On Gunnery (Second Edition)

Book excerpt: On Gunnery traces the fascinating evolution of artillery from the battlefields of the American Civil War to the desert sands of the middle east at the dawn of the 21st Century. Chronicling the evolution of fire direction and control from the muzzle loaded cannons of the Union and Confederacy to the shock and awe of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the book examines, in detail, the development of artillery equipment and procedures that brought the art of the artillerist into the modern age. Significant developments in field artillery gunnery, including the birth of indirect fire at the turn of the 20th century, the development of predicted fire techniques for artillery and machine guns during the Great War, the World War II era development of the Fire Direction Center, and the rise of automated computer technology are presented at a level of detail that will intrigue artillerymen and historians alike. A must read for the serious gunner or anyone interested in the art and science of artillery.