Customer Reviews

German Tanks of World War II (Enthusiast Color)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

German Tanks of World War II in Color is not an exhaustive study nor does it try to be. However, weighing in at only 96 pages, it contains a surprising amount of information. The book is organized into four chapters: light tanks, medium tanks, heavy tanks and support vehicles. All of the main panzers and armored fighting vehicles are discussed as well as their variants. The text is readable and informative. Text boxes add depth to the book by discussing tank anatomy, panzer division anatomy, weapon definitions, and color schemes. What truly makes this book unique are the color photographs of restored vehicles from museums and private collections around the world. The photo on the front cover is indicative of the eye-candy that awaits you inside. Recommended!

This book packs a lot of information into its 96 pages. It's possible to find books on German Armor that have more detail, but not at this price. Brief but useful development histories are complemented by scores of high quality color photographs. Each of the Panzer series (I through VI) is featured, including most of the important variants (Tank destroyers and self-propelled artillery pieces). There is even a chapter on amored cars, halftracks, and reconnaissance vehicles. The text is good, but it is the photographs that set this book apart. Vintage snaps are coupled with shots of restored vehicles from museums and private collections around the world. I would recommend this book to modelers and history buffs alike.

I've read many books about the panzers in WWII. They have many useful information inside them. But they all had old black&white photos and some of them were really bad. But this book is great. It doesn't have so many information,the written things are known by many WWII fans. But what makes this book a 5 star treasure is the pictures. Who doesn't want to see Tigers, Panthers, King Tigers, Jagdpanthers and many more in colorful high quality pictures. The photos are taken from museums and collectors all around the world. When you are looking at the pictures you'll feel the real power of the Panther's 75mm gun and smell its gasoline and hear the roaring engine.

4 Stars

Yes, I like this book. I got it for less than $10 and love the modern pictures of the German Armor from WWII.

My first paragraph being said, I will say this book is an introduction to German Armor. It's a simple introduction.

There is an extensive series of pictures on a recovered and restored Panzer I. That is worth nearly two stars to see that. The museum had an old WWII vet sit in the commanders hatch and you will see him riding around on that vehicle. Boy, that must have brough back the memories of the glory days for that old Heer soldat.

The Germans had dozens of tank models in WWII. One of the reasons they lost the war was a lack of standardized models. The book really does not mention this fact in great detail. You will see the write up on a German Panzer Mark IV, perhaps the most effective model in pure numbers, but you will not know much about the various models from Ausf D (used in France and Poland) to the final models, with added bolted on armor and a long 75mm gun. The book really should have done a better break down on the Panzer III. The Panzer III was part of the great formations that invaded Poland in 1939 and the body of the Panzer III was the basis of the StuG III with the 75mm PAK 40 anti-tank cannon. The StuG knocked out over 30,000 allied tanks. The StuG with a good crew was equal of a T-34. If the Germans had more available in numbers they would have won the war. The book really does not communicate that too well.

There is just one page that devotes itself to explaining the weapons on a German tank. So, the typical reader will not know that the 88mm of the German Tiger I was not the same as the 88mm guns found on the Jagpanther or the King Tiger. The book does explain that the 75MM on the first Panzer IV tanks (actually, a close support howitzer) is not the same gun as on the later Mark IV, the 75mm PAK 40 model anti-gun.

However, this book has lots of nice photos. It's a fair picture book. I will say it's a fantastic introduction for somebody who is just learning about German tanks or somebody like myself who has a large amount of books dealing with tanks but just wants something general.

This book is better than your typical squadron-signal books on the subject. Conversely, for model makers there isn't many line drawing or really great pictures for the subject for a diorama. Model makers will still want to stick with Squadron-Signal books.

Still, I like this book. I got it for less than $10, that included shipping. You get a picture of all the main German tanks from WWII. You don't get a breakdown of all the models and sub models, that would take a book with four times as many pages and cost over $60.

I highly recommen this book. It's not perfect. But it's cheap. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

4 stars.

I bought this book to use as a reference for building 1 /35th scale models of World War German tanks and consider it a good buy ($13) for its contents.

The book follows an orderly progression of German tank development during WWII. The first three chapters cover Light, Medium, and Heavy Tanks with the fourth chapter devoted to Tank Support Vehicles.

The color photos include some rare photos of tanks that were shipped to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the United States soon after the war with the vehicles original camouflage paint scheme. As I look for accuracy in my modeling I find these photos an excellent reference.

