Chris McNab

In 1977, Lufthansa flight 181 was hijacked by terrorists and flown to Mogadishu, Somalia. There, members of the German special missions group, GSG 9, assisted by two SAS advisors, stormed the plane, killing three of the terrorists and wounding the fourth, while avoiding any major harm to the hostages. This book details the backgrounds of both GSG 9 and the hijackers and offers a detailed analysis of the planning and execution of the mission, codenamed Operation Feuerzauber (Fire Magic) one of the most audacious special forces operations of modern times.

1st July 1916 saw a campaign that devastated the lives of thousands of young men serving under the British Empire. It was a day chosen to begin what had been called ‘The Big Push’, a desperate attempt to overwhelm the German Front Line and bring an end to a two year long stalemate on the Western Front. The Battle of the Somme has become tightly woven into the memory of the British nation and stands as a testimony to the conflict which took so many lives. This authoritative guide gives a factual account of the events leading up to the Somme battle, the battle itself, the politics of the day as well as the experiences of the young men who answered the call to join Kitchener’s Army. With dramatic photographs, maps and diagrams this guide is an informative and sensitive account of the conflict.

The World War I Story is the perfect pocket narrative of one of the largest conflicts in human history: the Great War. On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated. This event sparked off a war that was change the lives of millions of people around the world. More than 70 million military personnel were mobilised, and over 9 million combatants were killed. Entire generations of young men from towns and villages across Europe were wiped out. The conflict drew in the world’s great global powers, including the British Empire, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, the United States and Japan, as well as many other nations.

In September 1939, Hitler’s Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Thus began the greatest armed struggle in history. Within days of the invasion, Germany was at war with France, Great Britain and much of the Commonwealth, but by the end of 1941 – by which time Japan and the United States had been plunged into war – the conflict had engulfed virtually the entire planet. The World War II Story charts the dramatic narrative of the conflict from its first shots to its final apocalyptic end.

This book charts the development of military vehicles from steam-powered tractors to modern main battle tanks. The story reveals how such vehicles have changed the way wars are fought, either by increasing the speed and volume of logistics or troop deployments, or through the application of mobile firepower. The narrative explains key technical innovations from World War I, through the inter-war years to World War II, the Cold War and beyond. It pays homage to outstanding designs and those that are remembered with fondness, including the M3 Lee/Grant, T-34, Panther, Tiger, M1 Abrams, Chieftain and M4 Sherman tanks; the Bren Gun Carrier, the Willys ‘Jeep’, the Dodge truck; through to the modern ‘Humvee’ and Stryker, and many more.

Warfare truly entered the industrial age with the invention and adoption of the machine gun. Armed with a machine gun, one or two men could potentially hold off a whole company of enemy soldiers, and inflict terrible losses while doing so. The Machine Gun Story describes how Hiram Maxim’s invention in the late 19th century went on to transform the ways that armies and also air forces fought. Each stage in the technical development of machine guns is clearly explained, and the book also explores how submachine guns developed as a more portable offshoot, with their own set of consequences. While the tactical implications of machine guns are explored, the book never shrinks from the dark history of how machine guns have been used, whether fired from a trench on the Western Front in WWI or from a helicopter circling over the jungles of Vietnam. Chris McNab has written widely on the development and use of weapons in warfare throughout history.

Battles of the American Civil War introduces twenty key battles from a conflict that devastated the United States for four bloody years.

Deals with tactical procedures. This work provides an insight into how the soldiers of today's armies would fight in any combat scenario they encountered. Using over 150 colour photographs and artworks, it shows men and equipment of modern armies from around the world.

This series treats readers to magnified views of some of the world's smallest and most fascinating creatures. Full-color illustrations show insects and spiders in dramatic close-ups, revealing the complexity of eyes, wings, legs, and antennae. Readers will learn about the characteristics, communities, and survival skills of each animal. Maps and diagrams indicate where each insect or spider lives and how big it is compared to a human hand. Sidebars throughout highlight interesting or little-known facts about each creature.

This series treats readers to magnified views of some of the world's smallest and most fascinating creatures. Full-color illustrations show insects and spiders in dramatic close-ups, revealing the complexity of eyes, wings, legs, and antennae. Readers will learn about the characteristics, communities, and survival skills of each animal. Maps and diagrams indicate where each insect or spider lives and how big it is compared to a human hand. Sidebars throughout highlight interesting or little-known facts about each creature.

This series is filled with scary, scaly, slimy creatures- just what kids love Large, full-color illustrations bring each creature to life, from toads and geckos to iguanas and cobras. Each book is packed with fascinating information and little-known facts, and includes maps and sidebars that show where each animal lives and how big it is. The detailed illustrations and lively text will hold young readers' attention for hours.

A history of the AK-47; one of the most famous assault rifles ever produced. The author takes us from its origins as a replacement for the Red Army's submachine guns through to its mass production and distribution.