Machine-guns and the Great War by Paul Cornish

Machine-guns and the Great War by Paul Cornish

The machine-gun is one of the iconic weapons of the Great War - indeed of the twentieth century. Yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. During a four-year war that generated unprecedented casualties, the machine-gun stood out as a key weapon. In the process it took on an almost legendary status that persists to the present day. It shaped the tactics of the trenches, while simultaneously evolving in response to the tactical imperatives thrown up by this new form of warfare. Paul Cornish, in this authoritative and carefully considered study, reconsiders the history automatic firepower, and he describes in vivid detail its development during the First World War and the far-reaching consequences thereof. He dispels many myths and misconceptions that have grown up around automatic firearms, but also explores their potency as symbols and icons. His clear-sighted reassessment of the phenomenon of the machine-gun will be fascinating reading for students of military history and of the Great War in particular.

Nicholas J. Saunders is Professor of Material Culture at Bristol University and co-director of two long-term First World War projects: the 'Great Arab Revolt Archaeological Project' (Jordan), and the 'Isonzo Valley Conflict Landscapes Project' (Slovenia/Italy). He has published numerous articles and books on the archaeology and anthropology of modern conflict, including Trench Art: Materialities and Memories of War (2003), Matters of Conflict (2004), Killing Time: Archaeology and the First World War (2007), and co-edited with Paul Cornish Contested Objects (2009) and Bodies in Conflict (2014).

Paul Cornish is Senior Curator at the Imperial War Museum, and played a leading role in the museum's Regeneration Project for the 2014 Centenary. He has co-organised five IWM-based international and multidisciplinary conferences on modern conflict, has published Machine Guns and the Great War (2009) and The First World War Galleries (2014), and co-edited Contested Objects (2009) and Bodies in Conflict (2014).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781848840478
ISBN 10	1848840470
Title	Machine-guns and the Great War
Author	Paul Cornish
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2009-11-20
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.