New Releases by Chris McNab

Featuring more than 400 entries, World War II Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Tanks & Warships is an illustrated reference work on the most important weapons of the Second World War.

This captivating biography delves into J. Robert Oppenheimer''s groundbreaking work, from his early scientific achievements to leading the Manhattan Project and his complex legacy as the mind behind the atom bomb. The brilliant theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer is now known primarily for his work on the development of the atomic bomb from 1942-45 at Los Alamos in New Mexico. Though fascinated by the processes that created the bomb, he was horrified by its impact and the devastation wrought on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Chris McNab looks at the body of prior work that led to Oppenheimer''s recruitment to the Manhattan Project as well as the development of the bomb itself. It also reflects on how his political views subsequently put him in opposition to the US government and military factions and ultimately ended his career as a nuclear physicist, despite his talents. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Pioneers series brings together entertaining biographies of leading figures within scientific world and beyond, tracing their lives, legacy and the pioneering ideas that made them world-famous.

Highly illustrated, Native American Myths is an exploration of the beliefs and culture of North America’s first inhabitants divided into seven chapters, covering creation myths; people, family and culture; the natural world; ghosts and spirits; gods, demons and heroes; love, morality and death; and warfare.

From their promising beginnings at Stanford to their founding of Google and beyond, this fascinating biography charts the extraordinary rise of tech duo Sergey Brin and Larry Page. As PhD students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin devised a powerful search engine. Google, the company they founded in 1998 became a brand, the world''s pre-eminent search engine, a centre of artificial intelligence and a source of data collection. This fascinating biography looks at the background behind the formation of the company, as well as the technology and the business model that led it to become so successful. Featuring photographs which chronicle their rise to success, this book is fascinating read for aspiring entrepreneurs or anyone looking to build a successful business. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Visionaries series brings together entertaining biographies of leading figures within business world and beyond, tracing their lives, ground-breaking ideas and the innovative thinking that made them world-famous.

Featuring specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this study charts the SVD Dragunov rifle''s development, combat use and lasting legacy, from Vietnam to Syria. Developed as a medium-range sniping rifle in the Soviet Union during the 1960s, the Dragunov stood out against most Western sniping rifle types by being semi-automatic, a configuration that marginally lowers accuracy compared to bolt-action sniping rifles, but which allows for faster follow-up shots. Even so, the SVD is still capable of taking precision killing shots out to 800m and beyond, making it a thoroughly practical combat weapon for marksmen and snipers. In this fully illustrated study, Chris McNab explores the Dragunov''s development and performance in detail. But the story of this weapon really comes to life with its combat history. It is the world''s most widespread sniping rifle, still in use in the former Soviet armies and sold to more than 40 countries worldwide. Its rugged design, dependable capabilities and relatively low cost mean that it has been used in every conceivable type of conflict, from Vietnam and Afghanistan to Iraq and Syria. Illustrated with cutaway artwork and battlescenes, plus technical and historical photographs, this study tells the story of this remarkable weapon, from design and development to tactical use in action.

This study looks at how the Soviet armed forces developed and deployed a range of machine guns that fitted with their offensive and defensive infantry tactics across six years of total war. In 1939, three machine guns dominated the Red Army''s front-line infantry firepower – the DShK 1938 heavy machine gun, the PM M1910 medium/heavy machine gun and the Degtyaryov DP-27, a lighter, bipod-mounted support weapon. Confronted by cutting-edge German technology during the Great Patriotic War (1941–45), the Soviets responded with the development of new weaponry, including the RPD light machine gun, the 7.62×54mmR SG43 medium machine gun and the improved version of the DP-27, the DPM. Taken together, all these weapons gave the Red Army a more practical range of support weapons, better able to challenge the Germans for fire superiority on the battlefield. Fully illustrated, this study explains the technology and the tactics of these machine guns. Noted authority Chris McNab sets out how these machine guns were distributed and tactically applied and provides numerous examples of the weapons in action, from assault teams on the streets of Stalingrad to tank crews struggling for survival at Kursk. The book also reflects upon the weapons'' post-war service; many of the machine guns remain in front-line use today. Illustrated with high-quality photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this is a deep analysis of these essential tools of warfare within the Soviet forces.

This study explores the organization, appearance and equipment of both sides'' ground forces during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88).

