American Seacoast, Anti-aircraft, and Railway Artillery (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781732391680)

American Seacoast, Anti-aircraft, and Railway Artillery 1886-1955 is the first comprehensive illustrated reference guide to the static artillery systems that defended American shores and supported ground operations from the adoption of modern breechloading weapons through the early Cold War. Author Glen M. Williford presents detailed technical and historical profiles of more than 80 types of rifled artillery employed by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps - covering seacoast guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and railway artillery in a single authoritative volume. At the heart of this work is the most complete treatment of American seacoast artillery ever published. No previous reference has systematically documented the full range of coastal defense guns developed and deployed during this seventy-year period. Drawn primarily from original military technical documents and records held at the National Archives, each weapon type receives focused coverage: development history, technical specifications, production details, combat employment, and notes on surviving examples. The book's text is supported by more than 300 period photographs, technical drawings, and diagrams. Organized for quick reference, this 320-page hardcover volume serves military historians, artillery enthusiasts, collectors, and curators responsible for preserved weapons. Whether identifying a gun on display at a local memorial, researching fortification armament, or documenting a privately held artillery piece, readers will find this the essential identification guide to American static artillery of the modern era. A companion to Williford's earlier American Breechloading Mobile Artillery, this work completes coverage of U.S. artillery technology from the late 19th century through the Korean War. The author has invested over 30 years of research into this book, making it the primary source on these historic weapons and a valuable resource for any serious scholar of American artillery.