For nearly 600 years, from the battles of the early fourteenth century to the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, firearms derived from gunpowder and other chemicals defined the frightful extent of war. The apparatus and materials used in World War I would have been familiar to our remote ancestors. In this classic work, first published in 1960, James Riddick Partington provides a worldwide survey of the evolution of incendiary devices, Greek fire, and gunpowder.
Greek fire, a composition Partington believes was made of a distilled petroleum fraction and other ingredients (but not saltpetre), was most famously used in the sieges of Constantinople and the Crusades. Partington moves from its antecedents—other incendiaries used in ancient warfare—to European gunpowder recipe books ( The Latin Book of Fire, Bellifortis, andFeuerwerkbuch) and the history of infernal machines, mines, canon, small arms, and artillery. His book includes chapters on gunpowder and weapons in Muslim lands, India, and China—including fire books, the use of gunpowder as a propellant, the artillery of the Mughal Emperors, and the use of saltpetre in explosives. He traces the development of gunpowder to eleventh-century China and cites the first known mention and picture of a firearm in 1326.
"The history of gunpowder and firearms has attracted many authors with varying interests. The general historian must take account of major inventions effecting revolutions in the life of nations. The historian of science is concerned mostly with the invention of gunpowder. The historian of technology examines the development in the manufacture of explosives and weapons, and the way in which gunpowder has found applications in the peaceful arts. The military historian deals mainly with the use of gunpowder as an explosive and a propellant... and the development of firearms and their use in warfare. No recent book in English (or for that matter in any language) has attempted a concise survey of the subject."—from the Preface
Le informazioni nella sezione "Riassunto" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
"Partington's classic study reappears in this welcome reprint edition enhanced by an informed and useful introduction by Bert Hall. Hall's appreciation of Partington's work explains why we are in his debt and what we should beware of when consulting him."
(Alex Roland Technology and Culture)"The story of the evolution of chemical explosives for 600 years... a must volume for any historian, military or civilian, interested in gunpowder."
(Larry S. Strett Gun Week)James Riddick Partington was a distinguished historian of science and a professor of chemistry at the University of London.Bert S. Hall is an associate professor at the University of Toronto's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology and the author ofWeapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics, also available from Johns Hopkins.
Le informazioni nella sezione "Su questo libro" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
Spese di spedizione:
EUR 3,74
In U.S.A.
Descrizione libro Paperback. Condizione: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Codice articolo Holz_New_0801859549
Descrizione libro Paperback. Condizione: new. New. Codice articolo Wizard0801859549
Descrizione libro Condizione: new. Codice articolo FrontCover0801859549
Descrizione libro paperback. Condizione: New. Language: ENG. Codice articolo 9780801859540
Descrizione libro Paperback. Condizione: New. Brand New! This item is printed on demand. Codice articolo VIB0801859549
Descrizione libro PAP. Condizione: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Codice articolo WJ-9780801859540
Descrizione libro Condizione: New. Book is in NEW condition. Codice articolo 0801859549-2-1
Descrizione libro Condizione: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. Codice articolo 353-0801859549-new
Descrizione libro Paperback or Softback. Condizione: New. A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder 1.61. Book. Codice articolo BBS-9780801859540
Descrizione libro Condizione: New. Codice articolo ABLIING23Feb2416190192335