Physics of War
eBook - ePub

Physics of War

From Arrows to Atoms

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Physics of War

From Arrows to Atoms

About this book

This fascinating blend of popular science and military history examines the science of war, demonstrating the close connection between the discovery of basic physical principles and the development of weaponry over the ages. Physics has played a critical role in warfare since the earliest times. Barry Parker highlights famous battles of the past as well as renowned scientists and inventors such as Leonardo, Galileo, Newton, Maxwell, and Einstein whose work had an impact on the technology of combat. Mechanics and the laws of motion led to improved shell trajectories; gas dynamics proved important to the interior ballistics of rifles and cannons; and space exploration resulted in intercontinental missiles, spy satellites, and drone aircraft. Parker emphasizes the special discoveries that had revolutionary effects on the art of warfare: the Chinese invention of gunpowder, the development of firearms, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, the deployment of the airplane in the First World War, and in our era the unleashing of the enormous power inherent in nuclear fission and fusion.

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Yes, you can access Physics of War by Barry Parker in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Also by Barry Parker
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Chapter 1: Introduction
  8. Chapter 2: Early Wars and the Beginning of Physics
  9. Chapter 3: Basic Physics of Early Weapons
  10. Chapter 4: The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Early English-French Wars
  11. Chapter 5: Gunpowder and Cannons: The Discoveries That Changed the Art of War and the World
  12. Chapter 6: Three Men Ahead of Their Time: Da Vinci, Tartaglia, and Galileo
  13. Chapter 7: From Early Guns to Total Destruction and Discovery
  14. Chapter 8: The Impact of the Industrial Revolution
  15. Chapter 9: Napoleon's Weapons and New Breakthroughs in Physics
  16. Chapter 10: The American Civil War
  17. Chapter 11: Where Does the Bullet Go? Ballistics of Rifle Bullets and Cannon Shells
  18. Chapter 12: Hey, Look…It Flies! Aerodynamics and the First Airplanes
  19. Chapter 13: The Machine Gun War—World War I
  20. Chapter 14: The Invisible Rays: The Development and Use of Radio and Radar in War
  21. Chapter 15: Sonar and the Submarine
  22. Chapter 16: The Great War: World War II
  23. Chapter 17: The Atomic Bomb
  24. Chapter 18: The Hydrogen Bomb, Intercontinental Missiles, Lasers, and the Future
  25. Notes
  26. Selected Bibliography
  27. Index