CHANT, Christopher 1945-
(Chris Chant, Christopher M. Chant)

PERSONAL:

Born December 5, 1945, in Macclesfield, England; son of John (a colonial administrator) and Nancy-Jean (a homemaker) Chant; married Clarinda Campbell-Allen (a homemaker), January 17, 1978; children: Robert John McCluen, Timothy James Quentin. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Oriel College, Oxford, M.A., 1968.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—Strathan, Lochinver, Sutherland IV27 4LR, Scotland. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Purnell's, London, England, assistant editor, 1968-72; Orbis Books, London, editor, 1972-74; freelance writer and editor, 1974—. Secretary of Assynt Community Council, 2002—, Assynt Economic Development Association, 2003—, and North West Highlands Geopark, 2004—.

WRITINGS:

(With Peter Young) Atlas of the Second World War, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (London, England), 1973.

(With Richard Humble, John F. Davis, and others) The Encyclopedia of Air Warfare, Spring Books (New York, NY), 1975.

Aircraft, Octopus Books (London, England), 1975.

World War II Aircraft, Orbis Books (London, England), 1975.

Ground Attack, illustrated by Keith Moseley, Almark Publishing (London, England), 1976.

(Editor and contributor) How Weapons Work, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1976.

(With Eric Morris, Curt Johnson, and H.P. Willmott) Weapons and Warfare of the 20th Century, Octopus Books (London, England), 1976.

(Editor, with Shelford Bidwell, Antony Preston, and Jenny Shaw, and contributor) World War II: Land, Sea and Air Battles, 1939-1945, Marks & Spencer (London, England), 1977.

(With Shelford Bidwell, Richard Humble, and others) Hitler's Generals and Their Battles, Salamander Books (London, England), 1977.

Rowing for Everyone, David & Charles (North Pomfret, VT), 1977.

Aviation: An Illustrated History, Orbis Books (London, England), 1978.

(With Richard Holmes and William Koenig) Two Centuries of Warfare, Octopus Books (London, England), 1978.

(With Shelford Bidwell, Richard Humble, and others) Airborne Operations, Salamander Books (London, England), 1978.

Aviation: An Illustrated History, Crescent Books (New York, NY), 1980, revised edition, Orbis Publishing (London, England), 1983.

The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, David & Charles (North Pomfret, VT), 1980.

(With David Mondey, John Cook, and Michael J. Hook) The Encyclopedia of the World's Civil Aircraft, Hamlyn (London, England), 1981.

Boeing: The World's Greatest Planemakers, Roydon Publishing (London, England), 1982.

(With Tony Gibbons and Richard O'Neill) Battleships and Battlecruisers, illustrated by Gibbons, Salamander Books (London, England), 1983.

Air Forces of the World, Willow Books (London, England), 1983.

(Compiler, with Ian Hogg) The Nuclear War File, Ebury Press (London, England), 1983.

(Compiler, with Ian Hogg) Nuclear War in the 1980's?, Harper & Row (New York, NY), 1983.

Warplanes, Michael Joseph (London, England), 1983.

Boeing 707, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1983.

Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1983.

Sikorsky/Westland Sea King, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1983.

BAe Harrier, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1983.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1984.

Avro Vulcan, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1984.

Naval Forces of the World, Collins Willow (London, England), 1984.

Space Shuttle, McLaren Publishing (Hong Kong), 1984.

Modern Combat Aircraft, Chartwell Books (Secaucus, NJ), 1984.

Sepecat Jaguar, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1984.

(With Hugh Cowin and Charles Messenger) Weapons of War, Gallery Books (New York, NY), 1985.

Bell UH-1, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1985.

Grumman F8F Bearcat, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1985.

Gurkha: The Illustrated History of an Elite Fighting Force, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1985.

The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II, Routledge & Kegan Paul (New York, NY), 1986.

The New Encyclopedia of Small Arms, Multimedia, 1986.

A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware, Routledge & Kegan Paul (New York, NY), 1987.

Encyclopaedia of Modern Aircraft Armament, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1988.

The Handbook of British Regiments, Routledge (New York, NY), 1988.

World Encyclopedia of Modern Air Weapons, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1988.

