Military leaders from ancient times to the present have ceaselessly searched for elusive "wonder weapons" that provide their armies with crucial advantages on the filed of battle. In ancient times, strong blades and sturdy armor, swift chariots and precision-crafted bows and arrows could make the difference between glorious victory and bloody defeat. In modern times, the outcome of warfare is often determined in large part by a nation's industrial capacity and the vitality and organization of its scientific community as was the case in WWII in the race to develop faster and more maneuverable planes, more sensitive radar and sonar detection systems, long-range artillery, more durable tanks, complex computer systems capable of decoding secret enemy messages, and ignition systems that could unleash  the energy of the atom.
 The book "The Physics of  War" invites you into the lives of scientists and engineers who unlocked the secrets of nature allowing the development of new wonder weapons. and also onto the battlefields in which these weapons were used. A simple explanation of the physics behind these weapons is given in many cases.

I mentioned to a friend that I was writing a book on the physics so war. "What does physics have to do with war? he asked. "Oh, you mean the atomic bomb," he added. And indeed most people know that physics had something to do with the atomic bomb. But in reality it has made many contributions  other than the atomic bomb, and not all of them have led to the creation of offensive weapons that have caused damage and grief. It has also been helpful for defense, and one of the best examples is the invention of radar just before II. It saves thousands of lives during the Battle of Britain. The discovery of X-rays has played a large role in war, and there's no doubt that it has saved lives. The book that I wrote is called "The Physics of War: From Arrows to Atoms," and it traces the use of physics and science in general in warfare from the beginning of history. In a  sense it's a history of the world, since war has played such an important role in our history. The use of the bow and arrow in early wars is discussed along with the discovery of gunpowder and its use in early cannons. The contributions of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Newton, Einstein and many others is discussed. And finally, the Napoleonic wars, the American civil war, world war I and II, and the making of the atomic bomb are all discussed.

Is war Inevitable When a Country Develops a New "Wonder Weapon" that Most Other Countries don't Have?

If you look back in the history of war this is, indeed the situation in many cases. Super weapons based on physics and other sciences have touched off many wars, but they have also been important in the defense of many countries. A good example is Great Britain in WW II. A fundamental breakthrough occurred early in the war in relation to radar. The cavity magnetron was invented and it revolutionized radar. Objects as small as a few inches across could now be detected, and one of these objects was submarine periscopes, and as a result the German U-boats soon became much less effective. In addition the British radar system could now detect German planes soon after they were in the air, and it gave them a tremendous advantage. Strangely, the Germans didn't think radar was very important, but they found out the hard way that it was. It was particularly effective in the Battle of Britain.
     Although the atomic and hydrogen bombs were invented over half  a century ago, they are still the wonder weapons that many small counties would like to have. I suppose they feel that it gives them more power, prestige and influence on the world stage. And many people believe it will be a small country that will initiate a war that ends up spreading throughout the world. We hope, of course, that this isn't true, and it's important that we do everything possible to make sure it doesn't happen.

Barry Parker, author of "The Physics of War: From Arrows to Atoms"

Why is a blog on war and the science behind war important? There are, of course several good reasons, and since I've just written a book titled "The Physics of War: From Arrows to Atoms" I think I'm in a good position to write one. One of the main reasons, of course, is that there are a large number of wars going on around the world today. Indeed, war has existed on Earth ever since the first bow and spear were invented. It almost seems that it is a natural state, but it isn't; it's one of the major things that causes tremendous grief and suffering for large numbers of people. And we should do everything we possibly can to avoid it. At times it seems as if there is little we can do, nevertheless we should always try. The book I wrote traces the history of war from the earliest times and shows that science and technology-- particularly, physics -- have played a significant role in war'. And I feel that it is important to study and understand all aspects of war if we are to somehow stop it. At home here in the US we are along ways from any of the wars in Asia and elsewhere, and they may seem to be of little interest, but we are involved and they definitely have an effect on us.