Over 500 colour photographs
Over 240 illustrations
Over 230 animals

• A definitive encyclopedia of the most important tanks in history: over 230 tanks are shown in 500 colour and black and white photographs



• An illustrated catalogue of tanks from every corner of the world, including tanks used in World Wars I and II, tanks from the inter-war years and the powerful modern fighting machines of today



• Specification boxes provide at-a-glance information about each tank's official name, date, crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour, powerplant and performance.



• Examines the history of the tank and the main battles in which tanks have fought: the Somme, Cambrai, Blitzkrieg, El Alamein, Kursk, D-Day, Korea, Vietnam, Iran-Iraq, Arab-Israeli and Gulf wars



• Fascinating quotes from military leaders throughout the text, plus a glossary explaining key military terms and abbreviations



• The amazing collection of photographs are principally from the world-famous Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, brought together here for the first time in a single volume



• "Anyone looking for a single-volume reference source may well find little choice .... So new general studies at regular intervals are to be welcomed. This one is a good balance between trying to cover too much yet saying too little, or leaving out different types in order to keep the overall size to manageable levels ... Layout is clear and easy to follow, vehicles are covered in alphabetical order with full contents listing and an index in addition. Photos are well chosen, the majority are in colour including many Tank Museum exhibits ... As well as the better-known types such as the Great War Mks I, IV and V, A7V and FT17, WW2 Sherman, Churchill, T-34 and assorted Panzer and modern era Centurion, Challengers, Merkava, Abrams, Leopards and various Soviet and Russian vehicles from T-54 to T-90, there are inter-war and post-war American light tank developments, wartime Japanese designs, Swedish tanks of the 1940s and 1950s, Argentina's TAM and many more. This book ... has a lot of facts and figures which makes it very useful for newcomers and those who want the basics on as many tanks as possible all in one place ... As an introduction to a new generation or a general work for, say, WW2 designs for those who usually specialise in modern vehicles or vice-versa, it must be hard to beat." Peter Brown, Military Modelling magazine



• "Hundreds of engrossing photographs, many in colour, and thousands of enlightening words to go with them." Soldier Magazine

The definition of a tank is "a means of transporting firepower about on the battlefield with its crew and weapon system protected from direct enemy fire". This book is an authoritative directory of tanks and their immediate derivatives, such as tank destroyers, command versions, ARVs (armoured recovery vehicles), and 'Funnies' such as amphibious tanks, mine-clearers and bridgelayers.

It begins with a guide to the history of the tank and its evolution, featuring sections on the first tank action at Flers during World War I, the Blitzkrieg of 1940, the desert war in North Africa, the specialized armour of the Normandy beaches, tanks used in the jungles of Korea and Vietnam, the Arab-Israeli wars and the two desert wars of the Persian Gulf.

Next, there are A-Z directories focusing on over 230 tanks, the first covering World Wars I and II and the inter-war years, and the second covering the post-war years. Each entry includes a lively description and history, with a specification panel detailing the tank's official name, date, crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour, powerplant and performance.

The tanks are accompanied by over 800 identification photographs and illustrations, many of which are from the world-famous Tank Museum and never previously published together in one volume.

About the Authors

George Forty - Author

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) George Forty, OBE, FMA, is a well-known author specializing in armoured warfare. He joined the Army in 1945, was commissioned from the RMA Sandhurst in July 1948 - the first intake to pass out after the war. He passed out 12th and was awarded the Military History and Military Law prizes. He joined 1 RTR in BAOR and thereafter served for 32 years in the Royal Tank Regiment, seeing active service first in Korea, where he was wounded during the Hook battle in May 1953, whilst commanding a troop of Centurion tanks in support of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Ten years later, he commanded an armoured reconnaissance squadron on operations in Aden, the Persian Gulf and Borneo. Lieutenant Colonel Forty left the Army in 1975 to pursue a writing career and in 1981 was appointed Director and Curator of the world-famous Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset. During the next twelve years, with the inspirational help of his wife Anne, who worked alongside him, he tripled the size of the museum, modernized it and turned it into one of the foremost military museums in Europe. Shortly after retiring from the museum in 1993, he was made a Fellow of the Museums Association (FMA) and was awarded an OBE in the 1994 New Year's Honours List. To date he has written over 70 books and currently edits the Regimental Journal Tank (since 1993).