Warfare of the 20th Century: Armed Conflict outside the Two World Wars, Chartwell Books (Secaucus, NJ), 1988.

Record-Breaking Flight Technology, Quintet Books (London, England), 1988.

Wars of the 20th Century, Hamlyn (London, England), 1988.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Steamships, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Submarines, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

Air Defence Systems and Weapons: World AAA and SAM Systems in the 1990s, Pergamon Press (Elmsford, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Airliners, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Armor, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Helicopters, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Military Vehicles, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Sailing Ships, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Guide to Steam Locomotives, illustrated by John Batchelor, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1989.

Presidents of the United States, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1989.

The Concise Illustrated Book of Top-Gun Aircraft, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1990.

The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, illustrated by John Batchelor, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1990.

The History of the RAF, 1939-1989, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1990.

Air Forces of the World, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1990.

Land Forces of the World, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1990.

Sea Forces of the World, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1990.

Aircraft Prototypes, Quintet Books (London, England), 1990.

Flight: The History of Aviation, illustrated by John Batchelor, Dragon's World, 1990.

Sky Warriors, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1991.

The World's Greatest Aircraft, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 1991.

The Military History of the United States, sixteen volumes, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 1992.

Small Craft Navies, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1992.

(Coauthor) Air Power Directory: U.S. Air Force, Aerospace Publishing (London, England), 1992.

(Coauthor) Air Power Directory: U.S. Navy & U.S. Marine Corps, Aerospace Publishing (London, England), 1992.

World Encyclopaedia of the Tank: An International History of the Armoured Fighting Machine, Haynes Publications (Newbury Park, CA), 1994, 2nd edition published as World Encyclopedia of the Tank, Sutton Publishing (Stroud, Gloucestershire, England), 2002.

Small Arms, Multimedia, 1994.

Operation Overlord Order of Battle 1: Sword Beach, Ravelin (Portsmouth, England), 1994.

Operation Overlord Order of Battle 2: Gold/Juno Beaches, Ravelin (Portsmouth, England), 1994.

An Illustrated History of Aviation, illustrated by John Batchelor, Graham Beehag Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Way to Go: An Illustrated History of Transportation, illustrated by John Batchelor, Longmeadow Press (Stamford, CT), 1995.

(With Bob Munro) Collins, Jane's Combat Aircraft, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1995.

New Encyclopedia of Handguns & Small Arms, Prion (London, England), 1995.

Warships of the 20th Century, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

Fighting Helicopters of the 20th Century, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the 20th Century, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

Submarines of the 20th Century, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

Artillery, Missiles, & Military Transport Vehicles of the 20th Century, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

Warplanes of the 20th Century, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

Illustrated History of Small Arms, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

The Nazi War Machine, Tiger Books (London, England), 1996.

(Coauthor) Warfare and the Third Reich, Salamander Books (London, England), 1996.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Modern Artillery, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Modern Aircraft Carriers, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to World War II Fighters, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to World War II Maritime Attack Aircraft, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Battle Tanks of World War II, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Battleships of World War II, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Modern Fast Attack Craft, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Modern Reconnaissance Aircraft, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to Submarines of World War II, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

The Illustrated Data Guide to World War II Bombers, Tiger Books (London, England), 1997.

SAS in Action, Parragon (Bath, England), 1997.

German Warplanes of World War II, Spellmount Publishers (Staplehurst, England), 1999.

Early Fighters, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 1999.

Freight by Rail, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 1999.

Zeppelin, Amber Books (London, England), 2000.

The World's Great Bombers, Amber Books (London, England), 2000.

Rapid Transit Systems and the Decline of Steam, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Role of the Fighter & Bomber, edited by Michael J.H. Taylor, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Specialized Aircraft, edited by Michael J.H. Taylor, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Civil Aircraft, edited by Michael J.H. Taylor, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Early Pioneers, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Famous Trains of the 20th Century, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

High-Speed Trains, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Locomotives, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Military Aircraft, edited by Michael J.H. Taylor, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Passenger Trains, edited by John Moore, Chelsea House Publishers (Philadelphia, PA), 2000.

Great Steam Trains, Regency House (Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England), 2000.

Warship, Regency House (Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England), 2000.

Air War over the Falklands, Osprey Publishing (Botley, Oxfordshire, England), 2000.

