The Beauty in the Beast
- 328 pages
- 12 hours of reading
A delightful portrait of some of the UK's best-loved wild animals and birds and the colourful enthusiasts who champion their causes.






A delightful portrait of some of the UK's best-loved wild animals and birds and the colourful enthusiasts who champion their causes.
Developed as a replacement for the M3 Lee and Grant medium tanks, the M4 Sherman was the first American tank to carry a 75mm main gun mounted on a fully traversing turret. Equipped with a gyro-stabilizer that enabled it to fire with reasonable accuracy while on the move, the Sherman proved a fair match against the Nazi Panzer III and IV and far superior than its Japanese adversaries. While the German Tiger and Panther tanks proved to be superior weapons, the mobility and reliability of the Sherman and the sheer number of them placed in the field -- over 50,000 were built during the war -- helped even the odds. The Sherman remained a mainstay after WWII, and saw service in Korea, during the Arab-Israeli Wars, and in conflicts between India and Pakistan. Intended as a general purpose manual for the platoon leader, tank commander and crew, this FM 17-76 field manual shows how to achieve efficient execution of mounted and dismounted action, and precision and speed in service of the weapon. Originally restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.
The M6 was an outgrowth of a 1940 U.S. Army Ordnance Corps program to develop a 50-ton heavy tank. After the initial, multi-turreted design proved too excessive, a single three-man turret bearing 76.2mm and 37mm guns was adopted. The tank also carried four Browning machineguns, three fixed and one flexible. In addition to the commander, gunner and loader in the turret, the tank had a driver, assistant driver, and an ammunition passer. The tank was equipped with a Wright radial gasoline engine and a torque converter or electric transmission and designated M6 (cast hull) and M6A1 (welded hull). While it might have fared well in combat, the heavy tank’s exorbitant cost, high silhouette, reliability problems and difficulty in transport made it vulnerable to enemies in the Army staff. In the end, only forty M6 type tanks were produced, and the design was declared obsolete by late 1944. Created during the testing phase of the M6, this TM 9-721 technical manual reveals a great deal about the weapon’s design and capabilities. Intended as a manual for those charged with operation and maintenance, this manual shows the basics of how to drive the tank and take care of its engine, cooling, power train and other systems. Originally printed in 1943 and labeled restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.
Helps to discover the many wonders of the hedgehog: a funny, charming creature of the countryside.
This short guide to modern error analysis is primarily intended to be used in undergraduate laboratories in the physical sciences. No prior knowledge of statistics is assumed. The necessary concepts are introduced where needed and illustrated graphically. The book emphasises the use of computers for error calculations and data fitting.