Tank: The Definitive Visual History of Armored Vehicles (DK Definitive Transport Guides)

TANK: THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL HISTORY OF ARMORED VEHICLES is yet another exquisite addition to the growing library of DK/Smithsonian books. If you have any interest in the subject matter (tanks), this is most definitely THE book to get.DK has mastered the art of creating encyclopedic books that “pop” with visual “eye candy”. Regardless of the subject matter, I find it hard to open up any DK book and not want to scan through it in entirety … even those books aimed at children. The combination of DK’s presentation and the wealth of artifacts provided by the Smithsonian is something I find hard to ignore. I’ve been looking for a solid all-encompassing book on tanks for years. I knew my search ended as soon as I saw the DK and Smithsonian logos on the pre-published book cover; I immediately pre-ordered. The book arrived today and was everything I hoped and expected it would be.As a 40-year student of World War II who also enjoys playing World of Tanks, I am confident this book will satisfy anyone with a craving for reading/understanding armored vehicles. Not a single page of the books 250+ pages is wasted. Presented in a chronological manner that pretty much starts with the early 1900s to present day … the thorough nature of the book doesn’t forget to spotlight Da Vinci’s armored vehicle drawing. Following the traditional method DK uses to present material, the chapters are grouped by significant periods in the history of tanks. Each and every page is laden with original (not archived) color photos that beautifully illustrate most every facet of tanks/armored vehicles all the way up to today. While the book is wonderfully rich in photographs, the accompanying text and factoids add to the books informative value. Throughout the book are numerous two-page spotlight sections that pay special attention to key innovations, innovators, vehicles and events in tank history. What I particularly liked was that iconic vehicles are highlighted and each is given a multipage spread that includes a highly detailed photographic examination of that vehicle’s interior and exterior (including the Sherman, T34 and Tiger tank). Even experimental tanks are covered and presented in vivid color (my only “complaint” would be that the infamous “Maus” didn’t get more attention). There really isn’t ANY downside to this book … it informs and entertains.TANK is a “must have” if you are interested in modern military history or tanks. The Smithsonian contribution is what really packs the book’s punch … the collection of photographs give you the experience of visiting a museum. I have several DK/Smithsonian “Definitive Visual History” books in my personal library and view them as indispensable resources. Each and every volume offers an exhaustive study of the subject matter with stunning visual support; TANK is yet another fine addition to this wonderful series of books.

This book is a pretty comprehensive insight into the development and history of tanks and armored fighting vehicles from World War I to today's conflicts in the Middle East. Each chapter of this book contains an introduction, several two-page directories of tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and armored troop carriers, notable tank battles, famous tank designers, and detailed four-page entries about notable tanks from a time period. The M1 Abrams, M2 Bradley, T-72, Tiger, T-34, Sherman, and Soviet amphibious tanks and armored troop carriers are among my favorite tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and armored troop carriers in this book, and this book happens much deservedly includes tanks built by China, Israel, South Africa, and a few other countries after World War II (North Korea and Iran have built their own tanks based on Soviet- and Chinese-supplied tanks as well as American and British tanks supplied to Iran before the Islamic Revolution, but are not included in this book). The reference section includes info on tank evolution, the engines used to power tanks, the caterpillar tracks for tanks, firepower, armor protection, uniforms and clothing worn by tank and armored fighting vehicle crews.It is quite amazing how British engineers came up with the idea of a mobile fortress with caterpillar tracks in order to break stalemates in the trenches and give the British and French a tactical advantage over the Germans in WW1, and years ago I was struck by the fact that the German invasion of Poland would be the first instance of military commanders placing tanks at the forefront of armies. The T-34 was a technological breakthrough for the USSR in land warfare because its performance was one of the many refutations of Hitler's narrative of Slavs as racially inferior to Aryans, stunning German military officers who had felt confident of a German victory on the Eastern Front. Although the Soviets never used any their tanks in combat with NATO member-states in Europe during the Cold War, they used them to crush the 1956 Hungarian uprising and 1968 Prague Spring, as well as use them in anger in Afghanistan during the 1980s. The M1 Abrams played a big role in Operation Desert Storm because it took out 2,000 of the 3,847 Iraqi tanks destroyed in the Persian Gulf War. Since the 2010s, the armies of Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan have used tanks and armored fighting vehicles in a number of intra-state conflicts in the Middle East and the Caucasus, demonstrating that tank warfare has adapted to the ever-growing number of wars within sovereign states.

I am really enjoying this book. Art work and photos documenting the history of tanks are excellent.

The media could not be loaded. If you are a tank historian or military historian it is a must for your library or collection on armored very illustrative very accurate the only thing it does not have is the Panzer 8 which is also known as the Maus which the Germans were building towards the end of the war and was captured by the Soviet Union at the time very very informative book help me through a lot of information I did not know and the pictures help me I use them as a reference when I'm building a model of a tank

Very informative, with great pictures of interior details of many tanks.