A heavily illustrated account of the evolution, design and deployment of dreadnought battleships. When HMS Dreadnought was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1906 this revolutionary new class of big-gun iron-clad warship immediately changed the face of naval warfare, rendering all other battleships worldwide obsolete. The Admiralty realised that as soon as the ship was revealed to the global naval community Britain would be a in race to stay ahead, and so the first dreadnoughts were built in record time. While there were those who regarded the vessel as a triumphant revolution in naval design, the dreadnought initially had its critics, including those who thought its slower, heavier guns left it vulnerable to the secondary armament of other warships. Nevertheless, other countries, notably Germany, and the United States soon began to lay down dreadnoughts. The culmination of this arms race would be the confrontation of the British and German fleets at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 – the greatest clash of naval firepower in history. This book gives detailed insights into the design, operation and combat history of these incredible vessels.

A compilation of information presented in United States Army World War II training manuals and tactical documents. The battle for Europe in 1943–45 was one of the greatest military challenges in the history of the U.S. Army. Fighting against often veteran German forces from the mountains of Italy to the beaches of Normandy and the frozen forests of the Ardennes, hundreds of thousands of U.S. infantrymen had to move quickly beyond their training and acquire real-world combat skills with extraordinary pace if they were to raise their chances of survival beyond a few days. They fought in an age of total war, in which the enemy deployed heavy armor, artillery, air power, and their own infantry firepower in a battle of true equals. Without the drive and blood of the U.S. Army infantry, the Allies could not have defeated the Wehrmacht in Western Europe. Extensive documentation was provided for the in-theater U.S. Army infantryman, from booklets rather misguidedly advising on how to behave in foreign countries through to field manuals explaining core combat tactics across squad, platoon, company, and battalion levels. This pocket manual presents critical insights from many of these sources, but also draws on a broad spectrum of intelligence reports, after-action reports, and other rare publications. Together they give an inside view on what it was like to live and fight in the U.S. Army infantry during arguably the most consequential conflict in human history. Praise for The U.S. Army Infantryman Pocket Manual: ETO & MTO, 1941–45 “This guide and explanation of Army tactical doctrine is a welcome addition to Second World War literature.” —The Journal of America’s Military Past

Pocket manuals bring together a wealth of information from a wide variety of training manuals and tactical documents. Between 1964 and 1975, 2.6 million American personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, of whom an estimated 1–1.6 million actually fought in combat. At the tip of the spear was the infantry, the "grunts" who entered an extraordinary tropical combat zone completely alien to the world they had left behind in the United States. In South Vietnam, and occasionally spilling over into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, they fought a relentless counterinsurgency and conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC). The terrain was as challenging as the enemy – soaring mountains or jungle-choked valleys; bleached, sandy coastal zones; major urban centers; riverine districts. Their opponents fought them with relentless and terrible ingenuity with ambushes, booby traps, and mines, then occasionally with full-force offensives on a scale to rival the campaigns of World War II. This pocket manual draws its content not only from essential U.S. military field manuals of the Vietnam era, but also a vast collection of declassified primary documents, including rare after-action reports, intelligence analysis, firsthand accounts, and combat studies. Through these documents the pocket manual provides a deep insight into what it was like for infantry to live, survive, and fight in Vietnam, whether conducting a major airmobile search-and-destroy operation or conducting endless hot and humid small-unit patrols from jungle firebases. The book includes infantry intelligence documents about the NVA and VC threats, plus chapters explaining hard-won lessons about using weaponry, surviving and moving through the jungle, tactical maneuvers, and applications of the ubiquitous helicopter for combat and support.

The M4 carbine has become one of the defining military firearms of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Developed as a fusion of the XM177E2 Colt Commando and the M16A2 assault rifle, the M4 offered a more convenient battlefield firearm than the full-length M16 variants, and the US Army adopted it as the standard infantry weapon in the 1990s. Today, military and law-enforcement personnel of more than 60 countries have adopted either the M4 or the M4A1 variant, both of which have been tested and proven in major combat operations worldwide. This study describes the development process in detail, from production of the first XM4 prototypes in 1984 through numerous modified types until it emerged into official use as the M4 in 1994. The M4 offered a weapon that was 1lb lighter and 6in shorter than the standard M16A2, yet could still deliver precision semi-auto and full-auto firepower up to an effective range of 500m. Over time, its capabilities have been enhanced by the M4A1 modifications plus an extensive range of tactical accessories, including optical day/night sights, laser/infrared designators, under-barrel grenade launchers and shotgun modules, foregrips, furniture options, mounting rails, and sound suppressors. Numerous M4/M4A1 combat operations are investigated to reveal why the weapon has received such high levels of approval by front-line combat troops, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the M4/M4A1 has been intensively combat-tested, but also in contexts such as Colombia, India, Israel, and the Philippines. Profusely illustrated with photographs and artworks, and drawing its research from the latest declassified documents, this is a complete guide to one of the most important and widely distributed tactical infantry weapons of the last quarter-century.

