Libros de Armamento militar, página 5 de 21

The Japanese sword combines unbreakability, rigidity, and lethal cutting power, and it is in the resolution of these conflicting practical requirements that it emerges as a triumph of the forger''s art. The mystique of the sword lingers on in our age of mechanized combat, but the aesthetic qualities for which swords are most valued by collectors today-the liveliness of the metal "skin," the confidence in every aspect of the design, the scrolling temper-line, the almost buoyant lightness of the hilt when the blade is held in the hand-all derive from what the Japanese sword demanded as a symbol of strength and as a weapon. As an instrument of clear persuasion, no other blade anywhere has ever been its equal. This volume, containing color and black-and-white plates, has been prepared as an introduction to the history and appreciation of the Japanese sword. Its author, until his death in 1978, was one of Japan''s foremost sword experts, and his wide knowledge is here brought to bear on every aspect of sword lore, including forging techniques and problems of appraisal. Looking over the 1,500 years of sword history in Japan, Kanzan Sato notes how the major developments-the shift from the early straight blades to the tachi, which were longer curved blades slung edge downwards at the waist, to the familiar daisho pair of short and long swords worn by samurai until modern times-were the result of both technical innovation and changed fighting techniques. He examines the various fashions in sword mounts and the at times precious, highly decorated work of the smiths who specialized in sword guards, or tsuba, during the Momoyama and Edo periods. The centerpiece of this book, however, is a detailed examination of over a dozen of Japan''s most revered blades, including the Kanehira and the Dojigiri by Yasutsuna, perhaps the two finest swords in Japan and as clear and beautiful today as when they were forged some 900 years ago. The discussion of what makes these blades special and how they have been passed down for generations offers the reader a wealth of insight into the sword in Japan as heirloom and cultural treasure.

With speed, violence, and deadly power, heavily armored tanks spearheaded the German blitzkrieg that stormed across Europe in 1939. Tracks rattling and engines roaring, these lethal machines engaged in some of the fiercest fighting of World War II, from the beaches of Normandy and the Ardennes Forest to the snow-encrusted Eastern Front. In this reprint of the hugely popular book, prolific author Franz Kurowski tells the gritty, action-packed stories of six of the most daring and successful officers ever to command Panzers, including Michael Wittmann, Hans Bolter, Hermann Bix, and others. Timelines mark the milestones of each officer's career.

A highly illustrated study of the T-55 Main Battle Tank and its variants that formed the backbone of the Soviet Army during the years of the Cold War.The T-55 is one of the most iconic weapons created by the Soviets during the Cold War and also one of the most widely deployed weapons in history. Like its younger brother, the T-54, the T-55 enjoyed a long career in the Red Army and even into the early days of the reformed Russian Army. Under their control it saw very little combat use or deployments, but it was widely sold to other nations and participated in many of the wars and combat operations from the mid-1960s to the present. The T-55 has been employed in almost every conflict in the Middle East and Africa from its introduction into service. Even today the tank is still employed by both sides in the Syrian Civil War, and they are also in service with Kurdish forces in the struggle against ISIS in the northern part of Iraq.

La era de la robótica cambiará la sociedad del siglo XXI y también sus guerras, que no desaparecerán: serán diferentes. Las armas autónomas son capaces de matar y destruir sin necesidad de control humano. Esta facultad de una maquina inteligente para decidir sobre la vida de una persona ha movilizado a cientificos y academicos, pero no tanto a las personas anonimas, mas preocupadas por los problemas cotidianos y cercanos. Sin embargo, no estamos frente a un debate academico, sino ante una realidad que nos afecta y afectara a todos.En un intento de despertar el interes del publico general sobre ello, el coronel Francisco Rubio nos ofrece en este libro con prologo del periodista de RTVE David Corral Hernandez la oportunidad de conocer y entender un escenario inedito en el que las tecnologias son empleadas en contra de lo que se supone su esencia, aportar beneficio a la humanidad. El lector encontrara bastantes preguntas, muchas respuestas y la informacion o argumentos con los que formar su propia opinion sobre un mundo, completamente nuevo, que esta surgiendo a nuestro alrededor.

A mediados de junio de 1944 la guerra estaba claramenteperdida para el Tercer Reich. La cuestión era cuanto duraría,a qué coste para ambos bandos, y como sería el mundo resultantetras el final. La poderosa ofensiva que el Ejercito Rojolanzo el 22 de junio, justo tres años despues de Barbarroja, fuedecisiva para aclarar esas cuestiones.La Wehrmacht, ya exangue y al limite de sus capacidades,apenas podia cubrir el extenso frente oriental. Incapaz de unadefensa adecuada, carente de reservas moviles, con sus mejoresveteranos muertos, perdida la batalla por la produccionindustrial, la logistica y las materias primas, fue presa facilpara el mejor Ejercito Rojo de la historia.Demostrando lo que habia dolorosamente aprendido ydesarrollando casi a la perfeccion el concepto de arte operacional,el ejercito sovietico lanzo la Operacion Bagration, a unaescala inimaginable para los alemanes, que destrozo el frentey lo llevo a las puertas de Varsovia. El inexorable final yaestaba muy cerca.