Decisive Weapons

If it hadn't been for the longbow, Henry V would have lost the day at Agincourt; without the T-34 tank the Soviets would not have beaten back the Germans; and without the Harrier there would have been no Falklands Task Force. Throughout history, armies have struggled to gain the edge aver their enemies with newer and more deadly weapons. Decisive Weapons, and the BBC TV series which it accompanies, tell the compelling story of six battles won or lost by technology. The longbow, the bayonet, the Soviet T-34 tank, the P-51 Mustang fighter plane, the Bell 'Huey' helicopter and the Harrier Jump Jet were all pivital in their respective wars. Drawing on the latest historical research, this book describes exactly how each weapon was developed, and details the often complex but awe-inspiring technological breakthroughs that were made in creating them. These weapons proved themselves in battle as well as on the drawing-board. Decisive Weapons offers graphic accounts of the campaigns in which each one emerged as a truly decisive force, as well as paying tribute to the courage of the soldiers, many of whom went to suicidal lengths to overcome their enemies. From the muddy fields of Agincourt to the moors of Culloden, from the skies above Hitler's Berlin to the snow-swept plains of the Eastern Front, and from the jungles of Vietnam to the gale-lashed seas of the South Atlantic, this compelling account, spanning over 500 years of armed conflict, is the most comprehensive survey yet of the impact weapons technology has had on war.