William Weir, author of 50 Battles That Changed the World, takes another look at the history of warfare by focusing on the hardware that served those famous battles. In this text, you’ll uncover: · Crew-served weapons—from battering rams to Big Bertha. · Weapons carriers, such as tanks and bombers. · Unmanned weapons—punji stakes, Bouncing Betty landmines, trap guns, and more. 50 Weapons That Changed Warfare analyzes the most memorable tools known to man, many of which have had enormous effects on the conduct of war. This book describes the impact of these weapons and how they transformed warfare—from the bloody carnage produced by hand weapons throughout history, to the never used (but universally feared) fusion bomb. Each weapon is not only described, but also illustrated to give a clearer picture of its usage and effects. These weapons have changed not only how we fight…but also why and when.
In 1871 two brothers, George and James Weir, founded the engineering firm of G. & J. Weir, joining the booming range of industry on the west coast of Scotland. At their Cathcart works in Glasgow, the Weirs produced their own groundbreaking inventions. The most notable of these was the celebrated direct-acting feed pump, but all were crucial to the development of steam ships at that time. Today, more than 140 turbulent years later, the Weir Group is almost the last of those once-flourishing companies still to retain its independence and a Scottish base. Over the intervening century, Weir's manufactured pumps and valves for ships' engines around the world, oil pipelines and desalination plants, armaments (in the two world wars) and heavy equipment for power stations. Along the way it was also involved in other activities, including the development of the autogiro (the precursor of the helicopter) and prefabricated housing. Rooted in the inventiveness and determination of the Victorian manufacturing age, Weir's adapted to a changing world, determined always to diversify, win overseas contracts, build partnerships and above all survive. Now, as Lord Smith of Kelvin retires after more than ten years as chairman and passes an impressive legacy - further strengthened by major recent acquisitions - to his successor, Charles Berry, the Weir Group once again has success firmly in its grasp. This fascinating story is told by William Weir, a past chairman and chief executive of the company. Combining personal reminiscence and colourful anecdote with cool analysis of the company's triumphs and occasional failures, this is an unusual company history and an invaluable record of a Scottish engineering legend.
Get the real facts you weren’t taught in school and learn how these myths have survived for so long. Discover the stories behind history’s greatest lies and how—and why—the world’s biggest whoppers have survived textbooks and lesson plans for years. For instance, did you know the conquistador Hernán Cortés wasn’t as bloodthirsty as they say? Neither were the Goths, who were actually the most progressive of the Germanic tribes. Or, that a petty criminal with a resemblance to John Dillinger was probably assassinated instead of the notorious bank robber? In History’s Greatest Lies, Weir sets the record straight through a fascinating examination of historical lies and myths and the true stories behind them. Each chapter pinpoints a misconception held as common truth in history. For example: Emperor Nero did not fiddle as Rome burned Paul Revere had plenty of help in his midnight ride In terms of prisons, the Bastille wasn’t all that bad Weir explains why each lie persevered in our minds through ulterior motives, responsibility shirking, or exaggerations. You’ll also discover the common threads that make up these falsehoods: the scapegoats, the spin needed to cast undeserving in a better light, and the frightful oversimplification of facts. Praise for History’s Greatest Lies “Weir takes no prisoners—and tells no lies—in his continuously surprising and always fascinating new book. Great falsehoods have shaped history even more than great truths; the enduring fascination of this highly original volume is discovering how much of what we accept for fact is just plain wrong.” —Joe Cummins, author of The War Chronicles: From Chariots to Flintlocks and History’s Greatest Untold Stories
From the battles of Ancient Greece and Rome to WWII and Vietnam, this volume uncovers the surprising truth behind the history of war. Many are familiar the first Civil War battle between the ironclad warships the Monitor and the Merrimac, but few have heard about the airship that Dr. Solomon Andrews offered to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Secrets of Warfare exposes the hidden history of human combat, exposing many of myths that have kept the public misinformed about warfare. Some myths are the result of deliberate misrepresentation while others persist through ignorance or bigotry. In Secrets of Warfare, historian William Weir sets the record straight on a number of topics, including: The alleged superiority of Western nations in the ancient world. The myth of the English longbow. The introduction of submarines to warfare prior to World War I. The deadliest American air raids of World War II. The supposed attack on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
An informative look at the military conflicts that most altered the course of history and civilization, from ancient times to the modern world. Rather than celebrating warfare, 50 Battles That Changed the World looks at the clashes the author believes have had the most profound impact on world history. Ranked in order of their relevance to the modern world, these struggles range from the ancient past to the present day and span the globe many times over. Some of the battles in this book are familiar to us all—Bunker Hill, which prevented the American Revolution from being stillborn, and Marathon, which kept the world’s first democracy alive. Others may be less familiar—the naval battle at Diu (on the Indian Coast), which led to the ascendancy of Western Civilization and the discovery of America, and Yarmuk, which made possible the spread of Islam from Morocco to the Philippines. With remarkable accounts of both famous and lesser-known clashes, 50 Battles That Changed the World provides impressive insight into the battles that shaped civilization as we know it.
