Small Arms 1870-1950 (Weapons of War)

Part of the Weapons of War series, Small Arms 1870-1950 brings together the most important handheld guns of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in a single volume. The book includes some of the best-known weapons of the era, such as the Luger pistol, Mosin-Nagant rifle, Thompson M1928 submachine gun, Sten Gun, and Browning M2HB heavy machine gun. Small Arms 1870-1950 features 150 entries of the most important guns from history.

Weapons design was revolutionised in the late nineteenth century with the development of the magazine loading system. Without doubt, the generation of firearms designers that altered, improved and generally revised the rifles of the years prior to World War I were influenced by a legion of innovators and designers who had gone before them. Every weapon in Weapons of War Small Arms 1870-1950 is illustrated with an accurate color artwork and each entry includes a specifications table with essential information such as weight, length, caliber and range. The concise text provides a summary of the design, development, service history, and performance of each weapon. Gun enthusiasts and history buffs alike will be blown away by this enlightening, thorough look inside the small arms of 1870- 1950.

Steve Crawford has written a number of books on military subjects, including Tanks of World War II, Deadly Fighting Skills of the World, The SAS at Close Quarters, The Eastern Front Day by Day and Battleships and Carriers. He lives in the south of England.

Martin J. Dougherty is a former defence analyst who has published many books on modern warfare, military vehicles and weaponry. He has spoken at numerous defence industry conferences, presenting papers on precision-guided weapons and the countermeasures used to defend against them. He is author of many books including Land Combat, Drones, Tanks of World War II, Modern Air-Launched Weapons, Warships and Modern Weapons: Compared and Contrasted.

Robert Jackson is the author of over 80 books on military, aviation, naval and scientific subjects. He was defense and science correspondent for a major British newspaper publishing group. His expertise has led to books covering major studies of all aspects of individual campaigns and wars.

Chris McNab specializes in military history and military technology. He has published more than 100 books, including the Haynes Kubelwagen/Schwimmwagen Manual, Roman Soldier Operations Manual, Dreadnought Battleship, Siege Warfare, Falklands War, and the RAF Chinook Manual. Chris has also written extensively for major encyclopedia series, magazines and newspapers, and has made TV appearances as an expert commentator for Discover, Sky and History channels.