This substantial reference book provides an authoritative and highly illustrated overview of the military helicopter. It begins with a detailed history, from the ideas of Leonardo da Vinci through to the tilt-rotor aircraft that have operated with coalition forces in Afghanistan. The book contains an A-Z directory covering over 80 production military helicopters in detail. The origins, development and operation of each type are clearly described, and a specification panel gives key performance and dimensional data. This informative book is superbly illustrated with cutaway drawings and over 500 photographs showing helicopters both on the battlefield and in service.