History of Firearms

This is a classic work on the subject of small arms, from the invention of gunpowder to the end of World War I. Its usefulness will be instantly recognized by everyone who is fascinated by firearms - the collector, the student, the art historian, the military historian and the military buff. Major Pollard has provided a manual incorporating the maximum amount of practical and useful information as well as a general survey of the development of hand firearms. The illustrations are of enormous help to the collector in identifying a given type or piece. Valuable appendices offer practical advice to the beginning collector and provide a list of some 2,000 American and foreign gun makers and the dates of their work. "A History of Firearms is ... the answer for the man who wants to learn everything that is important to know about guns." -Joseph R. Riling, Fellow of the Company of Military Historians (Introduction to the 1973 edition). With 41 plates illustrating nearly 400 types of firearms and important variations.