Updated with New Information and Additional Patches   They’re on the shoulders of all military personnel: patches showing what a soldier’s unit does. But what if that’s top secret?   “A glimpse of [the Pentagon’s] dark world through a revealing lens—patches—the kind worn on military uniforms. . . The book offers not only clues into the nature of the secret programs, but also a glimpse of zealous male bonding among the presumed elite of the military-industrial complex. The patches often feel like fraternity pranks gone ballistic.” —William Broad, The New York Times   I COULD TELL YOU. . . is a bestselling collection of more than seventy military patches representing secret government projects. Here author/photographer/investigator Trevor Paglen explores classified weapons projects and intelligence operations by scrutinizing their own imagery and jargon, disclosing new facts about important military units, which are here known by peculiar names (“Goat Suckers,” “Grim Reapers,” “Tastes Like Chicken”) and illustrated with occult symbols and ridiculous cartoons. The precisely photographed patches—worn by military personnel working on classified missions, such as those at the legendary Area 51—reveal much about a strange and eerie world about which little was previously known.   “A fresh approach to secret government.” —Steven Aftergood, The Federation of American Scientists   “An impressive collection.” —Justin Rood, ABC News   “A fascinating set of shoulder patches.” —Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report   “I was fascinated... [Paglen] has assembled about 40 colorful patch insignia from secret, military ‘black’ programs that are hardly ever discussed in public. He has plenty of regalia from the real denizens of Area 51.” —Alex Beam, The Boston Globe

Readers will appreciate the value of Standard Catalog of Civil War Firearms because it combines historical, identification, and pricing information in one handy volume.A great deal of advancement in metallurgy and weapons design occurred during the Civil War as people on both sides of the conflict struggled to find better ways to bring a swift end to the war. These new designs are the basis of our modern weapons and spark the interest of historians and collectors. Unlike other Civil War collecting guides that deal with firearms only incidentally (if at all), Standard Catalog of Civil War Firearms focuses on firearms only. The reader is told how to identify a particular model and what its approximate current value is. In addition, each firearm is given a '1 to 5 rarity index' rating that will guide the reader's buying decision when he or she is contemplating a purchase.No other firearms price guide offer this unique blend of features.

This book brings a highly eventful period of European history to life, chrinicling the battles, campaigns and skirmishes of the conflict and the political triumphs and declines of the combatant forces.

Soon after the February 1917 revolution, and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the White Cause began to emerge and oppose the Bolsheviks. There was, however, no single, united White Army to fight the Red Army and the forces available to the Whites represented a spectrum of political factions including monarchist military organisations and social-democrats. Many of the Cossack hosts also sided with the Whites, seeing it as an opportunity to create their own independent states; others remained neutral or hostile to both sides. This fascinating text by Mikhail Khvostov examines the colourful uniforms and the equipment of the White armies of the Russian Civil War (1917-1923).

New, 5th Edition, revised and expanded with new serial number information, parts descriptions, and photos. The M1 Garand was the battle rifle issued to American forces during World War II and the Korean War. It was the first semiautomatic rifle design to be used by combat forces in any army of the world. It was standardized in 1936 and saw its first combat in the Philippines in December 1941. Few other rifles have developed such a distinguished record as both a battle rifle and a match target rifle. General George Patton called the M1 Garand "the greatest battle implement ever devised." The semiautomatic M1 Garand gave the American soldier a distinct firepower advantage over enemy soldiers armed with bolt action rifles that had to be cocked before each shot. During World War II, nearly four million M1 Garands were built at the Springfield National Armory and Winchester Repeating Firearms factories. They were issued in every theater of the war. And hundreds of thousands were issued to French, Belgian, Greek, Italian and Philippine allies as well. During the Cold War years until the early 1960s, he M1 Garand was the mainstay of our small arms support programs to allied and friendly nations. In the last days of World War II, special variations of the M1 Garand, designated the M1C were developed and produced as sniper rifles. More were built during and after the! Korean War as the M1D. Also, during the Korean War, the M1 Garand was put back into production at Springfield, and in the factories of two private concerns, bringing the total production to almost 6,000,000. Hundreds of thousands of M1 Garands were issued to soldiers of the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam. Thousands of M1 Garands were manufactured in the 1950s as Match Target rifles and these are also eagerly sought by collectors. After Congress approved the reimportation of certain military rifles for collecting purposes in 1986, it is estimated that nearly half a million of the 1.5 to 2 million M1 Garands shipped overseas to allied and friendly nations were allowed to be reimported. Collector's snapped them up eagerly and began to restore them to original condition. But the M1 Garand had undergone a such continuous process of improvement and upgrading that by the end of production in 1955, hardly a single part remained as it had originally been designed. The collector attempting to restore an M1 Garand to original, as-manufactured condition must first determine when his rifle was manufactured, then which part or parts need replacing. Keep in mind that there were four different manufacturers of the rifle, all of whom also made spare parts. Fortunately, every part of the M1 Garand carries at least one clue to its manufacturer and the date when it was made. Every major part was stamped with a "part number" and these part numbers were changed every time the part was redesigned for improvement. Other clues are the type and color of finish, specific machine tool marks, factory codes and so on, all translated in "The M1 Garand: 1936 to 1957." With this book in hand, the collector will find it easy to examine his or her rifle and determine which parts must be replaced to return it to its original state. The book also explains how to determine if replacement parts are correct and if they are of original manufacture or are so-called "after-market" parts of non-military origin. The book also describes and tells how to identify the real sniper versions of the M1 Garand, also the match target versions. It also tells how to determine which rifles were sent to various armies overseas.

The official history of Colt firearms from 1836 to the present

This volume reveals the little-known story of the 90-year presence of American forces in China until the fall of Peking in 1941. Included is coverage of the first operations on the Pearl River in 1856 as well as US involvement in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. As China entered a chaotic period in her history, known as the years of the "Warlords," American marines also participated in numerous small-scale amphibious landings. Finally, during the later Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and early into World War II (1939-1945), US volunteers of the "Flying Tigers" became renowned for their combat missions in support of Chinese Nationalist forces, and their aerial duels are also recounted by the author John P. Langellier, who has spent several years researching the subject in the US and China. Discover the history of these various actions and the different services involved, recreated in color artwork and illustrated with rare, previously unpublished photographs.

A compilation of all known Luftwaffe unit badges and emblems in full color, covering all types of aircraft and function, ranging from famous fighter and bomber units, through to little-known maritime squadrons, humble training or communication flights. Grouped by squadron type and function, the emblems provide an invaluable aid to both modelers and historians and those interested in WWII Luftwaffe aircraft.

The American Indian Wars, the most famous of which were fought on the great Western plains between 1860 and 1890, were among the most tragic of all conflicts ever fought. To the victor went no less than the complete domination of the continent, to the loser total extinction. Accustomed only to small scale skirmishing and raiding, the Indians were doomed from the start. They had never fought a European-style war with its constant pressure and co-ordinated strategies. Philip Katcher details the armies of both sides, paying particular attention to their organization and uniforms.