320 pages, [24] pages of plates : 24 cm

The tools of lethal force have always attracted controversy and fascination. In the modern media age, however, they are also surrounded by confusion and misunderstanding. McNab and Keeter cut through mythology and misinformation and comprehensively lay out the facts, often revealing startling gaps in our everyday knowledge. Tools of Violence unravels the myths of modern weaponry. Not only explaining how a weapon system works, the authors explore how it is applied by soldiers, police or civilians under pressure, what happens when innocents get in the way, its effect on the human body or physical structures, its political controversies, and its place in international law. Judgments are backed up by interviews with those directly engaged with weapons technology, including frontline soldiers, police officers, academics, weapons specialists and defense analysts

Includes bibliographical references and index

Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Hand-held war : small arms -- 2. Perfect destruction : explosives -- 3. Mechanized muscle : battlefield armor -- 4. Death from a distance : artillery -- 5. Power from above : military aviation -- 6. Firepower at sea : naval weapons systems -- 7. Shadow threat : chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons -- Conclusion -- Endnotes -- Bibliography -- Glossary of abbreviations -- Index

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