On Armor tells three important and interconnected stories. The
first is a tale of a technology, in particular, the rise and fall
of the main battle tank--a type of armored vehicle that came to
dominate land warfare in the middle of the 20th century but is now
obsolete. The second is a history of ideas. The problem that
armored vehicles created for 20th-century armies was as much about
concepts of operation as it was about technology. Those who got the
philosophy right did well. Those who lacked either the imagination
or the intellectual capital to understand the rapidly evolving
potential of the armored vehicle failed miserably. The third story
is one of organization. Gudmundsson pays particular attention to
how armored vehicles were combined with other forces to form an
extraordinarily rich variety of units and formations. He also
comments on the current and future roles various types of armor
will play on the battlefield. The main battle tank is probably the
single most important fighting vehicle of the 20th century. At the
same time, as Gudmundsson makes clear, it is only one of the many
different types of armored vehicle that have played an important
role in recent warfare. Neither the past glory nor the current
obsolescence of the main battle tank can be understood without
reference to vehicles such as the armored car, assault guns of
various kinds, armored engineer vehicles, and armored personnel
carriers. This text also explores the role that mobile operations
in World War I played in fostering the development of armored
warfare; the rapid decline of the French Army from its highpoint as
the leading tank army in the world; the role that weapons other
than the tank played in therise of the German armored force; and
the relationship between British ideas of armored warfare and the
growth of the American armored force in World War I.
General
Imprint: |
Praeger Publishers Inc
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
The Military Profession |
Release date: |
October 2004 |
First published: |
October 2004 |
Authors: |
Bruce I. Gudmundsson
|
Dimensions: |
235 x 156 x 15mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
248 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-275-95019-4 |
Categories: |
Books
Promotions
|
LSN: |
0-275-95019-0 |
Barcode: |
9780275950194 |
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