Chris McNab

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. This configuration marginally lowers accuracy compared to bolt-action sniping...

The Grande Armée of Napoleon Bonaparte is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest fighting forces ever deployed. With it, the French scored a streak of historic victories that gave them an unprecedented grip on power over the European continent. At its peak, it was made up of 680,000 men, a huge multinational force of officers, infantry and cavalry,...

An illustrated study of how coalition armour in Iraq in 2003–06 handled a unique multi-threat environment, from enemy armour to IEDs. On 20 March 2003, Coalition forces launched the invasion of Iraq on a massive scale. Their armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) faced an uncertain level of resistance and soon had to overcome a wide range of enemy threats. These included...

This book examines the US infantry against the Chinese Army amid the unforgiving terrain of Korea during the first real clash of the Cold War. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea, triggering a bitter conflict that drew in US and other United Nations forces in support of the South, and soon prompted the Chinese to intervene...

Developed as a fusion of the XM177E2 Colt Commando and the M16A2 assault rifle, the M4 has 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 its official use as the M4 in 1994. Weighing 1lb less and...

This captivating biography delves into the pioneering work of J. Robert Oppenheimer, 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...

Emerging into history in the 8th century CE, the samurai evolved to become an aristocratic warrior elite that dominated Japanese warfare and society until the 1600s. They were renowned not only for their skills at arms, first with the bow then with the sword, but also for their adherence to strict martial and personal codes. As much as they were...

Packed with beautiful Osprey artwork, this volume offers a complete history of the Roman Army. The image of the Roman legionary is as familiar today as it was to the citizens – and enemies – of the vast Roman Empire two thousand years ago. This book goes beyond the stereotypes found in popular culture to examine the Roman Army from...

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...