The World's Great Tanks from 1916 to the Present Day

by Roger Ford

Examines all the tracked armored vehicles that have graced the battlefield in the 20th century, from early models on WWI's Western Front to the mighty machines that decimated Iraqi power during the 1991 Gulf War. Each tank is analyzed in great detail with reference to its development, design features, and combat history, even providing a comparison of each model to those produced by rival manufacturers and countries. In addition to the text and photos, the book also features many full-color illustrations, including detailed cutaways that let readers "see inside" the tank. 9" x 12". B&W & color photos.

Genres: History, Military Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Hilmi Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku ini sudah lama di dalam simpanan saya. Seingat saya,saya membelinya sejak saya berada di bangku sekolah menengah lagi. Cuma,pada kali ini,saya berkesempatan melakukan ulasan ke atasnya.

Secara umumnya,buku ini sesuai dibaca sebagai tapak permulaan atau asas untuk mengetahui sejarah kereta kebal. Dari zaman Perang Dunia Pertama sehinggalah awal abad ke - 21.

Namun demikian,memandangkan buku ini diterbitkan pada asalnya pada tahun 1997,jadi ada maklumat yang agak lapuk dan masih boleh diperdebatkan. Malahan,ada beberapa jenis kereta kebal tidak dibincangkan oleh penulis. Sebagai contoh,kereta kebal yang dihasilkan oleh negara Jepun. Bukan itu saja, kadang-kadang,maklumat dan gambar yang diberikan tidak selaras.

[noob2121 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive and broad overview of tanks around the world, repeats some wehraboo myths however.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is generally a good read, it has several mistakes that take away from its overall quality. Ford's conclusions, in particular, should be taken with a grain of salt.

At times, it seems that the person who wrote the thick of the chapters is different form the one who drew the conclusions at the end. For example, Ford proceeds to criticize the German heavy vehicles, especially the Tiger II and JagdTiger, empathizing their lack of reliability and numerous issues, but in the conclusion to his chapter states that the Germans had the "the best [tanks] the world had ever seen", and that they were of "remarkable quality". I would rather blame such inconsistencies on over-generalization rather than incompetence on the author's side, but the truth remains that to a newcomer this book will do more harm than good.

To add to these issues, the book seems to encourage common World War 2 myths like the 'four or five Shermans for every Panther', 'Hitler ordered the halt at Dunkirk' and 'Allies won not by superior tactics and weaponry but by superior numbers.'

For someone who can identify the various errors it is a good read, but someone with no previous knowledge of the field can be left with numerous misconceptions.

[Ethan Bryan]

This is a good book in general a has alot of history from the male tank to the Abrams and overall i like it but after reading up to the German Heavy tanks and Tanks destroyers like the Tiger 1 and 2 and the Jagdtiger and many more there are mistakes. The book is saying that the german tanks are the best but in general it never states all the mechanical issues that most of these tanks were proned to due to complexity in the engine building. The reason I chose to read this book is because I like tanks in general and wanted to see and learn more about them.

[Kym Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very basic book which inspires and invites further reading. It does not go into any real depth and is at times a little too broad. A good starting point however for any one interested in learning about general war fighting Tanks.

It has handsome illustrations. Something I am always fond of in books on such a topic. A very quick read.

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