The tactics and technologies of modern air assault – vertical deployment of troops by helicopter or similar means – emerged properly during the 1950s in Korea and Algeria. Yet it was during the Vietnam War that helicopter air assault truly came of age and by 1965 the United States had established fully airmobile battalions, brigades, and divisions, including the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).This division brought to Vietnam a revolutionary new speed and dexterity in battlefield tactics, using massed helicopters to liberate its soldiers from traditional overland methods of combat manoeuvre. However, the communist troops adjusted their own thinking to handle airmobile assaults. Specializing in ambush, harassment, infiltration attacks, and small-scale attrition, the North Vietnamese operated with light logistics and a deep familiarity with the terrain. They optimized their defensive tactics to make landing zones as hostile as possible for assaulting US troops, and from 1966 worked to draw them into ''Hill Traps'', extensive kill zones specially prepared for defence-in-depth. By the time the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) withdrew from Vietnam in 1972, it had suffered more casualties than any other US Army division. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, archive photographs, and full-colour battle maps, this study charts the evolution of US airmobile tactics pitted against North Vietnamese countermeasures. The two sides are analysed in detail, including training, logistics, weaponry, and organization.

This absorbing study investigates the doctrine, training, equipment, and combat record of the US specialist beach-landing troops and their German opponents who fought over three bitterly contested amphibious beachheads in Europe at the height of World War II.

The US Navy’s fleet of aircraft carriers are at the heart of global American military force. With nuclear-powered oceanic range, complements of nearly 5,000 crew, and typically carrying more than 70 combat aircraft, US carriers can remain on station for months, delivering aerial combat strikes on distant targets around the clock. The Haynes Super Carrier Operations Manual offers unrivaled insights into understanding how a modern US super carrier is operated. The US Navy has given Haynes author Chris McNab and photographer Patrick Bunce official clearance to spend time at sea on one of its ‘Nimitz’ or ‘Gerald R. Ford’ class super carriers. During the visit Chris conducted interviews with key personnel of all major departments, including flight-deck crew, aviators, ordnance officers, engineers, logisticians, operations crew and the captain; while Patrick photographed life above and below decks, with a special focus on the engineering side of carrier aviation often not covered in other publications.

A fully illustrated and expertly researched guide to the tanks of Hitler''s formidable war machine. The Panzers that rolled over Europe were Germany''s most famous fighting force, and are some of the most enduring symbols of World War II. However, at the start of the war, Germany''s tanks were nothing extraordinary and it was operational encounters such as facing the Soviet T-34 during Operation Barbarossa which prompted their intensive development. Tactical innovation gave them an edge where technological development had not, making Hitler''s tanks a formidable enemy. Hitler''s Tanks details the development and operational history of the light Panzer I and II, developed in the 1930s, the medium tanks that were the backbone of the Panzer Divisions, the Tiger, and the formidable King Tiger, the heaviest tank to see combat in World War II. Drawing on Osprey''s unique and extensive armour archive, Chris McNab skilfully weaves together the story of the fearsome tanks that transformed armoured warfare and revolutionised land warfare forever.

The units and formations of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) have privileged access to the finest weaponry in the world''s arsenal. Whether Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, the SOCOM troops select weapons that match their mission requirements, but which also sit at the cutting edge of combat technology. This means that, while SOCOM troops frequently use standard-issue weaponry, they also adopt many specialist pieces of kit that are not so accessible to the broader armed services, including sniper rifles, battle rifles, and machine guns, as well as high-tech tactical accessories used to transform standard weaponry into something exceptional. Assessing the technology and capabilities of these combat weapons, as well as how they have been used in modern combat, this fully illustrated study lifts the veil on some of the most distinctive hand-held weapon systems of US special operations forces since 1987.

Submarine commanders in WWII dealt with both enormous risk and responsibility; charged with sinking enemy shipping while avoiding detection, they had to correctly locate and identify enemy craft, getting close enough to strike while attempting to safeguard the lives of their crew. It was a deadly game; the Germans lost over 600 U-boats during the war, and one in five submariners in the US Navy was killed, the highest proportion of any of the services. The Submarine Commander Pocket Manual gives a fascinating insight into life beneath the waves, and what was required to operate a submarine, from diving and surfacing to attack strategies and evading detection. From training manuals to combat reports and firsthand accounts, this volume has collated documents, diagrams and photos from American, British and German archives to demonstrate both the fascinating technical and tactical aspects of running a submarine, and the calm nerves needed to outwit your opponent and live to fight another day in the war at sea.

