PrefaceIntroduction: Pandora's BarrelTimeline1. Ancestors: The Ancient Origins of Firearms Technology2. Childhood: The Rise and Development of Matchlock Firearms3. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Rise of Flintlock4. Rifling: A New Twist on an Old Idea5. Old Metal Heads: The Self-Contained Metallic Cartridge6. Technological Takeoff: The Supremacy of Rapid Fire7. Apogee and Equilibrium: Automation8. Conclusion: The Limits of LethalityGlossaryBibliographyIndex