Firearms: An Illustrated History: The Definitive Visual Guide

This is a very good and thorough introduction to the history and technology of firearms. The oldest with a known date is Mons Meg, which propelled stone balls of 200 kg. It is on display at Edinburgh Castle. The newest is the M777 Howitzer of 2005, by the BEA systems which is almost completely computerized and is very accurate. Military, sporting, personal protection guns and target shooting are covered. The story is told in five sections; Before the Flint Lock (before 1650), The Flintlock Years (1650-1830), The Age of Change (1830-1880), A World in Conflict (1880-1945) and The Modern Era...