Zaloga's work on the biggest of the big guns (minus railroad guns) is a fascinating study that goes from the big smooth-bore cannons forged in the last half of the 19th century to Dr. Bull's Big Babylon, a gun which would have dwarfed previous guns in range and capability if it had been completed. Superguns provides photos and artwork of these behemoths, discussing range and, often, the specific purpose of the few copies built. For instance, the Paris Gun was fielded knowing that the three completed weapons could not hope to provide the concentrated power necessary to devastate the French capital and its accuracy rapidly declined but by hitting Paris with artillery the Germans were demonstrating that they were possibly close enough to capture it. The weapon was a failure both as an artillery piece and as a terror weapon. Atomic cannons (both US and Soviet) gave the ground forces the means to hit the enemy with tactical nukes but were cumbersome because of the size of the nuclear weapons available in the 1950s... eventually they would be replaced by rockets and other weapons. And Saddam's Supergun, the Big Babylon, would have been able to deliver explosives (or possibly chemicals) against a distant target... but the necessity of constructing it on a hillside made it very vulnerable to air attack.
Very well illustrated with original artwork, line drawings and photographs. It could have used a few maps but it is well-written and provides the reader with other sources to get detailed information on the weapons discussed.
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