Originally published in 1942, this book gave the first popular account of mechanized warfare—a subject on which its author, Major Paul C. Raborg, was a thorough master. Raborg describes the unchanging character of military strategy and the mechanized armies of today, gives a detailed and complete picture of America’s new armies now in the field, and illustrates high-power blitzkrieg tactics with an analysis of the Battle of France where operations of the Nazis proceeded “according to plan.” “The entire future of our world depends on the mechanized might which is produced by the United States. Although no victory in this new war of speed can be accomplished without superiority in the air, and although naval strength figures prominently in this most terrible of all conflicts, the Second World War, no victories can be decisive, complete, or final without the most efficient mechanized and motorized land armies.[...] “The descriptions set forth herein are vitally necessary so that every citizen of the United States and of all the democracies may fully realize the mechanized might of our present new armies and the overpowering mechanized might that is planned for the future and thereby know that, regardless of reverses, eventual victory is certain.” “Mechanized Might is written in a style easy for the general public to understand. The book has tremendously intrigued and interested me, for I, like its author, took active part in the First World War and have since watched with unflagging interest all developments, especially in regard to the smashing style of German warfare that has wrecked Europe. I cannot see how this book can fail to interest everybody, especially as we are in a war of frightfulness up to now unequaled in history.[...]”—Lt.-Gen. Robert Lee Bullard, Introduction, Mechanized Might

This is a new release of the original 1942 edition.

In 1800, shoes in the United States were made by craftsmen, each trained to create an entire shoe. A century later, shoes were mass-produced in factories employing dozens of machines and specialized workers. Ross Thomson describes this transition from craft to mechanized production in one of the largest American industries of the nineteenth century. Early shoe machinery originated through innovations made by shoemakers, tailors, and especially machinists. It continued to evolve through a process of "learning by selling," in which sales of one generation of machines led to technological learning and ongoing invention by those who used, serviced, and sold them. As a result of this process, the mechanization of the shoe industry and the manufacturers of the machinery it used -- including such firms as Singer and United Shoe Machinery -- evolved together. In researching the process of industrialization, Thomson examined nearly 8,000 patents. Comparing the patent information with directories for more than eighty American cities, he was able to find out who the inventors were, who employed them, how many patents they held, and the extent to which their inventions were used. Originally published in 1989. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Canada’s Mechanized Infantry explores the largely ignored development of the infantry in the Canadian Army after the First World War. Although many modern studies of technology and war focus on tanks and armour, soldiers from the Second World War onward have discovered that success really depends on a combination of infantry, armour, and artillery to form combat teams. Peter Kasurak demonstrates how the army implemented successful infantry vehicles and doctrine to ultimately further its military goals during the Second World War. In the postwar period, however, progress was slowed by a top-down culture and an unwillingness to abandon conventional thinking on the primacy of foot infantry and regimental organization. This insightful book is the first to examine the challenges that have confronted the Canadian Army in transforming its infantry from First World War foot soldiers into a twenty-first-century combat force integrating soldiers, vehicles, weapons, and electronics.

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