for the US Army in the early 1950s. The vehicle adapted the Bofors 40 mm AA gun to a modified M41/T41 tank chassis. Although never particularly prolific in the intended air defense role, the Duster did find a niche during the Vietnam War. The M42 was relatively small and agile, and the high rate of fire and loud report from it

The 11th SS Freiwilligen (Volunteer) Panzergrenadier Division “Nordland” was formed in 1943. Despite what the name indicated, this was not an all-volunteer or fully Nordic unit. The ranks were filled with men from across Europe, many of them conscripts. A cadre of Norwegians in the Regiment 23 “Norge” and Danes in the Regiment 24 “Danmark” formed the backbone of the new division. Nordland was dep

The M48 Patton entered production in 1952 and remains in service with several major militaries today, a great testament to the design and how it has evolved. The "Patton" is a fast tank with strong armor and a deadly 90 mm gun, and it is an all-rounder, generally accepted as America's first modern "main battle tank" or MBT. The tank was phased out of frontline service by the US military after the

The M60 was the primary battle tank deployed by the US military from 1960 until it was phased out and replaced with the M1 Abrams during/after Operation Desert Storm. More than 10,000 examples were produced, and many examples remain in service with foreign militaries to the present day. This is the most comprehensive photo reference on the type, featuring 340 black-and-white and color images. The

Due to the specific nature of the Marine Corps' mission, the Marines has a acute need for amphibious vehicles. From the Vietnam War through today, the USMC has relied on four primary types of tracked amphibians: the T46E1/M76 Otter, M116 Husky, LVTP5, and LVTP7/AAV7A1. This new book provides a useful photographic overview of all these vehicles. More than 300 black-and-white and color photos make t

Lockheed developed the F-104 Starfighter in the late 1950s. The plane was designed to be an all-weather interceptor. Speed, climb, and altitude all were priorities, and the plane did turn out to be extraordinarily fast, but there were costs associated with that top speed: low-speed handling and landing characteristics in particular. The plane had a relatively short service life with the US Air For