This is the history of European hand-firearms, from their earliest appearance during the Middle Ages up to the period when hand craftsmanship began to be displaced by the impact of the Industrial Revolution. Beginning with the dual inventions of gunpowder and the gun, the story takes in the development of reliable mechanisms to fire the weapon, methods of improving accuracy and rate of fire, and the revolutionary changes brought about by the application of scientific research and industrial processes. Illustrated as far possible with pictures of weapons that have not appeared in print before, and written with a particular attention to establishing an accurate dating framework, this is the perfect introduction to these fascinating early weapons. Michael Spencer is the author of numerous papers on early firearms and is the co-author of Early European Hand-Firearms in Liverpool Museum.

This book provides a general summary of the history of European firearms, from the earliest designs which appeared during the Middle Ages through to the mechanised weapon production of the Industrial Revolution. Covering the dual inventions of gunpowder and the gun, the development of reliable firing mechanisms, improvements in accuracy and rate of fire and the revolutionary changes brought about by the application of scientific and industrial processes, Michael Spencer explains the technical evolution of the firearm and analyses what drove these changes. Built around an accurate dating framework, this is an invaluable resource for both military historians and firearms collectors, and includes an array of illustrations of rare firearms, difficult to find elsewhere in print.