Kalashnikov In Combat (Images Of War - Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives)

The Kalashnikov assault rifle or as its more generally known as nowadays The AK-47, is perhaps one of the worlds most famous personal weapons to be ever manufactured in modern firearms history, chiefly because of the scope and type of use which has seen it become the weapon of choice for everything from professional soldiers through to irregular and paramilitary units down to criminal organisations all across the globe. Officially known in its designers homeland of Russia as the Avtomat Kalashnikova, its a gas-operated assault rifle that chambers the standard Russian cartridge of the 7.62×39mm round, and its origin can be traced back to as far as the Second World War Wehrmacht assault rifle designed by Hugo Schmeisser (1884-1953) - the MP43/StG44 Sturmgewehr. 'The Peoples Gun' as it was later nicknamed was designed by former Russian soldier turned designer Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov (1919-2013), who started working on its design after being wounded in October 1941 while in hospital recovering from his injuries. In hospital until April 1942, he started to work on designing the weapon after hearing from other wounded soldiers endless complaints about weapons jamming in battlefield conditions. Entering into Russian service in 1949 the weapon remained in frontline service through until the late 1970s. Former British Intelligence Officer and Author Anthony Tucker-Jones illustrates the story of the AK-47 and its designer by creating a visual record of its use, and also through highlighting the long term impact that this relatively cheap weapon has had all around the world and continues to have in many countries still to this day. The Kalashnikov assault rifle, generically known as the AK-47, is the most famous small arm ever made. This weapon has transcended its Soviet designer and country of origin to become the most prolifically produced and iconic weapon in the world and it has become a brand that has been used to sell everything from T-shirts to vodka.Although it first appeared in the late 1940s, it did not make its decisive presence felt on the battlefield until the Vietnam War when China supplied it to the Vietnamese communists. The weapons durability became a legend. Since then it has been employed in practically every conflict around the globe, and it is seen as the symbol of the wars of national liberation. Probably its most celebrated moment came in the hands of the mujahideen fighting to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan.In Kalashnikov in Combat Anthony Tucker-Jones gives the reader a brief history of the weapon and he offers a visual record of the impact of the AK-47 on the battlefield up to the present day. His account is illustrated with a wealth of archive photographs ranging from Vietnam to the American-led invasion of Iraq and beyond. [Elib] The Kalashnikov assault rifle, generically known as the AK-47, is the most famous small arm ever made. This weapon has transcended its Soviet designer and country of origin to become the most prolifically produced and iconic weapon in the world – and it has become a brand that has been used to sell everything from T-shirts to vodka. Although it first appeared in the late 1940s, it did not make its decisive presence felt on the battlefield until the Vietnam War when China supplied it to the Vietnamese communists. The weapons durability became a legend. Since then it has been employed in practically every conflict around the globe, and it is seen as the symbol of the wars of national liberation. Probably its most celebrated moment came in the hands of the mujahideen fighting to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan. In Kalashnikov in Combat Anthony Tucker-Jones gives the reader a brief history of the weapon and he offers a visual record of the impact of the AK-47 on the battlefield up to the present day. His account is illustrated with a wealth of archive photographs ranging from Vietnam to the American-led invasion of Iraq and beyond.