Weapons / Platforms / Systems

In October 1993, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down over the Somali capital of Mogadishu, leaving a handful of U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operators at the mercy of several thousand approaching militants. Mike Whetstone, commander of the Quick Reaction Company in the 10th Mountain Division, led part of the convoy sent to rescue the survivors. This powerfully vivid story of modern war is the intense firsthand account of the mission to find the crash site and retrieve the downed soldiers.

Rattler One-Seven" puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in Vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran.

Our history has been shaped and changed by weapons: the smallest advances in weapons development have helped to build and overthrow empires, changed the course of civilization, driven modern technology, and won wars. For thousands of years, individual pieces of weaponry have come to symbolize struggles and nations, from the Roman gladius to the English longbow, and from the flintlock musket through to the AK47. This book reveals the weapons that had the greatest impact on our history, explaining how and why they came to prominence, and uncovers the lasting effect they had on the world.