Firepower

Firepower is an absorbing and stimulating study of methods of winning wars. Firepower does not invariably mean what comes out of the barrel of a gun; it comprises everything from morale to tactics, strategy to logistics, and subversion to diplomacy. Written by the leading military historian Philip Warner, Firepower examines weapons from slings and poisoned arrows to their modern counterparts – rockets and chemical weapons. Many weapons now thought to be ultra modern were derived from less sophisticated versions to use in pre-Christian and medieval times. Some of the secrets of early terror weapons such as ‘Greek fire’ which could burn on water and stick to stone, have been lost, but the author makes shrewd assessments of their constituents and power. The book describes the evolution of aircraft, tanks, underwater craft, and even the art of secret communication. The narrative is illustrated by accounts from soldiers with personal experience of clearing minefields, engaging in hand to hand combat and pitting human skills against electronic devices. Motivation is shown to be one of the most important factors in the history of warfare, and is closely allied to training. The book includes a wide survey of modern weapons and their systems, explaining those available in the armouries of the NATO forces and the then Warsaw Pact countries. All this is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the wars and skirmishes which take place in many parts of the world today; by its knowledgeable, sober assessments, the book tends to be reassuring rather than alarmist. Firepower is a comprehensive survey which avoids technical jargon and is written in a clear, vigorous style. It will interest the expert and amateur alike. Philip Warner is a former senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and author of forty books in the field of military history and biography. He joined the army after graduating from Cambridge in 1939 and served in the Far East throughout Would War II. The book includes an extensive picture gallery and author biography and bibliography.