klauss
07-24-2005, 06:48 PM
C&P from another forum
Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics - The History of the Explosive That Changed the World
Jack Kelly
April 2004 ISBN 0465037186
"Old pro Kelly (Mad Dog, 1992, etc.) pens a popular history of the powder that has toppled kingdoms and uprooted societies for centuries. And he actually spends a good deal of time focused on Asia before getting to what everyone already knows best: Europe. "A deeply rooted misconception in the West holds that the Chinese never used gunpowder for war, that they employed [it] for idle entertainment and children's whizbangs," writes Kelly, intent on this point from the beginning. What follows is a fascinating mini-treatise detailing the development of early firearms in the 10th-century Sung dynasty, the incorporation of gunpowder by successive invasions of Jurchens and Mongols, and the widespread use by the 13th century of musket-like weapons and cannon. This is all, of course, before the author gets into the meat of his discussion about how warring European principalities refined the devilish chemical until it was eventually displaced in the 19th century by synthetic propellants and high explosives. Contrasting East and West, Kelly notes that even though countries like China and India used gunpowder militarily much earlier than most people realize, they couldn't hold a candle to the brutally efficient Europeans, who didn't begin using it until 1311 (after most likely receiving it some decades before from China). While the French, British, and Americans were refining their gunpowder production methods and the killing power of their weaponry, "the denizens of the Chinese court looked on gunpowder technology as a low, noisy, dirty business." And so it was. No matter how awesome or helpful gunpowder may have been, Kelly keeps reminding readers of the brutal violence always at the heart of what the Chinese called the "fire drug." Fiery prose sparks this exciting story as the author jumps through the centuries with nimble pose and a learned eye."
A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder
James Riddick Partington
April 1998 ISBN 0801859549
"In this 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 saltpeter), 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 gun powder recipe books and the history of infernal machines, mines, cannon, small arms, and artillery. This edition has a new introduction by Bert Hall."
Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics
Bert S. Hall
Feb 2002 ISBN 0801869943
"Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe explores the history of gunpowder in Europe from the thirteenth century, when it was first imported from China, to the sixteenth century, as firearms became central to the conduct of war. Bridging the fields of military history and the history of technology—and challenging past assumptions about Europe's "gunpowder revolution"—Hall discovers a complex and fascinating story. Military inventors faced a host of challenges, he finds, from Europe's lack of naturally occurring saltpeter—one of gunpowder's major components—to the limitations of smooth-bore firearms. Manufacturing cheap, reliable gunpowder proved a difficult feat, as did making firearms that had reasonably predictable performance characteristics. Hall details the efforts of armorers across Europe as they experimented with a variety of gunpowder recipes and gunsmithing techniques, and he examines the integration of new weapons into the existing structure of European warfare."
Throwing Fire: Projectile Technology Through History
Alfred W. Crosby
April 2002 ISBN 0521791588
"In Throwing Fire, historian Alfred W. Crosby looks at hard, accurate throwing and the manipulation of fire as unique human capabilities. Humans began throwing rocks in prehistory and then progressed to javelins, atlatls, bows and arrows. We learned to make fire by friction and used it to cook, drive game, burn out rivals, and alter landscapes to our liking. Our exploitation of these two capabilities figured in the extinction of many species, and may have played a role in the demise of Neanderthals. In historic times we invented catapults, trebuchets, and such flammable liquids as Greek Fire, a napalm-like substance that stuck to whatever it hit and could not be extinguished with water. About 1,000 years ago we invented gunpowder, which led to guns and rockets, enabling us to literally throw fire. Gunpowder weaponry accelerated the rise of empires and the advance of European imperialism. In the 20th century, gunpowder weaponry enabled us to achieve unprecedented mayhem--the most destructive wars of all time. This trend peaked at the end of World War II with the V-2 and atomic bomb, at which point species suicide became possible. Faced with possible extinction should we experience World War III, we have turned our projectile talents to space travel which may make it possible for our species to migrate to other bodies of our solar system and even other star systems. Alfred W. Crosby is the author of the widely popular and ground-breaking books The Measure of Reality (Cambridge, 1996), America's Forgotten Pandemic (Cambridge, 1990) and Ecological Imperialism (Cambridge, 1986). He taught at the University of Texas, Austin for over 20 years. His books have received the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize, the Medical Writers Association Prize and been named by the Los Angeles Times as among the best books of the year."
The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800
Geoffrey Parker
April 1996 ISBN 0521479584
"Well before the Industrial Revolution, Europe developed the superior military potential and expertise that enabled her to dominate the world for the next two centuries. In this attractively illustrated and updated edition, Geoffrey Parker discusses the major changes in the military practice of the West during this time period--establishment of bigger armies, creation of superior warships, the role of firearms--and argues that these major changes amounted to a "military revolution" that gave Westerners a decided advantage over people of other continents. A new chapter addresses the controversies engendered by the previous edition."
