In times of war, scientists and inventors developing weapons experiment with strange and new ideas. Some of these weapons prove to be war winners, like the atomic bomb or the tank. Others, however, are less successful. The World's Worst Weapons is an entertaining and informative guide to the guns, tanks, ships and aircraft that proved to be utter failures in battle.

Structured by type of weapon, the book covers the vehicles, small arms, naval vessels and aircraft that many soldiers, sailors or pilots would prefer to forget. Examples include the Soviet dog mines, dogs supposedly trained to run under German tanks which would detonate the explosives on their back, or the Douglas X-3 Stiletto, designed to explore the 'supersonic flight environment' but underpowered and incapable of passing the speed of sound.

With a thoroughly researched text complemented by photographs, full-colour artworks and first hand accounts, The World's Worst Weapons is an excellent guide to the weapons that went badly wrong.