Mini Expert Guides – serie

Revealing the incredible diversity of fossilised plants and animals preserved for millions of years, this book profiles 300 examples of the most common and fascinating fossils, using an entry by entry approach. By including examples from all of the major variety of fossilised life, from preserved trees and grasses to molluscs, trilobites, fish and dinosaurs, Fossils offers a truly comprehensive overview of fossils from every continent and gives a sense of the huge amount of natural history available to us in the fossil record. Each fossil is illustrated with a clear and informative colour photograph, accompanied by informed and accessible text. The fossilised plants and animals are grouped by order, then within each order by family (and, where necessary, within each family by subfamilies). For easy reference, each entry includes a table of information on scientific name, order and family, habitat, distribution, geological period and dimensions.

Following the ‘Big Bang’, it took the universe billions of years to evolve into the unique system of stars and planets that we know of today. Scientists have studied the planets of our solar system for centuries, and are beginning to understand the billions of stars and other bodies that make up the Universe. Stars and Planets is an ideal reference book for anyone interested in astronomy, featuring 300 of the most well known stars, planets, moons, constellations and other cosmological phenomena, such as black holes and quasars. Each entry includes an image – either a photograph or an artist’s impression or diagram – and a key information table including specifications such as the mass, radius, surface temperature, distance from sun, gravity and major elements of each object. Presented in a handy, pocket-size format, full of facts and engaging text, Stars and Planets is a valuable reference source as well as a fascinating read, revealing the spectacular world of the Cosmos.

Military Vehicles is a wide-ranging guide to the world of military mobility in the twentieth century and beyond. In 300 detailed entries, it explores the combat, transport and utility vehicles that have supported military units from World War I to the present day. Categories include armoured personnel carriers, armoured cars, anti- aircraft vehicles, tank destroyers, trucks and transporters, amphibious vehicles, self- propelled artillery and more. From early iron-clad machines such as the German Büssing A5P and the Russian Garford-Putilow armoured cars to advanced machines such as the Italian MICV Dardo and the German LGS Fennek, Military Vehicles examines the development of these powerful weapons of war. Each vehicle featured is illustrated by a full-colour side-profile artwork. The service history and key features of the vehicle are explained, and a detailed specification table lists the country of origin, crew, weight, dimensions, armour, armament, powerplant and performance. The book also features an introductory history of the development of military vehicles from 1900 to the present and a full glossary of technical terms and abbreviations. Presented in a handy, pocket-book size, Military Vehicles is a colourful guide that will interest any enthusiast of military technology and modelling.

For 150 million years, dinosaurs were the undisputed rulers of the Earth. Today, these great lizards still fire our imaginations. Dinosaurs profiles the creatures who lived during the great Age of Reptiles, the real-life giants and monsters such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus who once dominated our planet. Also featured are many of the prehistoric world's other most fearsome and awe-inspiring creatures, from huge birds of prey to ferocious sabre-toothed cats. The entries are grouped chronologically, with examples drawn mainly from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Each dinosaur or other prehistoric creature is illustrated with a stunning, full-colour artwork. For easy reference, each entry also includes a table of information containing key data such as size, weight, diet, meaning of name, armour, hunting techniques and distribution of fossil remains. Engaging accessible text provides an introduction to each dinosaur's behaviour, habits and other key information.

Tabby cat or toucan? Airedale terrier or Angora rabbit? Python or Parakeet? If you didn’t have a pet as a child, you probably wanted one. Pets features a huge range of pets from everyday pets such as cats and dogs to exotic pets such as tropical fish, toucans and terrapins, from cute mice to formidable pythons, from energetic rabbits to docile tortoises to thoroughbred horses. Part of the highly successful Mini Encyclopedia series, Pets includes 300 pets from around the world, offering a wealth of fascinating information on the background, breeding and natural habitat of these animals. With a page and outstanding colour illustration given to each pet, and specification boxes detailing on the origins, appearance, size, diet and lifespan of each animal, Pets is an easy-to-use pocket reference book for anyone interested in domesticated animals.

Exploring some of the world’s more remote regions can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but should things go wrong, would you know what to do? Do you possess the basics skills and, above all the determination and will to survive? With a total of 150 expert survival tips, Survival Tips gives you the basic skills to keep going in any situation, and reach safety. Tips range from using an ice axe and sheltering from the wind, to finding fresh water and building a protective shelter. Survival Tips is an easy-to-use handbook of professional survival skills. It teaches survival fundamentals for every scenario and every environment, from the sub-zero landscape of the Arctic to the scorching suns of the tropics. In clear and practical terms, the book explains how to preserve life with minimal external aids and stay safe. Topics covered include: how to make hunting weapons, identifying edible plants, survival psychology, evasion techniques, celestial navigation, surviving at sea, constructing shelters, hunting and trapping techniques, making fire, improvised cooking vessels, improvising weapons, endurance techniques and finding underground water. The book also explores traditionally less well-covered but equally essential aspects of survival such as natural remedies for common diseases, rope handling and climbing methods and unarmed combat. Illustrated with more than 100 black-and-white illustrations, Survival Tips provides the reader with a single source of invaluable survival information.

Supercars are exotic, powerful and expensive. Representing the ultimate in performance, styling and unadulterated driving thrills, a supercar encapsulates the romance, power and freedom of the motor car in one beautifully designed package. Classic Supercars celebrates the incredible machines built in the twentieth century, providing a detailed look at 300 great automobiles from around the world. All the great marques are covered, including Aston Martin, Chevrolet, De Tomaso, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati and Porsche.Illustrated with a photograph, each car entry includes detailed specifications, which include all the performance statistics, engine type, transmission, chassis, special features, running gear and dimensions. Packed with information, this handy reference guide is a must for all lovers of these powerful classic machines.

Modern Artillery brings together 300 of the most important examples of artillery used or designed since 1900. Beginning with the guns that pounded the trenches in World War I, the book details all the major forms of artillery in service throughout the century. From hand-held anti-tank devices, anti-aircraft guns and field pieces of World War II to the recent tactical and strategic missiles, the book provides a wide survey of the development and use of artillery, with the entries conveniently placed into categories for easy reference. Each artillery piece featured is illustrated by a full-colour artwork and accompanied by a detailed specifications table giving the country of origin and technical details of the weapon, including where appropriate the calibre, elevation, muzzle velocity, traverse and range, all measurements being provided in imperial and metric. Each entry also contains a piece of text summarizing the weapon’s development and service history. Presented in a handy, pocket-book size, arranged by type and with 300 colour illustrations, Modern Artillery is an authoritative and accessible reference work, which will appeal to anyone with an interest in military technology.

Submarines features 300 of the most significant submarines from the first submersibles in 1776 to the present day. Each featured submarine is illustrated with an outstanding colour profile artwork and is accompanied by detailed specifications, giving powerplant, dimensions, maximum speed, range and armament. Also included is a design, development and service history of each featured submarine. The final section of the book covers underwater weapons, such as torpedoes, SLBMs and cruise missiles. Arranged alphabetically and with 300 colour illustrations and photographs, Submarines is an authoritative and accessible reference work, which will appeal to anyone with an interest in military technology and naval history.