Customer Reviews

Tank Warfare (Battle Tactics)

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This book is an all-in-one history of the tank, looking at both the tank itself and the tactics employed in its use. The book has six chapters: 1) World War I 1914-18, 2) The Inter-War Years 1918-39, 3) World War II 1939-45, 4) The Cold War 1945-89, 5) New World Disorder, and 6) The Future of the Tank. Featuring many black-and-white pictures, plus a number of interesting sidebars, the book is a wonderfully in-depth look at tacks and tank warfare, showing where they were and where they are going.

Now, where do I start? I do have two complaints against this book. The first is that while the book I have is entirely in black-and-white, it was obviously not designed to be so. For example, on page 52, there is a caption that reads, "Red indicates anti-personnel and blue anti-tank mines." But, the map does not show color, so it is impossible to tell the difference between the mines. I must say, though, that this was an irritant rather than a real flaw in the book.

My second complaint is that the book must have been written before the recent invasion of Iraq, as it does not mention that conflict at all. The American Abrams M1 tank served without loss in the Gulf War of 1991, but surely its more recent performance needs to be analyzed.

But, even in spite of those complaints, I did find this to be a great book on the tank. I enjoyed the author's use of eyewitness reports of various battles, which added a touch of excitement to what might have been a boring analysis. So, if you are interested in the history of the tank, then I do recommend this book to you.

Few weapons in the 20th Century have changed more dramatically nor had as decisive an impact on the battlefield as tanks. Tim Ripley traces the evolution of tank warfare from 1918 to 2000 in this, the first in a new 'Battle Tactics' series.

One has only to look at the British Mark IV lumbering across WWI battlefields to the modern-day Abrams speeding across the desert, sweeping all before it to marvel at the tank's swift evolution. Ripley divides that development into chapters covering WWI, the inter-war years, WWII, the Cold War, etc. Each chapter takes a comprehensive look at tank development in various countries, tactics development, battlefield experiences, anti-tank weaponry and the future of the tank.

This isn't a dry textbook summary. Ripley includes lots of first-person accounts of tanks in action along with many photos, diagrams of internal tank development, tank formations, etc.

All in all, a nicely done, wide-ranging, well-illustrated summary of a fearsome weapons system.

For years I have wanted to get my own tank and get in and have a go. This book has now helped with the final steps to rock & roll.

Thanks!!