Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces [Hardcover]

George F. Hofmann (Editor), Donn A. Starry (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 1999

The tank revolutionized the battlefield in World War II. In the years since, additional technological developments--including nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, computer assisted firing, and satellite navigation--have continued to transform the face of combat. The only complete history of U.S. armed forces from the advent of the tank in battle during World War I to the campaign to drive Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991, Camp Colt to Desert Storm traces the development of doctrine for operations at the tactical and operational levels of war and translates this fighting doctrine into the development of equipment.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

No comprehensive account of U.S. armor doctrine, technology and practice has ever been written. This anthology takes a long step toward filling that gap. University of Cincinnati history professor Hoffmann (The Super Sixth) and retired general Starry (Mounted Combat in Vietnam) outline the synergies among political, operational and material factors that shape American approaches to the tank in battle. While the contributors all uphold high intellectual standards, the work would have been improved by a stronger defining concept and firmer editorial control. The Korean War is given almost as much text space as the WWII European theater. The chapters on the Patton, Abrams and Bradley systems focus on design and procurement in mind-numbing administrative detail. These, however, are minor problems in a book that boasts some of the best available analyses of mobile war as practiced by the U.S. At the top of the list is Christopher Gabel's essay on WWII armor operations in Europe, a model for its balanced evaluation of American strengths and weaknesses. Stephen Borque's analysis of armor in Desert Storm is also a masterful operational narrative. In back-to-back chapters, Dale Wilson and Tim Nenninger combine for an overview of American armor from 1917 to 1939. A definitive chronicle in one voice remains to be written, but this edited collection will stand as a valuable resource for military historians. (Sept.)

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Editors Hofmann and Starry and 12 other contributors have produced an extensive yet quite readable study of the development and use of the tank by the American military. From its humble beginnings in World War I, the tank has played an important role in American military history. The contributors use their combined military expertise and trace the history of the armor from the tank's crudely effective role in World War I to the route of Iraq from Kuwait in Desert Storm. Here we find not just military history but an expert study of how a weapon of war, the tank, has interacted with political and other forces and evolved into its present form. Also discussed are the personalities and policies of our military and civilian leaders. Each chapter is written by a different author utilizing numerous sources and has a bibliography. All chapters combine into a cohesive and educational study. Recommended for academic and large public libraries and special collections.ADavid M. Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 656 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (August 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813121302
• ISBN-13: 978-0813121307
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,554,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for armor specialists., October 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces (Hardcover)

Anyone interested in tanks and mechanized infantry in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps ought to read this collection of historical essays. The emphasis is upon technical and doctrinal development, and while most of these topics have been treated elsewhere, their compilation here makes for a nice (if uneven) survey. Strengths: the discussion of armor use in the Marine Corps, the recognition that U.S. tank destroyers were as significant as tanks during WWII, the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the relationship of doctrinal development and the use of armor in the 1970s and 1980s. This reviewer faults an emphasis on post-WWII developments, a lack of discussion on armored artillery or the seemingly-immortal M113 and its variants, glossing over survivability criticisms of the M2/M3, a lack of tabular comparative technical data, and limited discussion of armored and mechanized tables of organization and equipment. That said, highly recommended for any modern military collection.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much needed book!, December 2, 2000

By 

Alexander Bielakowski (Leavenworth, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces (Hardcover)

Three points about this volume are of particular positive interest. First, the editors decision to have contributors discuss not only history, but also doctrinal and technological development of American armor. This makes for a volume which will be of interest to both amateurs and professionals. Second, the choice of contributors could not, in my opinion, have been much better. Lastly, the inclusion of chapters dealing with the history and development of armor in the U.S. Marine Corps is an often overlooked area of discussion.

In such an excellent volume, my criticisms are few, but relate to what the editors and the individual contributors have decided to exclude. For example, though there is a fine chapter on U.S. Army tank operations in Europe (Chapter 5), there is no corresponding chapter on U.S. Army tank operations in the Pacific. Instead, the editors have included a chapter on U.S. Marine Corps tank operations in the Pacific (Chapter 6). This decision is rather curious in that, at its peak strength, the U.S. Marine Corps only had 6 tank battalions and 6 amphibious tractor battalions (one of each per division), while the U.S. Army had 18 tank battalions, 10 tank destroyer battalions, and 19 amphibious tank and tractor battalions, and a cavalry mechanized reconnaissance squadron in the Pacific. Unfortunately, this sort of omission might lead the amateur reader to believe that the U.S. Army's commitment to the Pacific War was so minuscule that it was not worth mentioning, which is absolutely not the case.

Two other items received only scant mention in this volume - tank destroyers and the M113. While the whole concept of tank destroyers ultimately proved unsuccessful, the amount of resources devoted to them during the war certainly necessitates more discussion than the half dozen or so pages in this volume. The other odd omission is the M113 armored personal carrier. This venerable workhorse of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps from the 1950s to the 1980s, receives only scant mention, while the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle, a relative newcomer, receives much more extensive coverage.

3 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Virtually without precedent in scope and canor, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces (Hardcover)

I submitted a review on this format on 3 September (8 working days ago). I really worked hard on the review etc. Should I resubmit..or are just just a little bit behind and I should be patient. Thanks. Charles