World of Weapons

The pilum, which played a vital role in the rise of the Roman Empire. The longbow, which made England a medieval superpower. The Minie ball, which revolutionized 19th century firea...

Warfare enters a new dimension with the attack from above, transporting war up in the air. Early on, archers besieged with devastating incendiary arrows, and long before airplanes...

Hand-to-hand combat is warfare at its most visceral. Since ancient times, soldiers on the battlefield have relied on specialized weapons to survive this form of fighting. Military...

One weapon helped Alexander the Great lead the underdog Macedonians to defeat the once invincible Persian Empire. Another helped commoners take down experienced knights from their...

Since humans began fighting one another, quickness and mobility have been key factors in determining victory or defeat. Experts take a hands-on look at three weapons that were buil...

New weapons with devastating force shaped the wars of the 20th century. Weapons experts test the Maxim machine gun, explain its impact on modern warfare, and explore the psychologi...

War at sea is a unique form of warfare requiring new tactics and arsenal. We look at three revolutionary weapons: Greek fire, developed by the Byzantine Empire to fight back Arab s...

Ambushing the enemy with weapons that stay undetected until their very strike can be an insidious, but efficient, military strategy. A team of weapons experts takes a look at three...

As technology evolved over the centuries, inventors and engineers upgraded weapons and influenced the course of global history. Join military and weapons experts as they examine th...

Explore inventions that were used to recklessly attack civilian populations. Discover the trebuchet, a siege weapon that dominated medieval battlefields. Follow the evolution of bi...