Bashford Dean
Published: 2015-07-20
Total Pages: 342
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Excerpt from Helmets and Body Armor in Modern Warfare The present book aims to consider the virtues and failings of helmets and body armor in modern warfare. To this end it brings together materials collected from all accessible sources; it shows the kinds of armor which each nation has been using in the Great War, what practical tests they will resist, of what materials they are made, and what they have done in saving life and limb. As an introduction to these headings there has now been added a section which deals with ancient armor; this enables us to contrast the old with the new and to indicate, in clearer perspective, what degree of success the latest armor may achieve in its special field. The results of our inquiry will show: (1) That the helmet has been adopted as part of the regular military equipment of many nations. (2) That helmets and body armor have been found, in broad averages, of distinct advantage to the wearers. (3) That body armor, in spite of the protection which it affords, finds little favor with the soldier. For numerous reasons, he would rather take his chances of injury. (4) That effort should be made, none the less, to demonstrate more clearly the protective value of body armor, to improve its material and design, and to reduce to a minimum the discomfort which will always be experienced by its wearer, - in a word, to meet the objections to the use of armor which have been brought up on the sides both of theory and of practice. In preparing the following pages I have sought and secured aid from many sources. I am most of all indebted to the Department of War of the United States, for access to documents and materials as well as for permission to make use of them in publication. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.