Albert Manucy's book examines the history of artillery from the earliest times to the late nineteenth century and describes how missiles were employed in conflicts prior to the Great War period. Every type of projectile throwing machine is considered from the earliest Ballista and Trebuchet to sophisticated ship-board naval guns and those designed for the fortified emplacements of coastal defences which were employed well into the twentieth century. Manucy not only describes the weapons but gives interesting insights into their performance and capabilities. He goes on to examine the use of gunpowder from its development to its employment in weaponry and describes many solid shot weapons and their respective specifications. The development of projectiles themselves is discussed-and their many varieties are detailed, including early rockets-as well as the tools employed by the gunners who fired the guns and employed the ammunition. This most engrossing book concludes with instruction on the practise of gunnery with explanations of the process of firing various weapons and includes many diagrams, charts of weapons and projectiles and line illustrations of gun crews demonstrating the sequence of firing.

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