Customer Reviews

"Merkava Main Battle Tank MKs I, II & III" (New Vanguard)

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3 star:		(5)
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Because the IDF tank corps modifies the Merkava Chariot tank once each decade, then Mr. Katz should have known that the version for the entire next decade of 2000 to 2010 was only months away. Sure enough the announcement in November that the new Merkava Mk4 with the 1500 hspw pack with unique kinetic energy amunition was in production and under going field test that have exceeded 10,000 hours by November 5th, 1999. So much has been up graded electronically as well as performance that it rates as much fanfaren as the introduction of the first Merkava! I hope the author will consider an up dated or revised edition and yes, more color photo's and interior detail would not hurt either... Thanks

Many reviewers forget that this book originally came out in 1997 although the lastest New Vanguard reprint occurred this year (2002). What that means is although the Merkhava Mk.IV made its' debut this year, the book has material that is now dated (The book's text only alludes to the Merkhava Mk.IV).

However, the New Vanguard series isn't a sales brochure meant to be the latest and greatest, but a book of historical art plates and background information for modellers, gamers, and military history enthusiasts. If you're buying the book as I did looking for great color plates and some background information then this is a great buy. I love my copy. Peter Sarson, the illustrator, is world-renowned and well-deserving of his spectacular cut-aways and drawings. I've found the book incredibly useful for the paintjobs and extra detailing on the Merkhava models I'm working on.

Don't buy this book if you only want up-to-date statistical information about the Merkhava tank series...

BUT, do buy this book if you're looking for wonderful color plates of the Merkhava tanks, a useful history of the tank, some great photographs, and some other great information. I recommend the book for those reasons.

My only criticism is that the book gives the lion's share of credit for the Merkhava design to General Tal, but many sources are now beginning to credit another officer, Yisrael Tilan - who also designed the tank, quarreled with Tal and later left the project. Hopefully another publisher will eventually give Yisrael Tilan the credit that he deserves.

What makes the Merkava unique in modern MBTs is the engine in front approach to crew protection. This means that there is access via a hatch in the rear of the vehicle, yet there one interior drawing (cut away) is not detailed enough to gain a real appreciation of what the designers accomplished.

Overall, this book is ok for a modeler, but I would want to see more of the interior of this tank.

This book covers well the history of the Merkava. The introduction has a summary of many years of history of the IDF armoured forces which led to the development of this tank.

The book includes lots of photos of the Merkava I, II and III, from several angles and close-ups.

However, no colour photos are included. Information is rather sparse and tends to be a bit superlative. There is little information about the tank interior.

A comparison table of the three models is provided, but physical dimensions, forward and reverse speed, vertical obstacle clearing, etc. are missing (they are only mentioned for the Merkava II). Also it would be good to see a comparison against western and eastern tanks (specially the T-72).

Some of the pictures were new to me, and I liked the author picking up U.S. estimates about certain facets of the vehicle that are kept more closely under wraps by the IDF (like about the number of Merkavas destroyed in combat). Also, the few pages devoted to the history of IDF armor helped to put the Merkava into context.

But parts of the book did sound at times, as another reviewer noted, like a sales brochure. I know the IDF tankers love the vehicle (I agree from everything that I have read... it is a world-class MBT), but I'd rather hear it in their words.

Also, I think the part about the M256 main gun (produced in the U.S. under license from Rheinmetal in Germany) being discarded in favor of an "indigenous" design for the Mk III is a bit off. I'd always read that it was an indigenously produced, licensed version of the Rheinmetal gun, not an entirely Israeli design from breech block to barrel tip.

I'd been waiting forever for this title, and when it came out I was pleased to see it 1) maintained the overall quality of the New Vanguard releases and 2) had some pix I hadn't seen before but was disappointed that 1)it seemed to have been written from an Israeli Arms brochure and 2) lacked any technical data of note. Worthy but hollow.