T-34: An Illustrated History of Stalin's Greatest Tank

“A wide-ranging and detailed account of the design and development of what was arguably the best tank of World War II.” —Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicles Association Although the Red Army suffered continual heavy tank losses, the rugged and reliable T-34 was an immense success story and was ultimately instrumental in turning the tide of the war. This photographic history follows the story of this exceptional armored vehicle from its disastrous first action during Operation Barbarossa to its miraculous defense of Moscow, its envelopment of the Axis forces at Stalingrad and victory at Kursk, and finally, the advance to the gates of Warsaw then on to Berlin. Packed with a wealth of images, including rare archive photographs and photographs of surviving examples, this is an extraordinary record of both the tank and its personnel. The accompanying text features an in-depth technical evaluation outlining the differences in the myriad of models, including detailed plans of each type, alongside a gripping breakdown of the tank’s entire operational history. “I totally recommend this book for all who love Russian armor or what was one of the hardest and biggest tank battles during World War 2 at Kursk, superb book.” —Armorama “A thoroughly definitive study of one of the world’s historic engines of war.” —The Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) “This is about as comprehensive as anybody could want in tracing the development, production, operational deployment and technical elements of the T-34 and its derivatives. Whatever you might want to know about the tank is here. Supplemented by drawings, copious images and tables it is a go-to reference book.” —Michael McCarthy, battlefield guide