First and foremost, this is not about Kalshnikov alone, book gives quite a good insights into automatic small arms history. Author starts from the firFirst and foremost, this is not about Kalshnikov alone, book gives quite a good insights into automatic small arms history. Author starts from the first commercially available automatic weapons and travels through time to bring us to current state of mass market availability. While some people may feel that he goes on and on about Gatling and Maxims and what not, it served me well as I was looking for a small history of guns. But if you are already familiar with the history of automatic guns, than you may feel life a bit dull while going through starting one - third of the book.
Author does make it clear that given the inherent secrecy involved with design, development, testing, production, distribution and final use of the Gun, its extremely difficult to talk about its history with pin point accuracy (don't forget the overlay of cold war propaganda). However what I particularly liked about it is how author describes that government's which are entrusted with maintaining and propagating world peace are the very agent who work toward proliferation of these arms and ammunition, otherwise how in God's name a rag tag militia in remote location of Africa can lay its hands on these guns and enough ammunition while they lack basic life sustaining necessities such as food, clean water, hygiene, medical services. it's like these weapons are above worldly constraints of infrastructure, budgetary constraints, logistics, technological know -how, etc. and just appear wherever one person or a group of person wants to settle score with another.
Book makes you realize that there are people who are hard at work to make the mess of world it is today, those people are not resting and they are smart and for what it's worth mentioning they are the ones calling the shots as of now. ...more
A full five star, Often we hear that History being written by Victor and get shrouded in myths. However Battle at Midway was one of rare event where bA full five star, Often we hear that History being written by Victor and get shrouded in myths. However Battle at Midway was one of rare event where both victor and loser painted a image which served there purposes in specific circumstances well. America was able to portray it's Navy as real life example of David vs Goliath while Japan was trying to scrape up some shreds of respect by trying to hide its own follies under the guise of tough luck.
Several reasons can be cited for the outcome which resulted in shift of offensive from Japan to America in Pacific theater of war. Major among them are: - Complacency of Japanese strategic planners - Haste in rushing towards conclusion of hostilities - Imagining that few battles would bring a giant nation such as America to its knees - Undermining strength and will of enemy - Overconfidence in one's own planning and ability to judge enemy - lack of proper home work - Running after too many targets at once
I can keep on sighting what I believe were the reasons behind eventual reversal in Imperial navy's fate. However what this book clearly shows in the end is that it was inevitable that America lays waste to Imperial Japan and its ambitions. Japan clearly bit more than it could chew and sooner or later it had to choke up on it and suffer the ultimate outcomes of such mistakes....more
