Firing 20 arrows a minute, English archers at the Battle of Crecy launched a million deadly missiles from their longbows. French infantry and knights were decimated as arrows 'fell like snow' and the day was won for the loss of 200 English soldiers, against 16,000 French dead. With such superior firepower, the conquest of France beckoned ... How did the longbow change the course of history? What was the impact of the chariot, musket, machine gun and tank? Which were the weapons that proved decisive in creating the great empires? And when were the military turning points that changed the world forever? Tools of War tells the stories of 50 of the most significant advances in military technology. From Stone Age spears, Roman swords and Viking longboats to World War I biplanes, U-boats and today's cruise missiles, Professor Jeremy Black explains how each weapon conferred a deadly advantage and transformed the way in which war was waged. Colouring his explanations with descriptions of famous battles as diverse as Thermopylae and Midway, Gettysburg and Kursk, Professor Black explores in gripping fashion the evolution of warfare and history's great arms race. Book jacket.