A History of the World in 100 Weapons tells the stories of the hundred definitive weapons whose effects have been the most revolutionary, changing the way war is waged and the very world we live in. From the gladius of ancient Rome to the AK47, all one hundred are revealed in an array of sumptuous color photographs and contemporary images. Compiled with the assistance of a number of leading military historians, this volume reveals not only the weapon itself but who wielded it and where, clearly explaining the blow-by-blow advance of military technology and expertise across the ages.

Includes index.

The ancient world, 5000 BC-AD 500 -- The medieval world, 500-1500 -- The early modern world, 1500-1800 -- Imperial wars, 1800-1914 -- World War I, 1914-18 -- World War II, 1939-45 -- Modern warfare, 1945-present.