Books with author Martin J. Dougherty

Little more than ten years ago drones were barely used, but now more than 50 countries have them in service and they are not only changing how wars are fought but how crops are sprayed, how underwater pipelines are monitored and even how sports events are filmed. If it’s too risky to send a manned aircraft to survey the intensity of a hurricane or a combat zone, or too costly for conservation wardens to chart the movement of wildlife, drones can be used. Used for reconnaissance work and mapping as well as launching missiles, drones can fly autonomously or be controlled by remote control. Peering into a volcano about to erupt, checking how fast a forest fire is spreading, exploring the wreck of a sunken ship, charting your enemy’s position and taking out a military target—these are just some of the uses of drones today. From drones the size of a fingertip to drones that can carry soldiers, from single rotorcraft to multi-rotorcraft to propeller craft drones, Drones expertly examines these complex vehicles, which are not only very different from manned aircraft, but also very different from each other. Illustrated with more than 220 colour photographs and artworks, Drones is an exciting, accessibly written work about the latest in military and civilian aviation technology.

Little more than ten years ago drones were barely used, but now more than 50 countries have them in service and they are not only changing how wars are fought but how crops are sprayed, how underwater pipelines are monitored and even how sports events are filmed. If it’s too risky to send a manned aircraft to survey the intensity of a hurricane or a combat zone, or too costly for conservation wardens to chart the movement of wildlife, drones can be used. Used for reconnaissance work and mapping as well as launching missiles, drones can fly autonomously or be controlled by remote control. Peering into a volcano about to erupt, checking how fast a forest fire is spreading, exploring the wreck of a sunken ship, charting your enemy’s position and taking out a military target—these are just some of the uses of drones today. From drones the size of a fingertip to drones that can carry soldiers, from single rotorcraft to multi-rotorcraft to propeller craft drones, Drones expertly examines these complex vehicles, which are not only very different from manned aircraft, but also very different from each other. Illustrated with more than 220 color photographs and artworks, Drones is an exciting, accessibly written work about the latest in military and civilian aviation technology.

After the end of the Cold War, there was decade or so of military spending cuts, but since the new millennium, budgets have grown and new weapons technology is reaching the front line. Modern Weapons allows the reader to compare the key weapons of modern armies side by side. The book includes air, sea and land weapons, both vehicles and small arms, in a spread by spread format for ease of use. Each spread features a key category of weapon such as fighters or main battle tanks, with an easy to follow diagram or chart allowing the reader to compare speeds, armour penetration, diving depth and so forth at a glance. Packed with specially-created charts, graphs, and artworks and accompanied by an accessible explanation of the key characteristics of each weapon type, Modern Weapons is a fantastic book for any general reader or military enthusiast.

Before the Vikings, before the Anglo-Saxons, before the Roman Empire, the Celts dominated central and western Europe. Today we might think of the Celts only inhabiting parts of the far west of Europe Ireland, Great Britain, France and Spain but these were the extremities in which their culture lasted longest. In fact, they had originated in Central Europe and settled as far afield as present day Turkey, Poland and Italy. From their emergence as an Iron Age people around 800 BC to the early centuries AD, Celts reveals the truth behind the stories of naked warriors, ritual beheadings, druids, magic and accusations of human sacrifice. The book examines the different tribes, the Hallstatt and La Tne periods, as well as Celtic survival in western Europe, the Gallic Wars, military life, spiritual life, slavery, sexuality and Celtic art.

War is hell. And since the early days of WWI, it’s become more ferocious than ever. From the advent of tanks, chemical warfare, automatic weapons and nukes, Land Warfare takes an unflinching look at the brutal and bloody battles that have shaped the world since 1914.• Presented chronologically, Land Warfare examines the most famous wars and campaigns of the 20th century, from WWI and WWII, to the Cold War, the Six-Day War, Vietnam, the Gulf Wars and beyond.• Gain insight into revolutions, insurrections and civil wars, including the civil wars in Congo and Ethiopia, revolutions in China and Cuba, and "the troubles" of Northern Ireland.• Discover how technological advances changed the way war was waged during the 19th and 20th centuries, and how today’s technology stacks up.• Includes an examination of major battle strategies, such as the Blitzkrieg, guerilla warfare, brushfire wars, as well as a detailed exploration of weapons since 1914.• Illustrations bring the horrors and triumphs of war vividly to life. Each section is filled with photographs, action shots, aerial images as well as full-color artwork, maps and diagrams.