Gunpowder and Galleys: Changing Technology and Mediterranean Warfare at Sea in the 16th Century
John Francis Guilmartin
Feb 2004 ISBN 1591143470
"Lauded as one of the finest books in the field of naval history, this comprehensive account of sixteenth-century galley warfare includes detailed descriptions of all major actions in the Mediterranean and around the Arabian peninsula. First published in 1974 and recently revised, the work is packed with technological insights into the strategy and tactics of galley warfare between the Ottoman Empire and its Spanish and Portuguese opponents. Among the many facets author John Guilmartin discusses are how the strategic considerations in galley warfare are substantially different from those in campaigns involving galleons or ships of the line, why the 1571 victory at Lepanto failed to have any long-term strategic consequences, and how the arquebus and musket, proved more suitable for action aboard ship than the crossbow or Turkish composite bow. This updated edition also includes new research into the orders of battle and ballistics, gunnery, and cannon founding. 17 photographs. 20 line drawings."
The Renaissance at War
Thomas Arnold
May 2003 ASIN 0304363537
"With the dawning of the Renaissance came technological and social advances that changed forever the art of warfare. Rich with anecdotal detail, a compelling and comprehensive narrative by an expert military historian transports you to the midst of the action as it examines the strategies, campaigns, prominent figures, and key conflicts of the age. From artillery and fortifications to military leadership, from cavalry tactics to the new infantry, from the Crusades to the guerrilla wars in late 16th-century France, penetrating cultural, tactical, and technical analyses plus numerous illustrations, maps, and charts paint a full portrait of Renaissance warfare."
Warfare in the Seventeenth Century
John Childs
April 2003 ISBN 0304363731
"From the multi-faceted conflicts of the Thirty Years' War to the campaigns of Louis XIV, a richly detailed picture emerges of military life and structure in the 1600s--its conflicts and conduct, the rise of a standing army, the difficulties posed by reliance on paid soldiers, the changing weaponry, the politics, and through it all, the relentless world shift from ancient to modern. During the 17th century, technological evolutions in fortifications and arms meant that wars grew longer, armies larger, and military formations more disciplined. Yet, militias remained primarily mercenary; although armaments developed from the pike to the socket bayonet and uniforms began to appear, professionalism remained low."
Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics - The History of the Explosive That Changed the World
Jack Kelly
April 2004 ISBN 0465037186
"Old pro Kelly (Mad Dog, 1992, etc.) pens a popular history of the powder that has toppled kingdoms and uprooted societies for centuries. And he actually spends a good deal of time focused on Asia before getting to what everyone already knows best: Europe. "A deeply rooted misconception in the West holds that the Chinese never used gunpowder for war, that they employed [it] for idle entertainment and children's whizbangs," writes Kelly, intent on this point from the beginning. What follows is a fascinating mini-treatise detailing the development of early firearms in the 10th-century Sung dynasty, the incorporation of gunpowder by successive invasions of Jurchens and Mongols, and the widespread use by the 13th century of musket-like weapons and cannon. This is all, of course, before the author gets into the meat of his discussion about how warring European principalities refined the devilish chemical until it was eventually displaced in the 19th century by synthetic propellants and high explosives. Contrasting East and West, Kelly notes that even though countries like China and India used gunpowder militarily much earlier than most people realize, they couldn't hold a candle to the brutally efficient Europeans, who didn't begin using it until 1311 (after most likely receiving it some decades before from China). While the French, British, and Americans were refining their gunpowder production methods and the killing power of their weaponry, "the denizens of the Chinese court looked on gunpowder technology as a low, noisy, dirty business." And so it was. No matter how awesome or helpful gunpowder may have been, Kelly keeps reminding readers of the brutal violence always at the heart of what the Chinese called the "fire drug." Fiery prose sparks this exciting story as the author jumps through the centuries with nimble pose and a learned eye."
A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder
James Riddick Partington
April 1998 ISBN 0801859549
"In this 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 saltpeter), 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 gun powder recipe books and the history of infernal machines, mines, cannon, small arms, and artillery. This edition has a new introduction by Bert Hall."
Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics
Bert S. Hall
Feb 2002 ISBN 0801869943
"Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe explores the history of gunpowder in Europe from the thirteenth century, when it was first imported from China, to the sixteenth century, as firearms became central to the conduct of war. Bridging the fields of military history and the history of technology—and challenging past assumptions about Europe's "gunpowder revolution"—Hall discovers a complex and fascinating story. Military inventors faced a host of challenges, he finds, from Europe's lack of naturally occurring saltpeter—one of gunpowder's major components—to the limitations of smooth-bore firearms. Manufacturing cheap, reliable gunpowder proved a difficult feat, as did making firearms that had reasonably predictable performance characteristics. Hall details the efforts of armorers across Europe as they experimented with a variety of gunpowder recipes and gunsmithing techniques, and he examines the integration of new weapons into the existing structure of European warfare."
