Showing results by author "Chris McNab" in All Categories

From his unassuming beginnings as a curious young computer enthusiast to his meteoric rise as the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, Bill Gates's journey is a testament to the power of innovation, vision, and determination.

The dropping of two atom bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their shocking aftermath finally ended World War II in the eastern theatre. But they weren't the only experimental weaponry at the time. In this fascinating account, Chris McNab examines the development of a range of hitherto unknown and at times shockingly effective weapons that were developed and unleashed on an unsuspecting world over the course of the war.

A History of War explains the dark but compelling story of warfare, from its emergence in prehistoric tribal disputes, through great imperial and global wars, to present-day counterinsurgency and 'hybrid' conflicts. Two factors sit at the heart of this story: technology—including weapons, vehicle systems, vehicles—and tactics. A History of War charts the rise of the army, explaining how primitive tribal war parties evolved through seasonal levies and feudal armies to professional standing armies and mass conscription forces, with formal organisational structures.

The brilliant theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer is now known primarily for his work on the development of the atomic bomb from 1942-45 at Los Alamos in New Mexico. Though fascinated by the processes that created the bomb, he was horrified by its impact and the devastation wrought on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Chris McNab looks at the body of prior work that led to Oppenheimer's recruitment to the Manhattan Project as well as the development of the bomb itself.

As PhD students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin devised a powerful search engine. Google, the company they founded in 1998 became a brand, the world's pre-eminent search engine, a centre of artificial intelligence and a source of data collection. This fascinating biography looks at the background behind the formation of the company, as well as the technology and the business model that led it to become so successful.

George Orwell is considered one of the greatest writers and thinkers of the 20th century, best known for his incisive political critiques in his celebrated novels Animal Farm and 1984. This comprehensive guide explores Orwell's position on the issues that truly mattered to him, including poverty, social class, nationalism, imperialism, political ideologies, and totalitarianism.

From his unassuming beginnings as a curious young computer enthusiast to his meteoric rise as the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, Bill Gates's journey is a testament to the power of innovation, vision, and determination. Uncover the pivotal moments that shaped Gates's career, including the opportunities he seized as a young computer programmer, his co-founding of Microsoft at just 19, his successes in growing the business, and his dedication to philanthropy through to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Elon Musk is one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs- the CEO of Tesla, the founder of SpaceX, and one of the richest people on the planet. Raised in South Africa, he attended a number of universities before founding the software company Zip2 in 1995. Just four years later it was bought for $307 million. X.com, the online bank he founded in 1999, merged to form PayPal the following year. His business interests have expanded to include aerospace, artificial intelligence, and neurotechnology.

Entrepreneur and e-commerce pioneer Jeff Bezos is a success story of the business world. The executive chairman of Amazon and founder of Blue Origin, he became the first centibillionaire on the Forbes wealth index and one of the world's most recognizable names in modern history. This book explores his empire of achievement and how his vision and hands-on efforts have led him from a start-up in his garage to his legacy today.

A History of War explains the dark but compelling story of warfare, from its emergence in prehistoric tribal disputes, through great imperial and global wars, to present-day counterinsurgency and 'hybrid' conflicts.

From their promising beginnings at Stanford to their founding of Google and beyond, this fascinating biography charts the extraordinary rise of tech duo Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

This captivating biography delves into J. Robert Oppenheimer's groundbreaking work, from his early scientific achievements to leading the Manhattan Project and his complex legacy as the mind behind the atom bomb. The brilliant theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer is now known primarily for his work on the development of the atomic bomb from 1942-45 at Los Alamos in New Mexico. Though fascinated by the processes that created the bomb, he was horrified by its impact and the devastation wrought on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.