Secret Weapons of World War II [Mass Market Paperback]

Bill Yenne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2003

These are the weapons that changed the world. From Navaho Code Talkers and the first computers to manned torpedoes and the atomic bomb.

This fascinating new book presents more than 175 technological terrors devised by both Axis and Allied powers over the course of World War II.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425189929
• ISBN-13: 978-0425189924
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Yenne is the author of several novels and over three dozen books on historical topics, as well as having been a contributor to encyclopedias of both world wars. He has traveled throughout the world researching his books.

The "New Yorker" wrote of "Sitting Bull," his biography of the great Lakota leader, that it "excels as a study in leadership." This book was named to the number 14 spot among Amazon's 100 Best Books of the Year.

"Library Journal" observed that "enthusiastic World War II readers will be drawn to" his dual biography, "Aces High: The Heroic Story of the Two Top Scoring American Aces of World War II."

Recently, his book "Convair Deltas" was named as "Book of the Month" by "Air Classics," while his book "Tommy Gun" was named "Pick of the Month" by "Shooting Illustrated."

His book "Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint" was listed among the top business books of the year by "Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine," which rated Yenne's tome as its TOP pick for "Cocktail Conversation."

Yenne's "Rising Sons: The Japanese American GIs Who Fought for the United States in World War II," was praised by Walter Boyne, former Director of the National Air & Space Museum, who called it "a fast moving... page turner," and the "best book yet written on the saga."

The "Wall Street Journal" wrote, when reviewing his "Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West," that Yenne writes with "cinematic vividness," and says of his work that it "has the rare quality of being both an excellent reference work and a pleasure to read."

The author lives in San Francisco, California, and on the web at www.BillYenne.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WWII Technology was more advanced than we might think..., December 31, 2006

By 

Derrik Mantel (Maplewood, MN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secret Weapons of World War II (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoy the readability of this book. It is broken into very digestible short stories or essays on the secret weapons of WWII. Some of them are mundane others are quite scary.

The book covers - jets, manhattan project, missile technology, espionage technology, the various interceptor aricraft, super subs and torpedoes, gas and biological weapons, super tanks, electromagnetic artillery, sound based weapons.

I particulary liked the Supertanks section. The Germans wanted to use battleship guns on tanks. The soviets captured a prototype of the "Maus" tank.

The book falls short in one area. It contains no pictures or diagrams. But don't let that stop you from enjoying the stories contained therein.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book of Lists, September 20, 2011

By 

Steve Archer "Steve" (So Cal) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secret Weapons of World War II (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is very shallow, with little or no actual details on the various weapons. If your intent it to learn something about the "secret" weapons in depth this is not the book. Do the math-the book is just under 300 pages yet lists 175 weapons. Most get little more than a paragraph and most of the weapons are well known already. Nothing new, insightful or informative here. A small further nit to pick it is overwhelmingly about air weapons and both the site description or cover descriptions should say this.