Tanks of the Second World War

I will start with the positives. The photographs are superb, and all the tanks mentioned in the text seem to get at least one photo. The photos of the German tanks in particular are fantastic, and there are a lot of them! The technical specs are great too for the more nerdy of us! The first two chapters on first world war tanks and inter-war tanks are also informative, with a country by country guide to the various tanks developed by the featured nations. This all gives a great lead up to the Second World War itself. This is where the problems start I feel...The third chapter is entitles Tanks in Action, the 1930s which feature the tanks mentioned in the previous chapter in action. It starts as expected in the Spanish Civil War and Sino War. It then goes straight through to the end of WW2 in 1945 with no stop. I feel there ought to be a chapter entitled "Tanks in Action, WW2" or something like that. Instead, according to the book the 1930s run until 1945. It is proof-reading mistakes like this that litter the book, with spelling mistakes, typos, even a couple of placeholders left in which were left in the final text. It just feels a bit sloppy. There is also a huge bias towards German Tanks which is no surprise given the author is German and an authority on German armour, I do feel there should be more on other nations' tanks however.I would recommend this though as a starter book on WW2 tanks, but I wouldn't pay full price given the sloppy production of the book.

The latest book from Pen and Sword examines the history of armoured warfare, concentrating on World War II. The first chapters examine the genesis of armour and then the Inter War period. Although the book’s title refers to Tanks of the Second World War the author argues that only by looking at the development of the tank from 1916 through the formative years between the two World Wars can the reader fully understand the tanks and how they were used in World War II. These early chapters look at the major belligerents and how ideas of tank warfare developed in different directions. The British and Germans grouped their tanks together whereas the French chose to distribute their tanks in small scale packets amongst the Infantry Divisions. Armoured developments in Poland, Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union are further considered.The main body of the book concentrates on World War II but is curiously entitled “Tanks in Action, the 1930s” There are side bars that give the main characteristics of the major tanks used in World War II. In addition there are some interesting tables that directly compare opposing tanks based on; penetrative power; armour; engine/weight ratio; and speed. These tables make an interesting way to compare the main AFVs used in the Second World War. However, the great strength of this book lies in the pictures. Every page has at least one large black and white photograph, from a variety of sources, with most of them being seen for the first time. There are an enormous number of books on the subject available but it is refreshing to see some new and as yet unpublished photographs of some iconic AFVs from the period.The final chapter looks at the immediate post World War II period showing how the Americans developed the M26 into the M47 and M48 and the British moved from the Comet to the universal tank that was the Centurion. The Soviet development of the T34 into the T44 and thence to the T54 is clearly shown.This book will appeal to both those who have little knowledge of the subject and those that have studied World War II AFVs in depth. Having read the book the former will better understand how the different nations developed their tanks in different ways in the Second World War. Those that already have extensive knowledge will be delighted by the numerous previously unseen photographs that lie between the covers. These photographs will serve to inspire military vehicle and figure model makers.

new photo's etc but to brief