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Hardcover Rapid Fire: The Development of Automatic Cannon, Heavy Machine Guns and Their Ammunition for Armies, Navies and Air Forces Book

ISBN: 1840371226

ISBN13: 9781840371222

Rapid Fire: The Development of Automatic Cannon, Heavy Machine Guns and Their Ammunition for Armies, Navies and Air Forces

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Format: Hardcover

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Book Overview

This work will be of interest to enthusiasts of the technical aspects of military, naval and aviation history. It provides a comprehensive account of the use of heavy machine guns, automatic cannons... This description may be from another edition of this product.

Customer Reviews

5 ratings

Great book.

It is immensely informative but well written so that it's easily absorbed. Great book.

Excellent Reference

This book sets a standard that would be hard to beat. The author knows his subject and the production is superb. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the field covered, and to others as an example of how a book should look.

Great book, a mine of information

This book is a very well written history of large caliber automatic weapons. It gives a good coverage of the mechanisms and characteristics of the weapons, but it's real importance to me is it's well illustrated gallery of the rounds used in the weapons, complete with specifications of the rounds and the weapon and country using them, something that is rare to find in other works.In a library of over 1000 volumes on weaponry, this is one of the most used references I have.

its a hit

Very informative, easy to read text - not too dry or technical. Great photos & diagrams. Really helps to understand the auto loading mechanisms of many different weapons, their performance data, specifications. Glad to have this in my collection, definately recommend it.

Essential Knowledge

It should be evident that one cannot fully understand the history of combat aircraft, ships, or vehicles, without having some knowledge of the weapons that armed them. During the last century, heavy automatic guns have been an essential part of this armament. But unfortunately their study has been very much neglected, and with distressing regularity one finds information that is incomplete, misleading, or plain wrong. The existing literature about automatic guns and their ammunition is perhaps more reliable, but mostly limited to weapons of smaller calibre. This book at last fills the gap by offering a wealth of information on these guns. Because it is virtually the only comprehensive discussion of this subject, it can be considered essential reading for anyone interested in the technical aspects of modern military history. The author has made the subject accessible to people without any previous knowledge about guns, but the work also contains enough extensive and detailed information to be attractive to the specialist. It is primarily a book about guns, but it does give careful consideration to the important relationship between gun design and application. It can be read as a history, but also consulted as a reference. Despite the specialist subject the book should appeal to a wide audience, encompassing researchers and modellers, people with an interest in guns as well as those with in an interest in aircraft, ships, or armoured vehicles.Of the six chapters, the first two contain a technical explanation cartridges, guns, and related subjects. The basic operating principles behind different types of guns are clearly explained, and a brief history of their development is given. The advantages and disadvantages of different types of guns, related to their intended applications, are also discussed. The author has chosen to avoid formulas and extended discussions of ballistics, but the principles of gun action are illustrated.The next three chapters then discuss these applications, in armies, navies, and air forces. It explains how the military of different branches and different countries approached the armament problems, and how this determined the development and isntallation of guns. The sixth chapter discusses future developments, and mentions some of the current experimental guns --- most of the book is limited to guns that saw service.Of the five appendices the first is a history of anti-tank and heavy rifles. The second contains tables with complete data related to heavy automatic weapons, including service cartridges and guns up to a calibre of 57mm. The last three appendices contain scale drawings of cartridges and guns. The book concludes with a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.Despite its technical subject "Rapid Fire" is well-written, clear and concise. The book has been well edited and produced, and a good balance between text and illustrations was achieved. The limitations of the work are a consequence of the need to pack an e
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