Throwing Fire: Projectile Technology Through History
Alfred W. Crosby
April 2002 ISBN 0521791588
"In Throwing Fire, historian Alfred W. Crosby looks at hard, accurate throwing and the manipulation of fire as unique human capabilities. Humans began throwing rocks in prehistory and then progressed to javelins, atlatls, bows and arrows. We learned to make fire by friction and used it to cook, drive game, burn out rivals, and alter landscapes to our liking. Our exploitation of these two capabilities figured in the extinction of many species, and may have played a role in the demise of Neanderthals. In historic times we invented catapults, trebuchets, and such flammable liquids as Greek Fire, a napalm-like substance that stuck to whatever it hit and could not be extinguished with water. About 1,000 years ago we invented gunpowder, which led to guns and rockets, enabling us to literally throw fire. Gunpowder weaponry accelerated the rise of empires and the advance of European imperialism. In the 20th century, gunpowder weaponry enabled us to achieve unprecedented mayhem--the most destructive wars of all time. This trend peaked at the end of World War II with the V-2 and atomic bomb, at which point species suicide became possible. Faced with possible extinction should we experience World War III, we have turned our projectile talents to space travel which may make it possible for our species to migrate to other bodies of our solar system and even other star systems. Alfred W. Crosby is the author of the widely popular and ground-breaking books The Measure of Reality (Cambridge, 1996), America's Forgotten Pandemic (Cambridge, 1990) and Ecological Imperialism (Cambridge, 1986). He taught at the University of Texas, Austin for over 20 years. His books have received the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize, the Medical Writers Association Prize and been named by the Los Angeles Times as among the best books of the year."
The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800
Geoffrey Parker
April 1996 ISBN 0521479584
"Well before the Industrial Revolution, Europe developed the superior military potential and expertise that enabled her to dominate the world for the next two centuries. In this attractively illustrated and updated edition, Geoffrey Parker discusses the major changes in the military practice of the West during this time period--establishment of bigger armies, creation of superior warships, the role of firearms--and argues that these major changes amounted to a "military revolution" that gave Westerners a decided advantage over people of other continents. A new chapter addresses the controversies engendered by the previous edition."
Gunpowder and Galleys: Changing Technology and Mediterranean Warfare at Sea in the 16th Century
John Francis Guilmartin
Feb 2004 ISBN 1591143470
"Lauded as one of the finest books in the field of naval history, this comprehensive account of sixteenth-century galley warfare includes detailed descriptions of all major actions in the Mediterranean and around the Arabian peninsula. First published in 1974 and recently revised, the work is packed with technological insights into the strategy and tactics of galley warfare between the Ottoman Empire and its Spanish and Portuguese opponents. Among the many facets author John Guilmartin discusses are how the strategic considerations in galley warfare are substantially different from those in campaigns involving galleons or ships of the line, why the 1571 victory at Lepanto failed to have any long-term strategic consequences, and how the arquebus and musket, proved more suitable for action aboard ship than the crossbow or Turkish composite bow. This updated edition also includes new research into the orders of battle and ballistics, gunnery, and cannon founding. 17 photographs. 20 line drawings."
The Renaissance at War
Thomas Arnold
May 2003 ASIN 0304363537
"With the dawning of the Renaissance came technological and social advances that changed forever the art of warfare. Rich with anecdotal detail, a compelling and comprehensive narrative by an expert military historian transports you to the midst of the action as it examines the strategies, campaigns, prominent figures, and key conflicts of the age. From artillery and fortifications to military leadership, from cavalry tactics to the new infantry, from the Crusades to the guerrilla wars in late 16th-century France, penetrating cultural, tactical, and technical analyses plus numerous illustrations, maps, and charts paint a full portrait of Renaissance warfare."
Warfare in the Seventeenth Century
John Childs
April 2003 ISBN 0304363731
"From the multi-faceted conflicts of the Thirty Years' War to the campaigns of Louis XIV, a richly detailed picture emerges of military life and structure in the 1600s--its conflicts and conduct, the rise of a standing army, the difficulties posed by reliance on paid soldiers, the changing weaponry, the politics, and through it all, the relentless world shift from ancient to modern. During the 17th century, technological evolutions in fortifications and arms meant that wars grew longer, armies larger, and military formations more disciplined. Yet, militias remained primarily mercenary; although armaments developed from the pike to the socket bayonet and uniforms began to appear, professionalism remained low."