Customer Reviews

T-34 in action - Armor No. 20

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There have been thousands of arguments over what is the best tank of WW2. Germany's Panther or Tiger, the US Sherman or the Soviet T-34? All tank designs are compromises to achieve the best possible blend of armor protection, firepower and mobility. Add to these, ability to mass produce and maintainability.

The T-34 was just beginning mass production when the Germans invaded Russia. The normal teething problems, having to build new factories while being attacked by German Blitzkreig and poor tactics led to early defeats of the T-34, but as the Russians adapted new tactics, this vehicle was essential to Soviet and Allied victory. The T-34 proved adaptable leading to many varients such as self propelled guns, larger armament (T-34/85) and served in many different nations as late as the 1970's. It was manueverable, survivable and had a great punch. Author Steven Zaloga takes the reader through all of this in brief but informative text.

This book is an excellent blend of narrative, photos(interior, exterior, all fronts and weather conditions), line drawings, cut-aways and 2 pages of color plates. All versions are covered from the early production models to the 1944 version T-44. There may be other, more expensive books on the T-34, but this is perfect for modelers and armor buffs alike. A great addition to anyone's bookshelf, highly recommended.

This Squadron/Signal publication was the first serious attempt to document in photographs the development of the Russian T-34 tank. Author Zaloga is one of the foremost experts on Soviet era armored fighting vehicles, and he did an excellent job considering that this was published before the fall of the Warsaw Pact opened up the Russian state archives. The book has a wide format, and the pictures are well-reproduced on glossy paper. There are also numerous small sketches illustrating vehicle fittings and changes made over the course of production. The centerspread features color drawings of vehicles in period markings. Overall, the book has held up remarkably well over the years, and deserves a place on the bookshelf of all AFV enthusiasts.