Developed to replace the Model 1892 Krag-Jorgensen rifle the Model 1903 Springfield was a five-shot bolt-action rifle that introduced the. 30-06 cartridge
- the standard US round until the introduction of the 7.62mm NATO cartridge
- & gave the US infantryman a durable magazine-fed weapon so renowned for its accuracy that it remained in service as a sniping rifle for decades after it was superseded by the M1 Garand in 1937. Extensively used in World War I the M1903 Springfield saw widespread combat in World War II & Korea. During World War I US troops developed a formidable reputation for marksmanship aided by the accuracy of the M1903 Springfield. World War II saw the introduction of the M1903A3 which changed the rear sight so that it was closer to that of the M1 Garand to allow easier training of troops who might be issued either rifle. Illustrated with specially commissioned color artwork & drawing upon veterans recollections this is the engaging story of the M1903 Springfield an iconic rifle prized for its lethal accuracy that equipped US & other troops for much of the 20th century.

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One of the most sophisticated armoured fighting vehicles in the world the M2/M3 Bradley is the United States equivalent of the British Warrior combining the role of personnel carrier with the formidable armament of a 25mm cannon & TOW anti-tank missiles. With a maximum road speed of 66kmh it also has a degree of manoeuvrability dreamed of by other armoured vehicles. In this book Steven Zaloga examines the different variants of the Bradley in detail & looks at the changing tactical requirements of the US Army for an armoured personnel carrier. ...

The highly successful stop-gap M3 medium tank was designed in 1941 & as adequate turret casting facilities were not yet ready the M3 used an unusual armament configuration patterned after a French tank. British lend-lease demands led to the design of a second turret type with the US version called the Lee & the British version the Grant. It could penetrate Panzer armor & its explosive firepower was excellent for dealing with German anti-tank guns. This book covers the design development service & variants of a vehicle that was the backbone of many World War II forces. ...

The US M60 General Purpose Machine Gun known as the Pig was developed in the years after World War II from two revolutionary German designs. Adopted in 1957 the M60 came into its own in the jungles hamlets & city streets of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Humping the Pig became common in US military squads with at least one soldier equipped with an M60 & every squad member carrying ammunition for it. The M60 design transformed infantry tactics as squads took advantage of the immediate volume of fire offered by the design. Although it has now been replaced by the M240 series of weapons in US infantry & mechanized units the M60 is still in common use with the US armed forces. Meanwhile its iconic status has been assured by its frequent appearance in many popular films & television shows from Full Metal Jacket to The A Team. Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork this is the full story of the M60 the innovative squad base-of-fire weapon that has equipped the US military from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq. ...

Entering service in the early 1960s the M60 tank was in production for 23 years & formed the backbone of US Army & Marine armoured units during the Cold War. Over 15 000 were built in four basic models: the M60 M60A1 M60A2 & the M60A3. At its peak the US Army used over 8 887 tanks of this type with reductions starting in 1990 & continuing through the 1990s. At the time of Desert Shield & later Desert Storm the M60 had been phased out of US Army service but still served with the US Marine armoured units. US Marine M60s participated in the ground offensive & entered Kuwait. This book explores the design & operation of such a widely-used vehicle. ...

Born a bastard to a teenage mother in the slums of 1950s Dublin Martha has to be a fighter from the very start. As her mother moves from man to man & more children follow they live h&-to-mouth in squalid freezing tenements clothed in rags & forced to beg for food. But just when it seems things can't get any worse her mother meets Jackser. Despite her trials Martha is a child with an irrepressible spirit & a wit beyond her years. She tells the story of her early life without an ounce of self-pity & manages to recreate a lost era in which the shadow of the Catholic Church loomed large & if you didn't work you didn't eat. Martha never stops believing she is worth more than the hand she has been dealt & her remarkable voice will remain with you long after you've finished the last line. ...

Aged thirteen Martha is rescued by the courts from the clutches of her evil stepfather Jackser & her feckless mother Sally. After numerous arrests for shoplifting a judge rules that she is to be sent to a convent school with the instruction that she is to get an education. Her initial relief at escaping the abuse & neglect she suffered at home is however short-lived as she soon realises that there are many forms of cruelty in this life. As she says ' You can have a full belly but your heart can be very empty.' Ostracised by the other children for being a 'street kid' & put to back-breaking work by the nuns she leads a lonely existence her only joy coming from the books she devours & her mischievous sense of humour. Desperate for love & a little place where she feels she belongs despite all that she has suffered Martha retains her compassion for others & still continues to hope for a brighter future when she will be free to make her own way in life. ...

Martha is now in her thirties. Her daughter has left home & she is lonely & vulnerable. The hard knocks have taken their toll on her health & as she looks into the years still lying ahead of her she shakes her head feeling she hasn't the heart or the strength to go on. As she teeters on the brink of a nervous breakdown a phone call summons ghosts from the past. She discovers that one of the family is dead & the others need her help. Martha returns & when she comes face to face with the evil psychotic Jackser she can no longer suppress the nightmares of her childhood. A suicide attempt sees her admitted to the 'mad house' where a hunger strike takes her even nearer to death. But finally she sees a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. Could love in an unexpected form pull her back from the brink? ...

After a failed suicide attempt & recovery in the mad house Martha is heading for France to be reunited with the one true love of her life. Father Ralph Fitzgerald rescued her from the streets when she was sixteen & was the first person to show Martha true love & affection. But their relationship threatened his vocation & he eventually fled to Africa to take up missionary work. Martha never got over losing him & now after nearly twenty years he has made contact again. She sets off on a mission to find him & uncover his motives for getting in touch. Does he still love her? Has he left the priesthood? Is he now free to marry her? She needs to know what the future is going to hold. ...

After a failed suicide attempt & recovery in the mad house Martha is heading for France to be reunited with the one true love of her life. Father Ralph Fitzgerald rescued her from the streets when she was sixteen & was the first person to show Martha true love & affection. But their relationship threatened his vocation & he eventually fled to Africa to take up missionary work. Martha never got over losing him & now after nearly twenty years he has made contact again. She sets off on a mission to find him & uncover his motives for getting in touch. Does he still love her? Has he left the priesthood? Is he now free to marry her? She needs to know what the future is going to hold. ...