T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944-94 (New Vanguard) [Paperback]

Steven Zaloga (Author), Peter Sarson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: New Vanguard | Publication Date: September 15, 1996

The T-34-85 tank is one of those rare weapons that have remained in service for more than half a century. First introduced in 1944, it has seen combat in nearly every corner of the globe. Steven Zaloga and Jim Kinnear look at this long-serving tank at length. Although long obsolete in Europe, it has proven a reliable and potent weapon in many Third World conflicts, and is still in service with more than a dozen armies around the world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Steven J. Zaloga was born in 1952, received his BA in history from Union College, and his MA from Columbia University. He has published numerous books and articles dealing with modern military technology, especially armoured vehicle development. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the Second World War, and he has also written extensively on American armoured forces. Jim Kinnear was born in Glasgow in 1959 and graduated from Aberdeen University in 1982. He has published numerous articles in the defence press on Soviet and Russian AFV's, weapon systems and military transport. Jim has lived and worked in Russia since 1992.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325357
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325357
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.1 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #925,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview of Russia's Medium Tank, June 17, 2001

By 

Gerald P. Owens (Pompano Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944-94 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

Since the 1970s, Steven Zaloga has been one of the acknowledged experts on Soviet and Russian armor, and this latest volume allows him to take advantage of all the declassified material on Russia's World War Two tank development, clearing away a good deal of confusion and myth. The T-34 was the most important Russian tank of World War Two, and thanks to its almost brutal simplicity, was produced in greater numbers than any comparable British, German or American design. The T-34 remained in production in Russia after the war, and was later built under license in Poland and Czechoslovakia. This tank saw combat all over the world, including Korea, Hungary, the Middle East, Vietnam, and Africa, a few remain in service in the Third World today. This is the second Osprey New Vanguard volume on the T-34 (the first is the T-34-76 from the same authors), and it offers an excellent variety of photos, multi-view scale drawings, and a concise but detailed history of the development and use of the T-34 from the latter half of World War Two through the early 1990's. There is also coverage of self-propelled gun and recovery vehicles based on the T-34 chassis. As with all Osprey books, there are excellent color plates (by Peter Sarson) depicting vehicles in service, as well as a color cutaway of the vehicle interior. This title would be a good companion to the photo books on the T-34 series that Zaloga has previously written, published by Squadron and Concord. A terrific value for money for the historian or model builder.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Treatment of the T34/85 Tank, October 26, 2004

By 

moviemusicbuff (Walnut, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944-94 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

Steven Zaloga is one of my favorite authors on AFV/Tanks. He gives a very complete description of the development, the combat performance, and the production numbers of the T34/85. The T34/85 is regarded by many as the best all-around medium tank of WWII. What I enjoyed reading the most in this book were the combat performances of the T34/85 in WWII (especially against the Panther and Tiger tanks), in the Korean War and in the Middle East conflicts. Zaloga also gives helpful charts throughout the book which describe the production numbers, the armor penetration of the 85 mm gun, and the countries which adopted the T34/85. There are numerous B & W photographs as well as colored illustrations of the tank as well as notes on the colored plates. I really enjoyed reading this excellent treatment of the T34/85. Zaloga packs in a lot of information in just 48 pages. Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference on this Classic Tank, December 23, 2008

By 

Bomb Man58 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: T-34-85 Medium Tank 1944-94 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

This reference book is of great assistance for anyone seeking to model this famous tank. I have completed models of it in a couple of scales and wished I had this reference earlier to assist in research and final painting.

If you are seeking a good background book on the subject, this book is the go. The authors have put together a great reference source. Well done!