Weir's work (over 300 entries) is one of the most complete on the subject. Much more than a record of indviduals and units, it includes, among other topics, battles, forgotten and famous; injustices and heroes; legislation and regulation; accidents and deliberate acts; medals and mutinies....Highly recommended. --ChoiceAn outstanding accounting of African-American Military 'heroes' in history. As a retired African-American 4-Star General Officer, I was very pleased to read about the accounts of those to whom I owe much gratitude and thanks for paving the way ! I was even more pleased to read about so many that I knew nothing about previously . This 'Encyclopedia' is must reading in the reference libraries for all Americans! --General [USAF-retired] Lester L. Lyles...No military historian's library should be without this book. --C.D.B. Bryan, author of Friendly FireThis is a very important, carefully researched book, which fills the gaping hole in our understanding of the heroic role of African Americans in the military history of our country. Though they were denied their rights to freedom and equality by our nation, their courage and patriotism in protecting those rights was extraordinary. - Bruce A. Morrison, member of U.S. Congress, 1983-1991Although African American soldiers and sailors have fought in every U.S. war from the War of Independence to the War on Terrorism, their contributions are rarely and, at best, erratically recorded in encyclopedias of American military history. Most Americans would be hard-pressed to name even a few of the many heroic black servicemen, who have distinguished themselves in the annals of military history. While a public figure like Colin Powell is well known, and many people are now aware of the black regiment depicted in the movie Glory, few have heard of David Lamson. When he was close to sixty years old, this African American captain of a small local militia successfully routed British reinforcements near Concord at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Even fewer know about the buffalo soldiers (as African American cavalry units were once called) who rescued Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders in the famous battle of San Juan Hill during the Spanish American War. This book is teeming with essential information that has been overlooked in other references.William Weir's Encyclopedia of African American Military History is designed to provide long overdue recognition to the outstanding accomplishments of hundreds of African American servicemen. More than three hundred entries will not only delineate the achievements of individuals and military units, but will also highlight important, often forgotten battles, wars, legislation and policy, organizations and movements, and historical incidents.Thoroughly researched and historically accurate, with numerous illustrations, this comprehensive and substantive reference work is written to be accessible, engaging, and informative for all readers.William Weir (Guilford, CT), an army combat correspondent during the Korean War, is the author of Written with Lead: Legendary American Gunfights and Gunfighters and A Well Regulated Militia: The Battle over Gun Control, among other books.
My Three Wars is the Story of Three Life Wars!Few wars have been fought that have so spectacularly brought heroes to the fore-front of history.World War II saw the bravery of some very special men and women. Bill Weir is one such a man who lived a life championing causes all the time. See how he not only survived the war to end all wars, but helped build an entire community from scratch. In this real-life story, you will see what it took to live not only in the war era, but in the age of reconstruction after that. Another masterpiece in the Acashic WW2 Series showcasing human achievement despite the odds!
The Wright Brothers: The First to Fly is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts, addressing Literacy.RI.1.9 and Literacy.L.1.2. Beautiful illustrations and period photographs, paired with narrative nonfiction text, share the story of the Wright brothers. A chart that shows when, which, and how far each brother flew is also included. This book should be paired with The Wright Brothers Make History!" (9781448890767) from the InfoMax Common Core Readers Program to provide the alternative point of view on the same topic.
Military historian William R. Weir looks at the key developments in armoury, men, and strategies that forever changed the evolution of war. Weir analyses the evolving interrelationships between these developments to give readers a thorough picture of this fascinating and important subject. Here are fifty turning points that radically changed the face of warfare and, ultimately, the course of history. From the development of basic weapons using wood or bronze to the advent of Smart Weapons, this is the definitve guide.
Succinct accounts of 21 guerrilla conflicts in the twentieth century Wars covered include the Boer War, the Philippine War, World War I, the Russian Revolution, World War II, Vietnam, the Algerian War, the Afghan-Soviet War, and more The exploits of men like Lawrence of Arabia, Orde Wingate, Mao Zedong, and Che Guevera In war, whenever one side outnumbers and outguns the other, the outnumbered and outgunned side often resorts to guerrilla warfare to address the asymmetry and frequently achieves victory. The twentieth century produced scores of such conflicts, whether as sideshows of the world wars or as the main events in wars of revolution or liberation. Guerrilla Warfare examines twenty-one of these conflicts, shedding light on the remarkable capabilities of unconventional fighters to outlast and defeat their enemies.
This book takes a brief look at the 50 battles the author believes have had the most profound impact on world history. Listed in order of importance for our world today, they range from the ancient world to the present and span the globe.
In 1871 two brothers, George and James Weir, founded the engineering firm of G. & J. Weir, joining the booming range of industry on the west coast of Scotland. At their Cathcart works in Glasgow, the Weirs produced their own groundbreaking inventions. The most notable of these was the celebrated direct-acting feed pump, but all were crucial to the development of steam ships at that time. Today, more than 140 turbulent years later, the Weir Group is almost the last of those once-flourishing companies still to retain its independence and a Scottish base. Over the intervening century, Weir's manufactured pumps and valves for ships' engines around the world, oil pipelines and desalination plants, armaments (in the two world wars) and heavy equipment for power stations. Along the way it was also involved in other activities, including the development of the autogiro (the precursor of the helicopter) and prefabricated housing. Rooted in the inventiveness and determination of the Victorian manufacturing age, Weir's adapted to a changing world, determined always to diversify, win overseas contracts, build partnerships and above all survive. Now, as Lord Smith of Kelvin retires after more than ten years as chairman and passes an impressive legacy - further strengthened by major recent acquisitions - to his successor, Charles Berry, the Weir Group once again has success firmly in its grasp. This fascinating story is told by William Weir, a past chairman and chief executive of the company. Combining personal reminiscence and colourful anecdote with cool analysis of the company's triumphs and occasional failures, this is an unusual company history and an invaluable record of a Scottish engineering legend.
Erica Hausser is in trouble. Wanted as a war criminal, trapped in Hitlers Berlin bunker, she desperately seeks an escape from the coming wrath of Russian justice. Where did it all go wrong? She always tried to do the right thing. In this story, Erica looks back on her life while trying to find a way to escape Berlin. So much has happened to her. The people she meets (Joseph Goebbels, Otto Skarzeny, even Adolph Hitler). The many conflicts with her parents and friends over her beliefs. The men who would control her. Following historical events, this fictional account takes her to many places and situations. How and will she escape?
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