Customer Reviews

M1 Abrams at War (The At War Series)

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I'm not much of a Tread-Head, but I am a bit of a fan when it comes to Michael Green's books. His book on the Sherman Tank will really tell you anything you'll want to know about the iconic machine that won the Western Front in WW2. His current book, M1 Abrams at War, is very similar in writing style, but is very different in presentation. While both are paperbacks, the M1 book is FULL of color photographs (only a very few in B&W). The text is typical Green. He addresses the technical issues without forgetting the human element of the AFV. This is characteristic of Green's work; you always get the history of the development of the vehicle and the people who have to operate it. This book follows the development of a MBT in the 70s thru the 90s, the development of armor and its ammunition, and even a short bio of Abrams, himself. If you're a military hardware buff, a military modeler, a gamer/game designer, or even if you have a son serving in one of these machines, this is the book for you.

Reading this volume has been fun. I have enjoyed the details of its technological components, the history of the Abram's in combat, its technological development and it s future development scenarios. The chapter organization helps in understanding the need for the Abrams and its adaptation from the ETO to desert and urban combat. Photos are informative for modellers and the description with photos of each type is useful for modeling purposes and the Abram's role in America's foreign policy. BRAVO to the authors for such a well balanced and focused volume.
As a former tanker I am happy to see how the crews' needs have been taken into consideration in this machine. Our youth needs to have the best training and equipment available.

Books on Abrams MBT are rare and even more so given the recent paranoia of secrecy.

Green's second book on the Abrams has excellent descriptions , history , colour photos and some tech drawings and is quite comprehensive for the price.

Only thing missing is a good cut-away section = look forward to more books in this series

Michael Green has done a really good job at updating some of the older books on the M-1 Abrams tank. There are tons of excellent color photos, statistics, facts, dates about each variant of the M-1. At first you think this is going to be just a great photo book, but as you read the text, you are pleasantly surprised.

Green gives a detailed background of the history of the M-1, its development and deployment. The tank is described, chassis, hull, interior, fire control system, weapons, tanks in action in the desert and Europe. Line drawings and photos of each are provided to help the reader. Green also gives a lot of detail that help someone who is not a tanker understand some of the concepts of the tactics, use of the tank in battle and the duties of tankers.

Along the way, there are quotes from tankers past & present, those who helped create what has become the best tank in the World. Green shows how far tanks have come by comparing the M-1 to the first WW1 tank. Quite a contrast! The text can bog down sometimes when dealing with the highly technical aspects of main gun ammo or other aspects of the technology involved, but it's accurate and if you've never been exposed to it before, can give you a crash course in Armor Warfare.

I was lucky enough to call these beasts my ride from 83-86. It's really great to see the latest developments and advances they are making to the M-1. An excellent book on an excellent tank named after an excellent General. Highly recommended for all tankers, armor buffs, and modelers too.

The book gives a detailed written and photographic account of the M1 Abrams. There is sufficient information to get a very good feel of the vehicle's capabilites including mobility, protection, fire control systems, weaponry and operation. There is also discussion about how it has performed on exercises and operations. Short of being issued a Field or Operating Manual,its probably the next best thing. The book certainly provides more photos than you would get in an FM.

This is my third purchase in the "At War" series they have all been a great reference for the scale model builder. There are plenty of photos and a font of information into the various different variations.M1 Abrams at War (The At War Series)