Military Innovation

Many weapons and inventions were credited with winning World War II, most famously in the assertion that the atomic bomb "ended the war, but radar won the war." What is less well known is that both airborne radar and the atomic bomb were invented in British laboratories, but built by Americans. The same holds true for many other American weapons credited with the Allied victory: the P-51 Mustang fighter, the Liberty ship, the proximity fuze, the Sherman tank, and even penicillin all began with British scientists and planners.

Beneath the thunder of artillery and the roar of aerial dogfights, another war was unfolding—one fought in silence, in shadows, and behind sealed doors. The Secret Labs of WWII unveils the hidden world of scientific and technological warfare that helped determine the fate of nations. From bomb-ravaged Europe to the deserts of New Mexico, the book takes you inside the clandestine facilities where intellect rivalled infantry, and innovation became as deadly as any bullet.

The Army's need: An automatic pistol with the stopping power of the .45 caliber Colt single action Army revolver. Colt and John Browning collaborated to meet the Army's need. The result was the greatest combat pistol ever designed. This book examines why the Army insisted on .45 caliber, the innovation required to meet that requirement, and how the model of 1911 beat the competition in reliability, function, and feel.