Perhaps the British did not produce the most successful tanks of the
Second World War, but they certainly designed an extraordinary range of light,
medium and heavy tanks along with many that were adapted for special purposes.
This fascinating variety of military machinery is recorded in Pat Ware’s
photographic history. Using a selection of wartime photographs - supported by
some modern photographs of preserved vehicles – the book describes the origins
of the tank in Britain during the First World War, looks at British tank
development during the inter-war period and contrasts this with advances made
elsewhere - in Germany, France, the USA and the Soviet Union. All of the British
tanks that saw service during the Second World War are described, among them the
cruisers (Crusader, Cromwell, Comet), the infantry tanks (Matilda, Valentine,
Churchill) and the US imports (Stuart, Lee/Grant, Sherman). Finally, an
extensive section is devoted to the so-called ‘funnies' - the tanks developed
for crucial tasks like bridge-laying, mine-clearing, flame-throwing and
amphibious operation. Pat Ware’s photographic survey of these tanks at war is an
expert introduction to a key period in the history of British fighting
vehicles.
