Author: Jack Livesey
Publisher: NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK, Aug 2007
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN: 1-84476-370-6
Synopsis
History of all types of AFV from from 1900-1945. 370+ color & B&W photos, 9x11 inches, 128 pgs.
More Information
Features 90 landmark vehicles from 1900-1945 with over 370 colour and black-and-white archive photographs. Armoured cars, armoured personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery, including the Gun Carrier, Jeep, Sturmmorser Tiger Assault Rocket Mortar, and many more
* Features 90 landmark vehicles from 1900-1945 shown in over 370 colour and black-and-white archive photographs
* Covers armoured cars, armoured personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery, including the Gun Carrier, Jeep, Sturmmorser Tiger Assault Rocket Mortar, and many more
* Examines a wide range of wheeled, tracked and semi-tracked wartime vehicles, from the first armoured cars of the 1900s to the self-propelled artillery, amphibious infantry assault vehicles and rocket launchers of World War II
* Specification boxes provide information about each AFV's official name, service date, country of origin, number of crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour thickness, powerplant, speed and range
* Includes fascinating quotes from military leaders, plus a glossary explaining key military terms and abbreviations
In 1900 a British motoring enthusiast, F. R. Simms, had the idea of mounting a machine-gun on the front of a quadricycle and installing a small petrol engine at the rear. His machine spurred on others to design similar "war cars", and the armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) was born.
This book is the story of subsequent developments, and starts with an authoritative history of all types of AFV from from 1900-1945, covering a wide range of wheeled, tracked and semi-tracked vehicles. From the days before radio communication through to the end of World War II, the author highlights the varied roles AFV's have played, as well as how these adaptable vehicles have evolved and developed over time.
This introduction is followed by a substantial A-Z section that forms an illustrated guide to over 90 armoured fighting vehicles, many of which evolved during the wartime eras. It discusses many historically important vehicles and also some madcap designs, such as those developed by the British for the Home Guard. The numerous illustrations show the diversity of these types, such as the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car, the Sexton 25pdr Self-Propelled Gun and the Buffalo LVT Amphibious Assault Vehicle.
Detailed specification boxes are provided for every AFV. These contain information about each vehicle's official name, service date, country of origin, number of crew, weight, dimensions, armament, armour thickness, powerplant, speed and range.
This highly illustrated reference book provides both enthusiasts and historians alike with key information about the diverse and multi-tasking armoured fighting vehicles in use throughout the first half of the 20th century.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
JACK LIVESEY's love of armoured fighting vehicles started after a visit to the Imperial War Museum in London at the age of 12. In his 20 years in the British Army, most of them spent with the Parachute Regiment, he not only learned to drive AFVs but also trained as a specialist in Soviet military vehicles. Now retired from the Army, Jack works for the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, which has a large collection of Soviet and British military vehicles. He is also a freelance military historian, giving talks and lectures on AFVs and taking part in television programmes. He has acted as historical advisor on films such as Saving Private Ryan and television programmes such as Band of Brothers and D-Day to Berlin.
