Guns Of The Elite by George Markham lands on the |> SALE <| shelves in my shop.
Book Club Associates, 1987, Hardback in dust wrapper.
Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Colour Photographs; Diagrams;
From the cover: The war against terrorism continues. Hardly a day goes by without the report of some new outrage a bomb in a busy street, a victim picked off by a hidden sniper, an aircraft full of innocent passengers hijacked. Foremost in the struggle against terrorism are the Special Forces: this book provides a penetrating account of the weapons these elite fighting troops carry into combat.
Such elites have always existed in the armies of the world to carry out vital missions or to guard important leaders. During the Second World War, elite units sprang up in most theatres of the conflict the German Branden-burgers carried out clandestine operations in Poland; in the Western Desert, the Long Range Desert Group and the SAS penetrated deep behind enemy lines; for larger-scale raids the British Commandos and the US Rangers and Marine Raiders were formed; and in all these armies the rise of air power introduced the parachute troops as another elite. In the wars following 1945, the Special Forces continued to prove their value small numbers of highly trained, expert fighters, capable of carrying out precision tasks to maximum effect and minimum cost in human lives.
These qualities have shown themselves vital too in the ongoing war against international terrorism, where the risks to non-combatants are major factors to consider. A counter-terrorist soldier must be able to kill his opponent, often in difficult and confined circumstances, without accidentally harming hostages or innocent bystanders. As a result, in the last few decades, a very special sort of fighting man has risen to prominence in the armies of the world. He is a member of an international elite, his fighting skills finely honed. At Entebbe, Mogadishu, the Iranian Embassy in London, he has shown his mettle.
But, at the crucial point, the operative must depend upon his gun. Here the problems remain immense, despite the wizardry of modern technology. Bursting into a room to confront an armed terrorist, the raider must be sure his weapon will not misfire. At longer ranges, the problems are even greater. For example, the standard 7. 62mm NATO bullet takes a little over 2 seconds to reach a target 1,000 metres away; during that period, a soldier walking at a fairly quick pace of 5km/hr would have moved nearly 3 metres. The right weapon for a special task needs careful choosing and considerable operational experience.
In the pages of this book, George Markham provides a lavishly illustrated overview of the weapons that such Special Forces as the SAS, Delta Force and GSG-9 carry into action, as well as the guns their enemies wield:
- Handguns, including the Browning High-Power, German P5, P6 and P7, Beretta Model 92, plus special-purpose pistols and revolvers
- Submachine-guns, including the Sterling, Uzi, Heckler & Koch MP5, Ingram and silenced weapons
- Rifles, including the Kalashnikov, FAL, Armalite and the latest small-calibre designs
- Sniper rifles and sights, including infrared equipment, image-intensifiers and laser sights
- Support weapons, including machine-guns, shotguns and grenade-launchers.
More than 250 photographs, line drawings and exploded diagrams illustrate the detailed text, and there are special How to fire sections devoted to weapons of particular interest or significance. The author provides expert judgement on the merits and faults of the various firearms, with notes on the ammunition and its effectiveness. There is also a special study of the Kalashnikov the weapon most often in the hands of the terrorists facing the Special Forces.
Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper.
Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine.
184 pages. Index. Bibliography. 11½” x 9″.
This book will be listed, sooner or later, for £6.50 on my delightful website… (added to my Military category.) but get 50% off buying from my blog… below…
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