However there are some photos of tanks that were over time painted "vague" or inaccurate color schemes. These photos are clearly labeled as such and do not detract from the book, it is disappointing that they were not painted accurately by either the museum or individuals who own them, again no the authors fault.

All the photos are nicely printed and in focus. My only regret is that the book did not have different views of the same model from different angles. Unfortunately the authors could not go back and retake additional photos of the tanks because many were turned into scrap for the next conflict, the Korean War.

While not the best book for a modeler it does contain a lot of information about German tanks in its 96 pages. So for the combination of price and contents I consider it a good buy and recommend it.

This book is an excellent, inexpensive resource for World War II modellers, gamers, and armor enthusiasts.

The book contains clear descriptions of the many types of tanks (Panzer Marks I - VII), and a well-rounded sampling of their variations, used by the Germans in World War II. The book's value, however, is in the multitude of color photos that display in crisp detail the features of these vehicles, including an outstanding sampling of the camouflage markings used. (Many photos contain inaccurate post-war repainting by musuems around the world, but the authors candidly disclose when this has taken place.)

Most photos were taken in the modern era, the 1970s and 1980s, but there are also several color photos taken in the 1940s and 1950s of armored vehicles in their original camouflage schemes (a few of these historically invaluable vehicles were later unfortunately turned into scrap metal during the Korean War).

After chapters on Light, Medium, and Heavy tanks the authors also include a chapter on Tank Support Vehicles. Included in this last chapter are color photos of several superbly restored German half-tracks (e.g., Sd.Kz. 250 and 251) and other German armor support vehicles (e.g., Kubelwagen). (No pictures however of any German motorcycles, the Schwimmwagen, or the Kettenrad.)

Although this book is just a limited sampler of the many and various models Third Reich Germany produced between 1939 and 1945, it is still impressive in scope and information.

In a very limited space, you receive some of the best "color" pictures of museum pieces, re-enactment items and reconstructed models of the tanks and vehicles used by the Panzerwaffe in WWII.

There are even some historic color photos, that evidently, time has faded.

Let me make a suggestion to these.
Although the author could have "manipulated" these, to make them appear "fresh" to our eyes, he did the only right thing to do. Print them as they are.

One can easily correct the colors by scanning the same images, open them up in Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or any other image processing software you may have, and through filter and a bit of common sense, you may enhance them yourselves and have a very accurate "resemblance" of the actual historic tank or vehicle, as it was photographed in those years.

Actually, technologically, we are by far more advanced than any photographer may have been back in 1945 or even in 1965. What I mean by this, is that we have the means to further enhance a perfect picture taken in those days.

Not doing it publishing a book, is probably due to the historic accuracy such books should represent.

The text, very sparingly used, is highly informative and accurate and helps understand the development of such machines.

Remember though, this is just a general reference book, not a detailed encyclopedia of German Armor in WWII.
As such it is truly outstanding and well worth buying.

I gave it four stars, just because some more detailed photographs are still missing.

I deem that with time, somebody else will come up with even more detailed models and pictures and releases a true color book of all the WWII armor of the Panzerwaffe.

For the time being though, it is a very good complement to by now famous book by Jean Restayn "Tanks of World War Two", published by Histoires & Collections with its very accurate colored tables and drawings of the most representative Tanks and Vehicles of the period, although it too, lacks many items that saw the day in those years.

In any case, if you are truly interested in seeing how the German tanks looked like in color, absolutely refer to Michael Green, Thomas Anderson and Frank Schulz' Book.

I can only recommend it. Buying it is your own decision.

If you want to know about WWII German tanks in 2 hours, this book is it. It won't tell you all about one tank, nor it is like an encyclopedia of pictures and specs. It is a coffee table book on German tanks, even WWII buffs won't mind refreshing their knowledge with. After equipping myself with many of the technical books of Walter J. Spielberger on German tanks, I was still be glad to have this book on my shelf. Don't expect much, it's a brief summary on German tanks, but quite well done.

This one is a great intro to German tanks of the ww2, clear and precise information, and beautiful color photos, half of them period ones. Most of the vehicle are restored running ones some are static. A good book for a good price.

I liked this book because the author made an effort to include old and original photos of tanks just after WWII. I also really enjoyed the restored tanks. This book is a mini time capsule.