NATO Armies 1949-87 (Elite) [Paperback]

Nigel Thomas (Author), Ronald Volstad (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: February 25, 1988

Osprey's study of NATO armies of the post-World War II period. The defeat of Hitler on 8 May 1945 left Western Europe militarily vulnerable and economically exhausted. The Soviet Union, however, had since 1940 annexed 180,000 square miles of Eastern Europe, occupied a further 390,000 square miles, and now seemed poised to advance still further westwards with its six-million strong forces. The increasing Soviet threat brought forth demands for a permanent Western Military alliance, and on 4 April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington DC. This book explores the history, organization and uniforms of NATO armies - excluding the United States and Great Britain - as they were in the late 1980s.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Dr Nigel Thomas is an accomplished linguist and military historian and is currently a Senior Lecturer in charge of the Business Language Unit at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle. His interests are 20th century military and civil uniformed organizations, with a special interest in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe. He was recently awarded a PhD on the Eastern Enlargement of NATO.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (February 25, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850458226
• ISBN-13: 978-0850458220
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Introductory work, July 2, 2002

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"cutter1966" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NATO Armies 1949-87 (Elite) (Paperback)

As an introductory work, for basic uniform details for most of the participating NATO members, this book is a decent deal for an overview of NATO during the 1980's. However, the work is dated and is in serious need of a update. Would have also appreciated if Osprey had included more thorough TOEs. I also understand why Osprey chose not to include British and American forces in the book, but then it makes the title a bit misleading.