The popular science work of the British Roger Ford, “Hell's Mower,” is dedicated to the history of the machine gun, from its first models created at the end of the 19th century to the latest models of the late 20th century. Once upon a time, the appearance of these deadly firearms, capable of mowing down hundreds and thousands of infantrymen and cavalrymen in their bursts, was perceived with the same horror with which the world after 1945 treated the atomic bomb. It was even believed that the machine gun, due to its deadly efficiency, would make further wars impossible. However, this did not happen, and all armies still continue to use machine guns, arming soldiers with them, installing them on stationary objects, as well as on armored vehicles, airplanes and helicopters. The book “Hell's Mower,” which describes in a fascinating form the entire path of technical development of the machine gun, contains a lot of interesting information about the designers who created various models of these weapons, and provides numerous examples of their combat use by warriors of the 20th century.