The World's Elite Forces: Small Arms and Accessories (Greenhill Military Manuals) [Hardcover]

John Walter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Greenhill Military Manuals | Publication Date: February 19, 2006

This book presents an illustrated guide not just to the guns of the world's special forces, but also an introduction to their development. Considerable thought has been given in the last few years as to how existing weapons can be adapted to the hightly specialized situations required of them today. Particular attention has been given to sniping equipment and a wide range of technology is now in use, not only with military special forces, but also with police and SWAT units where the demands of service are rarely as vigorous as armed combat. John Walter reveals the development of highly sophisticated sight and observation tools, employing lasers and range-finders which allow an operative to pinpoint a target up to 500 metres away even at night. He also charts the parallel advances of body armor and grenades; just as the use of kevlar and composites has improved personal safety, so the advent of smoke, stun and controlled fragmentation grenades has improved the ability of the individual soldier to take the offensive in counter-terrorist operations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The World's Elite Forces: Small Arms and Accessories is an encyclopedic guide to the guns used by special forces (mainly police and SWAT units) around the world. A companion to The World's Elite Forces: Arms and Equipment in the Greenhill Military Manuals series, the book includes a page-long entry for each weapon detailing the uses of the gun and the technical innovations that make it distinctive, with a focus on the development of specialized features like silencers or sights for sniping. Author John Walter (The Luger Story) has also written an introduction discussing trends in weapons design.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Walter is a respected authority on all aspects of weaponry and is the author of numerous books, including several contributions to the "Greenhill Military Manuals Series", "The Guns that Won the West" (185367351X), "The Luger Story" (1853674362), and "The Greenhill Dictionary of Guns and Gunmakers" (1853673927).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Greenhill Books; First edition (February 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853674966
• ISBN-13: 978-1853674969
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,701,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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