Sword, Musket & Machine Gun

Dr. Sam Willis charts the evolution of weaponry in Britain throughout the Middle Ages from the Battle of Ethandun in 878 to the banning of crossbows by the Church.

Dr. Sam Willis charts the impact of gunpowder on and off the battlefield, from medieval cannons to the first handheld weapons and the attempted bombing of parliament by the notorious Guy Fawkes.

Dr. Sam Willis charts the evolution of weaponry in Britain from 1800 to the First World War, looking at the drive to develop ever more precise weapons, from artillery shells to rifles to the Maxim Machine gun.