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Preface This work traces the evolution of weapons throughout history by presenting 602 key weapon systems and new technologies benefiting the world’s military establishments. There are also 50 sidebars that illustrate the employment of these weapons and their impact. In selecting the entries, I have included some individ- ual weapons that are especially well known or influential, such as the bombard Mons Meg or the American sailing frigate USS Constitution. I have tried to avoid entries on tactical changes, and space limitations have led me to include only the most important inventions or processes that have directly impacted weapons development. The entries are presented alphabetically within six major time periods: Prehis- toric and Ancient/Classical (5000 BCE–500 CE) the Medieval and Renaissance (500–1600) the Early Modern (1601–1788) the Long 19th Century/Industrial Age (1789–1913) the Short 20th Century (1914–1990) and the Contemporary/21st Cen- tury (1991 to the Present). I am especially indebted to four individuals for their contributions to this work. Retired Navy Captain Carl Schuster, who has wide knowledge of current military technology, took on a great many entries. He earned an MA from the University of Southern California and retired from the navy in 1999. A widely publisher author, Schuster has been an instructor in the College of Liberal Arts of Hawaii Pacific University since 2000. Jerry Morelock, PhD, is Senior Editor/Senior Historian for several Historynet military-­ h istory magazines. A retired U.S. Army colonel, his 36-­ y ear career included a combat tour in Vietnam, two Pentagon assignments, and a stint as head of the History Department of the Army’s Command and General Staff College. He was formerly the Executive Director of the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library and has published extensively on military matters. Major General David Zabecki, U.S. Army retired, also has a PhD and served in Viet- nam. He is the author of numerous books of military history, several of which have won prestigious awards. He is editor emeritus of Vietnam Magazine, and in 2012 he held the Dr. Leo A. Shifrin Distinguished Chair of Military History at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. Both Morelock and Zabecki suggested improvements to the entry list, and both read the entire work and recommended numerous helpful revisions. Finally, British Army Major General (Ret’d) Rob- ert Adam Mungo Simpson Melvin CB OBE served as Director, Land Warfare in