The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World - A Complete History of Tanks and Specialist Armour, Their Origins and Evolution (Hardcover)

This is an illustrated history and comprehensive directory of tanks around the world, with over 700 photographs. It offers an illustrated catalogue of tanks from every corner of the world, including tanks used in World Wars I and II, tanks from the inter-war years and the powerful modern fighting machines of today. It features specification boxes that provide at-a-glance information about each tank's official name, date, crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour, powerplant and performance. It examines the history of the tank and the main battles in which tanks have fought: the Somme, Cambrai, Blitzkrieg, El Alamein, Kursk, D-Day, Korea, Vietnam, Iran-Iraq, Arab-Israeli and Gulf wars. It provides fascinating quotes from military leaders throughout the text, plus a glossary explaining key military terms and abbreviations. "Hundreds of engrossing photographs, many in colour, and thousands of enlightening words to go with them." ("Soldier Magazine"). This book is an authoritative directory of tanks and their immediate derivatives, such as tank destroyers and ARVs (armoured recovery vehicles), and 'Funnies' such as amphibious tanks, mine-clearers and bridgelayers. It begins with a guide to the history of the tank and its evolution, featuring sections on the first tank action at Flers during World War I, the desert war in North Africa, the specialized armour of the Normandy beaches and tanks used in the jungles of Korea and Vietnam. Next, there are A-Z directories focusing on over 230 tanks. Each entry includes a lively description and history, with a specification panel detailing the tank's official name, date, crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour, powerplant and performance. The tanks are accompanied by over 800 identification photographs, many of which are from the famous Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset UK, and never previously published in one volume.