Weapons & Warfare Books

The Art Of War

Sun Tzu

Amazon Price: $3.99 List Price: $3.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Filiquarian Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $2.45

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Strategy
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military Science

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

NOT THE BOOK 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is just the cliffnotes to the book. This is not the actual book. Also, very poorly published.

the art of war 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The book was very interesting. It really made look at issues in a totally different light. I love this book.

Ancient Timeless Knowledge 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

While this book is barely 70 pages long, the classic strategies in it are concise and valuble, quite timeless. The book was written 2500 years ago as a basic primer on strategy - and has withstood the test of time. It won't take long to digest the book - but that gives you more time to implement its strategies. There are sections on strategies, planning maneuvers, deception, etc., Together with Robert Green's book on Strategy it is a fine combination.


Michael Mandaville, Author of the upcoming "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways For Every American To Fight Terrorism"

Editorial Review:

Twenty-Five Hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic book of military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought. Since that time, all levels of military have used the teaching on Sun Tzu to warfare and cilivzation have adapted these teachings for use in politics, business and everyday life. The Art of War is a book which should be used to gain advantage of opponents in the boardroom and battlefield alike.

American Rifle: A Biography

Alexander Rose

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $30.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Delacorte Press Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $18.38

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Historical Study -> Social History

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An excellent biography 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I have collected, read and shot for the last 70 years but this is the best book on the subject of the American rifle I have encountered. It goes into the history of the long arm in general but concentrates on the American military experience. It shows the influence of the development of arms production on all areas of manufacturing. It also gives an excellent description of the influence of politics and personalities on the operations of the arsenals and of the military theories behind the arguments for the choice of single-shot versus magazine rifles as standard for the armed forces. I must admit that I did find one example of what must have been a typo on page 197 . The caliber chosen for the American team in the first Creedmoor match is described as .45-550-90 (bore diameter-weight of black powder charge-weight of bullet). 550 grains weight of black powder would have been quite spectacular! Obviously the powder charge weight and that of the bullet have been transposed.

Editorial Review:

Amazon Best of the Month, October 2008: Given the title, American Rifle is a book that many potential readers might dismiss without a thought. Don't do it: Alexander Rose's peculiar "biography" is not written for gun enthusiasts--though they'll certainly enjoy it--but for anyone interested American history from George Washington to the Wild West to Iraq. Drawing on original sources ranging from Samuel Colt to the soldiers who depend on the weapon the most, this book is an exhaustive history of the rifle's place in American culture, not only as an instrument of war, but also as a driver of technological innovation and advances in mass production that helped propel the United States into its role as both a military and economic superpower. Once you start, American Rifle will have to be pried from your cold, dead hands before you put it down. --Jon Foro

Gun: A Visual History

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $14.96 List Price: $22.00 Usually ships in 9 to 12 days By: DK ADULT Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $14.96

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Pictorials
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> Firearms
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautiful photos 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I gave this book as a gift, and the recipient loved it! The photography is cool, the descriptions are great, and the collection as a whole is very informative.

Editorial Review:

Showcasing more than 300 guns, from rifles and pistols to machine guns and grenade launcher, this 800-year visual history is the perfect gift book for anyone interested in firearms.

The Making of the Atomic Bomb

Richard Rhodes

Amazon Price: $13.60 List Price: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon & Schuster Amazon Marketplace: 100 new & used starting at $4.70

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Strategy
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Nuclear
Subjects -> History -> Military -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 161 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great book if you like history and physics 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great book if you are interested in the subject of science and nuclear physics. The book does a good job of explaining a lot of technical jargon in layman terms and tells a compelling story of the scientists involved. I read this book back in school and fell in love with the side stories and the footnotes in the making of the bomb. The later parts of the book are a bit of a drag and it is easy to get bored. A couple of friends who i recommended this book to did not like it as they felt it was too heavy and they were not really interested in science as much :).

Editorial Review:

If the first 270 pages of this book had been published separately, they would have made up a lively, insightful, beautifully written history of theoretical physics and the men and women who plumbed the mysteries of the atom. Along with the following 600 pages, they become a sweeping epic, filled with terror and pity, of the ultimate scientific quest: the development of the ultimate weapon. Rhodes is a peerless explainer of difficult concepts; he is even better at chronicling the personalities who made the discoveries that led to the Bomb. Niels Bohr dominates the first half of the book as J. Robert Oppenheimer does the second; both men were gifted philosophers of science as well as brilliant physicists. The central irony of this book, which won a National Book Critics Circle Award, is that the greatest minds of the century contributed to the greatest destructive force in history.

