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.

Absolutely amazing pictures and facts. My son wore out his older one and had to get another. Great price quality made

Nice overview of The Tank. Easy read and well illustrated. However, no information revolutions. Good book for the causal reader

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.

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

No matter how many times I say I'm "not that interested" in tanks, the more I study the subject, the more I find myself digging deeper into it. Being a fan of DK's books in general, I purchased this one out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised. My copy came with prints of the M3A1 and StuG III, although I'm not sure if every copy comes with the same. For an $18 coffee table book, it's definitely a bit more in-depth than you might expect. Anyone who's purchased any of DK's other vehicle books (Train, Classic Car, Tractor, etc.) will find themselves in familiar territory. The photographs are mostly excellent, and the 15 "feature tank" spreads have some wonderfully detailed close-ups of interior and exterior features. As I've come to expect from the DK, the two and four-page spreads are attractively laid out. Although most tank references focus mainly on World War II, this book does an excellent job covering the main eras of tank development in an equitable fashion. World War I through 1939, World War II, and the Cold War to the present each receive roughly the same number of pages. Along with tanks, a surprisingly healthy chunk of this book is devoted to other kinds of armored vehicles, such as assault guns, armored cars, scout cars, and counterinsurgency vehicles. The majority of the vehicles come from the Bovington Tank Museum, so there's definitely a bit of a British bias here. Thankfully, there are plenty of vehicles from other nations, and some really obscure tanks, to balance things out. There's also an excellent reference section in the back, with explanations of different types of armor-piercing shells, suspension systems, engines, etc. work, and a handy glossary. My main disappointment is how stingy most of the individual vehicle descriptions are. Except for the 15 "feature tanks," each receives a couple sentences, along with the year they entered service, country, weight, engine, and main armament. I understand that books like this are intended as "gateway drugs" to more serious study. Considering that tanks are trade-offs between mobility, firepower, and protection, it's odd to see nothing about maximum speed, range (on road and cross-country), or armor thickness. The text will occasionally mention that a tank had "poor mobility" or was "well armored," but there's a disappointing lack of statistical data. Some moments of shallowness aside, this book is an excellent value for money and should fascinate anyone with an interest in tanks. I'm not sure if it's really "definitive," but it's definitely more fun to browse through than the stodgy military references I usually prefer to study.

You know ladies how hard it is to think of something unique and different, but not too expensive to get for your husband on Father’s Day? Well, if your husband is into history, especially military history, this book will make him excited! This book was put together by the Smithsonian so it is top notch quality and information! The illustrations are extremely well done!!! It doesn’t have a lot of reading long passages in it, but it is thorough enough so it can be enjoyed. My husband puts together models of tanks, ships and airplanes of the wars. So, he knows a lot about tiny details. We usually buy him a model, but his eyesight and skills are not as good now, so when he asked me this year, “What tank model are you giving me for Father’s Day?” I then started looking on Amazon, saw this book and thought, “That’s Perfect!” My adult daughter presented it to him and a smile came over his face immediately! Of course he began telling us all the details of the tank on the front of the book right away, which told us this gift was the perfect one for him!

I teach upper elementary Social Studies and was always getting asked by students about tanks and different things relating to that, so when I saw this book on sale I bought it and put it in my student library. Many of my students are obsessed with this book and could spend hours going through it. The build of the book is tough and the pictures all look incredible and could be used as a great coffee table book. The details and pictures are great for history nerds of all ages.