“Steel, mud, blood and courage on the Western Front This is a fine book because it is a superb first hand eye-witness account of British Tanks in action throughout the First World War. Without much preamble Watson launches the reader, in company with the author’s brother officers, men and machines into the heart of the field of conflict on the 11th Corps forward line on the Western Front in the Autumn and Winter of 1916. From that point to the end of the book and the war itself the narrative takes us inexorably into the dark heart of war the tankers knew. Battles and battlefield experiences in their various phases (sometimes the book includes descriptions as expansive as three chapters each) are covered in engrossing detail. We join the author and the men we come to know as personalities, at First and Second Bullecourt, in much detail at Third Ypres and Cambrai before Amiens, the breaking of the Hindenburg Line and Second Le Cateau. This is a primary source work within a finite resource and as such is beyond value. Nevertheless, it is also a highly absorbing read to be relished by students of the period-professional and amateur alike. Available in soft cover and hard back with dust jacket for collectors.”-Leonaur Print Version Author — Major William Henry Lowe Watson, D.S.O., D.C.M. (1891-1931) Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in Edinburgh; William Blackwood, 1920. Original Page Count – vii and 296 pages Maps — 8 sketch maps.

Tanks features 52 of the best armoured fighting vehicles from World War I to the present day. Each entry is examined over two spreads and includes a brief description of the tank's development and history, a colour profile artwork, photographs, key features and specifications tables.

This superb reference volume records the history of the most significant tanks that have seen service around the world. The book begins with the World War I era tanks, such as the British Mk 1, that attempted to break the deadlock of the Western Front. It then examines major tanks that emerged during the interwar period. All the celebrated World War II tanks are featured, including the PzKpfw VI Tiger, the M4 Sherman and the T-34. Finally, it surveys the incredible tanks of the postwar era, including the M48, the Merkava and T-54/-55.The text provides succinct information on the design, development, and combat performance of all the tanks featured. Entries are arranged by the year in which a tank first saw service. An introductory chapter presents an in-depth analysis of the development, production, and deployment of tanks.

A definitive encyclopedia of the most importnat tanks in history: over 230 tanks are shown in more than 750 color and black and white photographs.

Includes more than 30 maps, plans and diagrams The world-renowned military expert Major-General J.F.C. Fuller DSO, noted for his many works on military strategy, tactics and history, turns his attention to the famed Royal Tank Corps of World War I. He was in a particularly good position to write such a work as he served from 1916 as part of the Tanks Corps and planned the famous tank attack at Cambrai in 1917, he also took a leading role in the planning of the 1918 autumn offensives that broke the back of German resistance and ended the War. He covers in comprehensively the development of the tank, mechanical characteristics of early British tanks, particularly the Mark I, as well as the early battles at the Somme and Ancre. He also describes the growth of the Tank Corps itself, tank tactics, tank engineering plus the tank battles in 1917-1918. There are also appreciations of German, French and American tank activities.

Illustrated with 30 maps. Few lessons are as prevalent in military history as is the adage that tanks don’t perform well in cities. The notion of deliberately committing tanks to urban combat is anathema to most. In Breaking the Mold: Tanks in the Cities, Mr. Ken Gott disproves that notion with a timely series of five case studies from World War II to the present war in Iraq. This is not a parochial or triumphant study. These cases demonstrate that tanks must do more than merely “arrive” on the battlefield to be successful in urban combat. From Aachen in 1944 to Fallujah in 2004, the absolute need for specialized training and the use of combined arms at the lowest tactical levels are two of the most salient lessons that emerge from this study. When properly employed, well-trained and well-supported units led by tanks are decisive in urban combat. The reverse is also true. Chechen rebels taught the Russian army and the world a brutal lesson in Grozny about what happens when armored units are poorly led, poorly trained, and cavalierly employed in a city. The case studies in this monograph are high-intensity battles in conflicts ranging from limited interventions to major combat operations. It would be wrong to use them to argue for the use of tanks in every urban situation. As the intensity of the operation decreases, the second and third order effects of using tanks in cities can begin to outweigh their utility. The damage to infrastructure caused by their sheer weight and size is just one example of what can make tanks unsuitable for every mission. Even during peace operations, however, the ability to employ tanks and other heavy armored vehicles quickly can be crucial. A study on the utility of tanks in peace operations is warranted, and planned.- Timothy R. Reese Colonel, Armor

44 illustrations of the "Little Willie" (1915), Rolls Royce armored scout car (1916), German Panzer III (1940), American M4 Sherman tank (1942), more Captions.