The Art of War (Shambhala classics)

Sun Tzu

Amazon Price: $4.95 List Price: $4.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dover Publications Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $2.19

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Strategy
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 281 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Art of War is the Swiss army knife of military theory--pop out a different tool for any situation. Folded into this small package are compact views on resourcefulness, momentum, cunning, the profit motive, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, speed, positioning, surprise, deception, manipulation, responsibility, and practicality. Thomas Cleary's translation keeps the package tight, with crisp language and short sections. Commentaries from the Chinese tradition trail Sun-tzu's words, elaborating and picking up on puzzling lines. Take the solitary passage: "Do not eat food for their soldiers." Elsewhere, Sun-tzu has told us to plunder the enemy's stores, but now we're not supposed to eat the food? The Tang dynasty commentator Du Mu solves the puzzle nicely, "If the enemy suddenly abandons their food supplies, they should be tested first before eating, lest they be poisoned." Most passages, however, are the pinnacle of succinct clarity: "Lure them in with the prospect of gain, take them by confusion" or "Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent." Sun-tzu's maxims are widely applicable beyond the military because they speak directly to the exigencies of survival. Your new tools will serve you well, but don't flaunt them. Remember Sun-tzu's advice: "Though effective, appear to be ineffective." --Brian Bruya

Surgical Speed Shooting: How To Achieve High-Speed Marksmanship In A Gunfight

Andy Stanford

Amazon Price: $10.20 List Price: $15.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Paladin Press Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $8.91

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> History & Criticism -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> History & Criticism -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Decent read but there are better books and ways 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I cruised through this book when I was already a decent shooter. There wasn't much there for me that I didn't already know. It's informative for a novice or marksman level shooter. If you want a book about the principles and mechanics as well as the mental aspect I would suggest Brian Enos' Practical Shooting. I got more from that book than any other. Even better yet. Find a shooting instructor such as Stanford to learn by doing. Enos will raise your game by getting you to better interpret what you are "seeing" that you may not be conscious of.

Realistic system for the street. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A well thought out and written book, with plenty of illustrations to allow the reader to visulize what the author is talking about.The system presented is realistic as to what to expect in true self defense use of the handgun. If you are going to carry with a CCW permit or keep a handgun in the home for protection, the information in this book is essential.

Editorial Review:

Learn the secrets of shooting a handgun quickly and accurately under the extreme stress of a gunfight. These cutting-edge techniques for managing recoil in rapid fire, high-speed trigger control and more are used by today's hostage rescue teams and competitive grandmasters.

Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK ADULT Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $18.71

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> General
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Rich and Deadly 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a three in one review on the truly splendid books, Warrior, Weapon, and Battle. Or more formally: Warrior, A visual History of the Fighting Man. Weapon, A visual History of Arms and Armor. Battle, A visual Journey through 5000 Years of Combat.

They can be reviewed together because of their kinship in sharing the same visual concept and the same supremely expert author, R. G. Grant. No pilgrim, Grant is the author of over 20 books, most on the subject of conflict, implements of war and the fighting man.

All three books are wonderfully delicious for those of us whose DNA inclines us toward the history of arms, armament and the men who have carried them. These books are chock full of photographs, charts, maps and illustrations on every page to beautifully compliment and expand upon a tightly written, no fluff text. And this text is extremely well researched.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess that I have not read each of these three books in their entirety. I've had them for only 2 weeks and after scanning them from start to finish, I am now devouring them slowly, page by page, like a monk with a holy book, meting out tasty morsels judiciously. I want this to last a long time.

Although, the books overlap to a degree, they are not repetitious in any negative way as they each have their own exclusive focus.

Warrior takes on the subject of the individual fighting man from 600 BCE to the present, from the Greek Hoplite, the Samurai, Zulu, Mongol bowman, American rifleman to the modern western infantry and special forces...and almost everything in between.

Weapon focuses on just about every kind of implement of a fighting man's arsenal of killing tools from Assyrian spears to the AK 47. In some cases, replicas have been photographed but mostly it's the often crusty, old real thing. The photography is first rate. As in all three books, the text and illustrations are intermingled in such an artful way as to make each page a visual smorgasbord.

Battle covers the first recorded major battle which is between the Canaanites and the Egyptians at Meiddo and takes us through conflicts in every age all the way to modern times. Its focus is on the Generals, the strategies, the troops and their weapons.

Battle was published by DK in 2005, Weapon in `05 and Warrior in `07. Highly recommended, all three.

Editorial Review:

For 4,000 years weapons, and the warriors who used them, have acted as the cutting edge of history, using ax, spear, bow, sword, gun, and cannon to determine the rise of kingdoms and the fall of empires. From the stone axes of the earliest warfare to the heavy artillery of today's modern armies, this awe-inspiring book portrays for the first time the entire spectrum of weaponry. A spectacular, unprecedented visual reference to the design, function and history of arms and armor from around the world. Combines specially commissioned photography and sophisticated design with authoritative text and exhaustive coverage. Beautifully photographed and richly detailed catalogues display - often at actual size - all the major types of weapon, from spears to machine-guns. Profiles the warriors who have deployed the weapons to devastating effect, from the Roman legionary to the US Navy Seal. Includes features that showcase individual weapons in stunning detail.

Small Unit Leadership: A Commonsense Approach

Dandridge M. Malone

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Presidio Press Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $7.15

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Intelligence & Espionage
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

This is great once you get past the stories 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The author had a really good opportunity to write a fantastic book-- there are stories about delegation in there that opened my eyes to new possibilities in employee development and the unique relationship between the strategic level (management) and the tactical level (supervisors/NCOs).

