With the United States producing almost 90,000 AFVs during World War II, American tanks made up the bulk of those deployed by the western Allies, and were even supplied through the lend-lease scheme to the Soviet army on the Eastern Front. American Tanks of World War II explores the tanks, self-propelled guns, halftracks and armoured cars deployed by American forces, from the Torch landings in Algeria to the hard fighting in Normandy and the bitter Ardennes offensive. Organised chronologically by type, the entries include the M3 Stuart, the first American-crewed tank to engage the enemy in tank combat in the war; the ubiquitous M4 Sherman, which proved cheap and reliable and was built in great numbers and in many variants; the M22 Locust light tank, designed to be air-dropped in support of airborne units; and the M26 Pershing, a heavy tank that arrived late in the war and was capable of beating the best tanks Germany had to offer. There are also chapters on the many motor gun carriages used by US forces, including the M8 HMC and T12 halftrack, both designed to provide close support for infantry. Illustrated with expert colour profile artworks for each entry and completed with technical specifications, American Tanks of World War II is a detailed reference guide for modellers and enthusiasts with an interest in World War II AFV technology.

German armoured forces were a key component of the Wehrmacht's Blitzkrieg ('Lightning War') tactics that quickly conquered Poland, the Low Countries and France in 1939 and 1940. Germany introduced a new style of mechanised warfare that surprised the Allies and allowed the German forces to overwhelm often numerically superior forces in France and Russia. However, as the war progressed the Allies learned how to counter the German tactics, and in the final years of the war German armour was on the defensive. Large, powerful tanks and self-propelled guns - such as the Tiger, King Tiger and Jagdtiger - became key to the defence of the Reich as the Allied armies closed on the Fatherland. Panzer provides a full pictorial record of the German armoured forces, from the Blitzkrieg years to the last stand in Berlin. The book features key figures, such as panzer generals Hoth and Guderian, and also Panzer aces Michael Wittmann and Joachim Peiper.

Created from what was left of the gigantic stockpiles of Soviet armoured fighting vehicles after the end of the Cold War, the Russian armoured forces were reorganized in the early 1990s. Ground forces were involved in a series of conflicts in border states, nationalistic insurrections of minorities following the end of the Soviet Union, and the lifting of its iron fist on these regions. From Chechnya to the Crimea to the Ukraine, Modern Russian Tanks explores the main battle tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, self- propelled guns and missile-launching platforms in service since 1990. Organised by type and then alphabetically by manufacturer, the entries include the BMD-3, BMPT Terminator, T-90 and T-15 main battle tank, and their variants, as well as the Buk missile system responsible for shooting down the Malaysian Airlines 777 jet over Ukraine in 2014. Illustrated with expert colour profile artworks for each entry and completed with technical specifications, Modern Russian Tanks is a detailed reference guide for modellers and enthusiasts with an interest in modern military technology.

Honored as a "Choice" Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association

"Clash of Arms" examines how the Western Allies learned--on the battlefield--to defeat the Nazi war machine. Beginning with an investigation of the interwar neglect that left the Allied militaries incapable of defeating Nazi aggression at the start of World War II, Russell A. Hart analyzes the methods the Allies used to improve their military effectiveness. He also explores the continuous German adaptation that prolonged the war and increased the price of eventual Allied victory. Central to his comparative study is the complex interplay of personalities, military culture, and wartime realities that determined how accurately the combatants learned the lessons of war and how effectively they enhanced their battle capabilities.