The World S Great Tanks

The World's Great Tanks examines the best tanks to have ever entered combat - from the earliest British Mark IVs and Vs to classic World War II tanks such as the Russian T-34, the American Sherman, and the German Tiger and Panther tanks to the more modern tanks, such as the Abrams, T-72, Challenger and Leopard.

Tanks features 52 of the best armoured fighting vehicles from World War I to the present day. Each entry is examined over two spreads and includes a brief description of the tank's development and history, a colour profile artwork, photographs, key features and specifications tables.

This superb reference volume records the history of the most significant tanks that have seen service around the world. The book begins with the World War I era tanks, such as the British Mk 1, that attempted to break the deadlock of the Western Front. It then examines major tanks that emerged during the interwar period. All the celebrated World War II tanks are featured, including the PzKpfw VI Tiger, the M4 Sherman and the T-34. Finally, it surveys the incredible tanks of the postwar era, including the M48, the Merkava and T-54/-55.The text provides succinct information on the design, development, and combat performance of all the tanks featured. Entries are arranged by the year in which a tank first saw service. An introductory chapter presents an in-depth analysis of the development, production, and deployment of tanks.

This outstanding history is packed with modern color photography of World War II's best-known tanks. Among the armored fighting vehicles covered are the legendary M4 Sherman, the most famous tank of WWII; the Churchill and Cromwell, which battled their way from Normandy to Hamburg; the Russian T-34, triumphant over the Germans from Stalingrad to the streets of Berlin; and the M60 Patton and Super Sherman, which saw fierce fighting in the Middle East. The collection even includes a rare German Hetzer, a tank-destroyer which took its toll on Allied armor in the last months of the War.

This book lists all the important tanks used in the Second World War, both by the Allied (England, France, Russia and the USA) and Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). Thomas Anderson, an expert on the history of the Second World War, offers an in-depth volume detailing the vehicles, their use in battle and relevant technical specifications. This comprehensive survey is full of authentic eyewitness accounts as well as being profusely illustrated with many photographs having never been published before.

The armored tank changed the face of war at the turn of the 20th century, as battles began to rely on machinery and not just men. This book looks at the development of the armored tank vehicle from the early days of the First World War to its place on the battlefield in the 21st century. Detailed illustrations of the design and construction of these armored beasts and the weaponry that is used in today's conflicts is displayed in detail in 500 brilliant color photos.

A detailed history of France’s development of tanks and the combat the tanks served in during World War I, by an armored warfare expert. The French tank corps was an essential part of the French army from 1917 onwards, yet its history has been strangely neglected in English accounts of the Western Front. Using information derived from the French military archives at Vincennes—much of which has never been published in English before—author Tim Gale describes the design and development of the tanks, the political and organizational issues that arose between the French military and civilian bureaucracy, and the record of these pioneering fighting vehicles in combat. All the major engagements in which French tanks participated are depicted in graphic detail, often quoting directly from recollections left by individual tank commanders of their experience in battle, and each operation is assessed in terms of its impact on French tactics in general and on tank tactics in particular. The Nivelle offensive and the battles of Malmaison, the Matz, Soissons, and Champagne are featured in the narrative, and the actions of the French tanks serving with the U.S. army are covered, too. Much of the material in Tim Gale’s study will be entirely new to non-French speakers. The story will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in the Great War, the French army, military innovation and the history of armored warfare. Praise for French Tanks of the Great War “Gale’s book . . . is very easy to dip into.” —Military Modelling “It is a wealth of information and I would definitely recommend it.” —Forgotten Weapons