War Stories of the Tankers

The contents of this book is taken from firsthand accounts, memories, after-action reports, and unit histories, written by the men who experienced what armored combat is really like, the guy in the tank. From engagements on the Western Front in 1918, when we used British and French machines because the United States did not possess any tanks, to the streets of Fallujah and Baghdad yesterday, here are the gripping, personal stories of the men who lived through it all. A list of chapters includes:

World War I (1914 - 1918)
World War II (1939 - 1945)
Korean War (1950 - 1953)
Vietnam War (1965 - 1975)
Cold War (1947 - 1991)
Operation Desert Storm (1991)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003 - Present)

Most of these accounts are short, many of them less than 7 pages long. No movements of massive formations, no grand strategy, just intensely personal, intimate verbal snapshots of armored combat as told by drivers, gunners, loaders, and commanders, from privates to generals. One constant thread in these narratives, even those from the Cold War era, is the sense of chaos and confusion of battle, of not knowing anything but your own tiny, private slice of the war. The sense of isolation and claustrophobia is especially intense. Many of these impressions were written by drivers, gunners, and loaders, who have very restricted, or even nonexistent views of the battle, yet continue to do their jobs, knowing that their survival depends on it. The ability to adapt and improvise is vital to one's survival in this brutal and chaotic environment. These narratives have the directness and force of emotion only found in personal, I-WAS-THERE impressions from the men who actually faced the enemy. The Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom narratives are especially fascinating, differing widely from the mass-media versions we see on the nightly news.

Conclusion

I found this book a fascinating read and I highly recommend it to history buffs in general especially to students of armored warfare and tactics. This book brings to life the dry statistics of machines and battles. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read it and write this review. I would like to thank MBI Publishing for the review book.