Social sciences

A celebration of the wildest and weirdest that action cinema has to offer, the hosts of the Really Awful Movies podcast take you on a fun-filled pilgrimage through the nuttiest movies in the genre. Traversing both decades and continents, these 100 titles reach beyond the typical patron saints of action, giving unsung genre heroes like Vic Diaz, Reb Brown, and Godfrey Ho their due. Our intrepid hos

Rangers Led the Way is a collection of interviews from 20 Rangers who fought in Europe during WWII, including the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Ranger Battalions. The book also includes historical context so the actions described in the interviews can be understood as part of the larger war. Within a year after the fateful attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the US military understood the need for Speci

This lavishly illustrated and authoritative book presents the secret history of Stasi and Warsaw Pact subminiature spy cameras used during the Cold War. It is a history that could have been written only through the collaboration of veteran Stasi technical intelligence officers and the world's foremost historians on Cold War spy cameras and tradecraft. With more than 450 photographs, the book revea

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules has been in continuous production for over six decades, longer than any other military aircraft in the world, and no end of production is yet in sight. The Hercules has been a part of US combat operations since Vietnam, and the airframe, which began life as a simple transport, has been adapted to a variety of roles, including gunship, electronic warfare, refueling, and

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most iconic aircraft in aviation history. Through a broad range of photos gathered from around the world, this book—the second of two volumes—chronicles the design, development, and wartime use of the late models of the Flying Fortress, from the first truly combat-capable model, the B-17E, to the lifesaving B-17H. These B-17 versions featured the so-ca

Powered by a massive Ford V-8 engine, the M4A3 Sherman was the standard tank of the US Army during the later stages of WWII, as well as the Korean War. The M4A3 was also supplied to the Marines during WWII, when the Corps faced a shortage of their preferred M4A2. The M4A3 was used by both services during the Korean War and was supplied in large numbers to Allied nations during the post-WWII rebuil

Few implements of war are as representative of the US presence in Vietnam as the Bell Huey UH-1-series helicopters. Whether serving in the role of troop transport for airborne assault, supply transports, aerial gunships, or medical evacuation, the Huey was seemingly everywhere. The versatile aircraft, officially the "Iroquois," was affectionately known to all as the "Huey," a name derived from its

Language, writing, and letters are the basis of our communication as human beings—and calligraphy celebrates the inherent beauty of this need to share and connect. This volume showcases what calligraphy has grown to be in the 21st century, featuring 101 artists from the worlds of graffiti, tattooing, graphic design, painting, illustration, poster art, comics, and more. Their different mediums, sty

Contrary to popular opinion, the automotive industry is not a man's world! Since the early days of General Motors, there have been women—known and unknown—who have had vital roles in design, engineering, manufacturing, and administration. In this follow-up to Damsels in Design, her book on women automotive designers from 1939-1959, Constance Smith presents profiles of and interviews with more than

A keepsake collection of maps depicting legendary and real places for the lover of literature, history, and cartography.This exploration of the "Mythical Elsewhere" explores a wide array of places, from the well known to the obscure, through the eyes of historians, explorers, conquerors, and writers across the ages. Lose yourself in the past as you travel to such destinations as Troy, the Mughal E

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

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 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

Additional nose art and unusual markings as seen on today’s B-52s, B-1Bs , FB-111s, F-16s, F-4s, and many others, including Desert Storm markings.

Pilot, scholar, daredevil, general . . . James "Jimmy" Doolittle was one of America's greatest heroes. In a life filled with adventure and achievement, Doolittle did it all.

As a stunt pilot, he thrilled the world with his aerial acrobatics. As a scientist, he pioneered the development of modern aviation technology. During World War II, he served his country

Churchill. Hitler. Stalin. Mussolini. Roosevelt. Five of the most impactful leaders of WW2, each with their own individualistic and idiosyncratic approach to warfare. But if we want to understand their military strategy, we must first understand the strategist. In The Strategists, Professor Phillips Payson O'Brien shows how the views these five leaders forged in WW1 are crucial to understanding h

In the mid-1950s, an innovative group of women at General Motors (dubbed the Damsels of Design by marketers) and their counterparts at Ford, Hudson, Studebaker, Packard, and Tucker changed automotive history forever. Read the untold story of the women who excelled in the Mad Men era of automobile and industrial design. Recruited by top CEOs at automotive companies, they developed many of the produ