Austro-Hungarian Aces: Eastern Front, Osprey Publishing (Botley, Oxfordshire, England), 2000.

Austro-Hungarian Aces: Italian Front, Osprey Publishing (Botley, Oxfordshire, England), 2000.

Air War over Iraq, Osprey Publishing (Botley, Oxfordshire, England), 2000.

Small Arms of World War II, Grange Books (Hoo, Kent, England), 2001.

Artillery of World War II, Grange Books (Hoo, Kent, England), 2001.

The Complete Book of Aircraft, Brian Trodd Publishing House (London, England), 2001.

A Century of Triumph: The History of Aviation, illustrated by John Batchelor, Free Press (New York, NY), 2002.

The Pocket Guide to Commercial Aircraft and Airline Markings, Hamlyn (London, England), 2002.

Railroads of North America, Regency House (Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England), 2002.

Small Arms, Silverdale Books (Leicester, England), 2003.

Lancaster, Parragon (Bath, England), 2003.

(With Richard O'Neill, David Miller, and Clive Wilkinson) Patrick O'Brian's Navy, Chrysalis (London, England), 2003.

A History of North American Steam Railroads, Regency House (Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England), 2004.

Complete Encyclopedia of Sailing Ships, illustrated by John Batchelor, Minster/Rebo, 2006.

Shorter works include "Kursk," illustrated by Keith Ward, Almark Publishing (London, England), 1975. Creator of computer database of historical material on war planes; author of video cassette programs and television scripts. Contributor to books. Contributor to periodicals, including Air Power Journal.

UNDER NAME CHRIS CHANT

(General editor) The World's Air Forces, David & Charles (North Pomfret, VT), 1979.

(General editor) The World's Armies, David & Charles (North Pomfret, VT), 1979.

(General editor) The World's Navies, David & Charles (North Pomfret, VT), 1979.

The Illustrated History of the Air Forces of World War I & World War II, Hamlyn (New York, NY),1979.

The Pictorial History of Air Warfare, Octopus Books (London, England), 1979.

(Editor) The Presidio Concise Guide to Military Aircraft of the World, Presidio Press (Novato, CA), 1981.

Fighter, illustrated by John Batchelor, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1988.

Aircraft of World War II, Sterling Publishing (New York, NY), 1999.

Shorter works include "Jetliner: From Takeoff to Touchdown," illustrated by Denis Bishop and Peter Holt, Gloucester Press (New York, NY), 1982.

DATABASES ON CD-ROM

(With Bill Gunston and Bruce Quarrie) Wings 1: Saigon to Persian Gulf, 1975-95, Maris Multimedia (Fareham, Hampshire, England), 1994.

(With Bill Gunston and Bruce Quarrie) Wings 2: Korea to Vietnam, 1945-75, Maris Multimedia (Fareham, Hampshire, England), 1995.

(With Bill Gunston and Bruce Quarrie) Wings 3: Midway to Hiroshima, 1942-45, Maris Multimedia (Fareham, Hampshire, England), 1996.

(With Bill Gunston and Bruce Quarrie) Wings 4: Spanish Civil War to Coral Sea, 1936-42, Maris Multimedia (Fareham, Hampshire, England), 1997.

(With Bill Gunston and Bruce Quarrie) Wings 5: World War I to Spanish Civil War, 1914-36, Maris Multimedia (Fareham, Hampshire, England), 1998.

SIDELIGHTS:

Christopher Chant told CA: "I was born in Cheshire, England, during December, 1945, and spent my childhood in East Africa, where my father was an officer in the colonial service. I returned to the United Kingdom for my education.

"Aviation in particular and military matters in general have long been a passion, and after taking my degree at Oriel College, Oxford, I moved to London as an assistant editor for the Purnell part-works histories of World War I and World War II. Then I moved to Orbis publishing as editor of a history of World War II, and with the conclusion of this publication I decided to become a freelance writer and editor.

"Living first in London, then in Lincolnshire after my marriage, and now living in Sutherland in the very northwest of Scotland, I have written extensively on military and aviation subjects. In recent years I was also involved in the creation of a CD-ROM series covering the majority of the world's military aircraft from World War I to the present, and in the writing of scripts for video cassettes and television programs."