Tracing the evolution of firearms from the earliest medieval "hand cannons" to the high-tech laser weapons of today, this book records the inventions that changed the face of warfare, using graphics to demonstrate how they function. It discusses and illustrates each major milestone, from muzzle-loading to multiple-barrelled machine guns, and from powder and ball to the modern self-contained cartridge. Inventors from Puckle and Ferguson to Browning and Garand have their place in the story, and the importance of their contributions to history are highlighted.