World firearms history

Author: Wang Zhaochun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book is an academic monograph on the history of global small arms development. It consists of 14 chapters and approximately 600,000 words, covering over 1,100 years of the history of small arms development, from the invention of gunpowder in China during the Tang Dynasty in 808 AD to the use of the atomic bomb by the U.S. military in the war in August 1945. The book employs a multidisciplinary approach, making full use of literature from archaeology, metallurgy, military history, and the history of science and technology. It discusses major issues such as the historical origins of gunpowder and small arms invention in China, the role of Western countries in advancing and developing small arms, the exchange of small arms between the East and the West, significant achievements in the development of small arms, and the military and social transformations caused by the use of small arms in warfare. The book provides both a comprehensive overview and summary of history, as well as categorized analyses, supplemented by vivid case studies for illustration. It includes 290 valuable historical photographs. The content is rich, with a balance of text and illustrations, and the language is fluent, concise, and to the point. The analyses are insightful, and the arguments are original. It serves as a reference for researchers and educators in the fields of small arms history, military technology history, and the history of science and technology, as well as for readers interested in small arms history. Young readers can also use it as a popular science book to broaden their knowledge and enhance their understanding of history and science.