The Remembrance Poppy is a haunting reminder of the ultimate cost of war. Worn by millions around the world every year, the Poppy compels us to remember war''s dead, wounded and bereaved, regardless of nationality or conflict. As we reflect on the centenary of the First World War, this book charts the history of the Remembrance Poppy, from its origins in the battle-tortured landscape of Flanders in 1915 to its enduring relevance in the present day. It sets the Poppy in its context of tragedy and sacrifice, always acknowledging that our war dead are gone, but not forgotten.

For six decades, the 7.62mm FN MAG has been a dominant general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in worldwide arsenals. Three qualities have guaranteed this enduring status – reliability, ease of operation, and firepower. Several nations have license-produced the weapon as their standard GPMG, including the British (as the L7) and the Americans (M240), and in total more than 80 nations have adopted the FN MAG. The machine gun has also been modified extensively for vehicular, naval, and aircraft platforms, demonstrating versatility in the air, on sea, and on land. In this book, Chris McNab charts the technical evolution of this extraordinary weapon, created by Belgian company Fabrique Nationale d''Herstal. From the jungles of South East Asia, to the deserts of the Middle East, and the icy battlefields of the Falklands, this study explores the origins, development, combat use, and legacy of the FN MAG machine gun, a dominant weapon in its field for more than a half-century.

Featuring first-hand accounts, an engaging, up-to-date study explores the clashes between Israeli M60 main battle tanks and the AT-3 Sagger anti-tank missiles used by their Arab opponents during the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

The battles waged from 476 to 1485 demonstrate the complexity and importance of the medieval era. Combatants included the English, French, Muslims, Mongols, and crusaders, and their victories and failures laid the foundations of modern history. This book brings battles like the Battle of Tours and the Battle of Agincourt into sharp focus, and gives context to the warfare of the Middle Ages.

As explorers, traders, and settlers reached new areas of North America, Native Americans'' way of life came under threat. This volume gives a comprehensive look at the conflicts these tribes faced and the warriors who led them in battle. The book includes maps, full-color photographs, and engaging sidebars that paint a vivid portrait of Native American history.

Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull are just two of the famous leaders of the plains tribes renowned for their prowess on the battlefield. This book looks at the military accomplishments of tribes living in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. The book explores the integral role of warriors in Native American culture, describes prominent conflicts and wars, and provides biographical information about the warriors themselves.

An absorbing study that assesses the clashes between Nazi Germany''s elite assault engineers and the tenacious Soviet troops who defended the city of Stalingrad in the titanic battles of 1942–43.

How secure is your network? The best way to find out is to attack it, using the same tactics attackers employ to identify and exploit weaknesses. With the third edition of this practical book, you’ll learn how to perform network-based penetration testing in a structured manner. Security expert Chris McNab demonstrates common vulnerabilities, and the steps you can take to identify them in your environment. System complexity and attack surfaces continue to grow. This book provides a process to help you mitigate risks posed to your network. Each chapter includes a checklist summarizing attacker techniques, along with effective countermeasures you can use immediately. Learn how to effectively test system components, including: Common services such as SSH, FTP, Kerberos, SNMP, and LDAP Microsoft services, including NetBIOS, SMB, RPC, and RDP SMTP, POP3, and IMAP email services IPsec and PPTP services that provide secure network access TLS protocols and features providing transport security Web server software, including Microsoft IIS, Apache, and Nginx Frameworks including Rails, Django, Microsoft ASP.NET, and PHP Database servers, storage protocols, and distributed key-value stores

Mastered by special forces around the world, mental toughness is the ultimate survival skill. With expert advice and illustrations, this book offers essential mental training for any psychological scenario, from coping with stress to resisting Stockholm Syndrome.

Learn how Native American tribes across North America waged war during European colonization, and how they adapted with things like horses, firearms, and stealth.

The Barrett M82A1 and its derivatives are among the most successful sniping rifles ever manufactured. Now entering its fourth decade of service, the short-recoil, semi-automatic system is capable of firing a devastating .50-caliber round with lethal accuracy over distances of more than 2km. Unconfirmed reports from Afghanistan in 2012 accredit the Barrett with one of history''s longest ever kills at 2,815m. This is the technical history of a rifle initially developed as a sporting firearm, but which evolved into a long-range sniping rifle and a formidable military anti-materiel tool, designed to neutralize everything from enemy vehicles to parked aircraft. Adopted by snipers across the world, the Barrett rifles have seen active service in Operation Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan and have become an important addition to police, armed services, and Special Forces units alike.

The Solar System examines topics on earth and its surrounding planets, from the sun all the way out to Pluto. Detailed illustrations and clear charts help explain these complicated topics.

From the trenches of World War I to the bunkers of Iwo Jima, the man-portable flamethrower was a potent and terrifying battlefield weapon. In this fully illustrated account a respected firearms expert cuts through myths and misconceptions to assess the true tactical importance of this feared and controversial weapon.