Where the book fails are the war stories. The author makes liberal use of war stories in his material that are marginally on topic but I feel do not address the issue of small unit leadership. If anything, the war stories discuss the effects of NCO's and CO's doing NCO work; it doesn't state how to lead either from the position of a Colonel (which I would think equivalent of a VP/GM) or explicitly state his goals for his NCO's (supervisors). I honestly ended up skimming through the first half of the book looking for something useful-- eventually the author does get to the point and the book begins to expand on his thesis; I found the fluff annoying. I personally wouldn't have bought the book alone; I ended up purchasing it as a group deal with the Three Meter Zone.

That having been said the book goes over some very interesting points in how to develop NCO's and team leads; it also goes into the psychology of group mentality briefly and there are some very good insights to be had there.

Now that I've gotten the base information from the book it's sitting in a corner of my bookshelf-- I might pick it up again if I need to correlate information with the Three Meter Zone. This book unfortunately doesn't stand by itself as a good business model-- though realistically, the author hadn't intended this so I can't fault him for it.

Editorial Review:

Required reading for all present and future leaders, this classic is for those who have to "get the job done"--military or not.

Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II

Steven Zaloga

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Stackpole Books Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $21.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> United States -> General
Subjects -> History -> Military -> United States -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Superb Organizational History 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This is a superb book on the Sherman Tank that - amazingly - covers much new ground. It accomplishes this by not focussing on technical development as RP Hunnicutt's Sherman "bible" (and most other Sherman books)do. Instead, it's a history of how the various organizations within the US Army created the Sherman, why they made the design decisions they did, how combat effective the Sherman was as a result, and how development proceeded (or didn't) as a result of that experience.

Unlike many writers of amour (sorry - armor!) books, Zaloga is not just a vehicle enthusiast. He's a real historian who has been conducting original research in various archives and other primary sources for three decades now. So, when he discusses the preference of Gen McNair and the Army Ground Forces for proven designs or the tendency of the Ordnance Department to waste time on pointless but interesting technical developments, he supports his argument with specific detail and extensive quotations from period correspondence.

When it comes to evaluating the Sherman's combat performance, Zaloga provides a lot of statistal data from the operational research that was conducted by the US and Britain during and shortly after the war. The facts will surprise even those who think they are Sherman experts.

Before purchasing the book I was concerned it would focus solely on US Army Shermans (as implied by the sub-title). In fact it includes a chapter on US Marine use in the Pacific as well as good coverage of British and Commonwealth Sherman developments and experiences. Contemporary Soviet and German armour developments and attitudes are also summarized. All this provides a very useful context for the Sherman story, and the book would be poorer without it.

Finally, Zaloga's prose style is both vivid and clear, and the large format pages are used to include many, many large and well-reproduced photographs. The only minor criticism I could make is the lack of maps. However, since the purpose of the combat sections are to analyze the Sherman's effectiveness, not provide a campaign history, even this is forgivable. All-in-all, a wonderful book.

Editorial Review:

This book features hundreds of photos, including many never published before. It provides riveting accounts of armoured warfare in World War II. It compares the Sherman to other tanks, including the Panther and Tiger. The author is a world-renowned expert on the Sherman tank and American armour. Some tank crews referred to the American M4 Sherman tank as a "death trap". Others, like General George Patton, believed that the Sherman helped win World War II. So which was it: death trap or war winner? Armour expert Steven Zaloga answers that question by recounting the Sherman's combat history. Focusing on Northwest Europe (but also including a chapter on the Pacific), Zaloga follows the Sherman into action on D-Day, among the Normandy hedgerows, during Patton's race across France, in the great tank battle at Arracourt in September 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge, across the Rhine, and in the Ruhr pocket in 1945.

Panther vs Sherman: Battle of the Bulge 1944 (Duel)

Steven Zaloga

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Osprey Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $10.66

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> General
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Conventional -> General AAS
Subjects -> History -> Military -> World War II -> Europe

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this book Steven J Zaloga offers a fascinating comparison of the combat performance of the two most important tanks involved in the crucial fighting of 1944, the Sherman and the Panther. Examining the design and development of both tanks, Zaloga notes the obvious superiority that the Panther had over the Sherman and how the highly engineered German tank was eventually beaten back, not necessarily by the improvements made to the Sherman, but rather by the superior numbers of tanks that the Allies were able to put into the field.

Putting the reader into the heart of this battle between quality and quantity Zaloga examines the tactical intricacies of the battles between these two rivals. Using a compelling account of the ferocious fighting in the Ardennes region to explain the successes and failures of each tank he also highlights the fact that a tank can only be as good as its crew, weighing up the impact of low morale, high cost and mediocre crew training on the Panthers superiority. Packed with full-colour battlescenes, technical drawings, photographs, digital gunsight views, extracts from crew training manuals and real combat reports, this book brings to life the titanic battles between the Sherman and the Panther.