Book Review of Before the Birth of the MB Photosniper no. 27
Western Tank Development 1945-1959
Authors: Dick Taylor & MP Robinson
Kagero Publishing
ISBN: 978-83-951575-8-5
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $29.95
ISBN: 978-83-951575-8-5
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $29.95
This book is intended to be the first in a short series looking at more developments of battle tanks by the western nations in the period from the end of WWII to the present.
During WWII, the tank came of age, and was probably the predominant land weapon of the period. However, the tank was never perfected during the war, and the post-war decades have seen enormous resources expended on trying to do just that- to make the tank perfect.
This, of course, is an impossible task, as threats evolve and mutate, and trying to design a vehicle (or indeed any weapon of war) to do a multitude of different tasks will inevitably lead to compromise.
Not withstanding this, the development of the modern "Chariots of Fire" in the 1950's was an utterly fascinating process, with ten more project and trial tank designs rejected for every design actually adopted.
It was truly an era when technology was evolving rapidly, for if all the specifications of the late 1940's differed little from the most powerful wartime designs; by 1960 the specifications for new battle tanks reflected every tactical implication of NATO's nuclear strategy.
The cover art shows a German M48A-1 over a FV214 British Conqueror.
The book contains 108 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 1/2" page format.
There are 213 black and white archival photos, and 12 color profiles.
The black and white photos are of:
The Centurion, M4A3E8, M4A1, M24, M26, M46, T-28, T-29, T-43, T-48, M18, M48A1, M48A2, M103, M48A3, M60, A34 Comet, Centurion Mk. 2, Churchill Mk. III, Sherman 1C Firefly, A39, A43, A41, A45, Centurion Mk.3, Soviet IS-3, Churchill ARV Mk. II, FV-214 Mk.1, Conqueror Mk.2, Centurion Mk.5, monowheel trailer, Centurion Mk. 7, Charioteer FV-4101, Centurion Mk.10, Centurion Mk.12, ARI 44, AMX 50, M4A1E8, M24, AMX 13, Sherman VC Firefly, M42, STR103 S, STR B1 Centurion, IKV72, Soviet T34-85, T44 and the FV432.
Next is the bibliography.
Followed by technical sketches of:
The Centurion 2's exterior-rear & R/H/S
It's interior-turret and hull front
It's exterior-front and L/H/S
It's exterior-rear and R/H/S
It's exterior and front L/H/S
The Conqueror Mk.2's Stowage sketch
It's rear and L/H/S
It's interior R/H and rear of turret and turntable
It's interior L/H and front of turret and turntable
It's driver's compartment
It's exterior front and R/H/S
For color photos there are:
The M46, M47, M48, Centurion Mk. 8, M3A2E8, M48A2C, M103, M24, Centurion Mk. 5, FV 214 Conqueror and the FV4005.
For color profiles there are 12 of the Centurion.
A color cover art of Kagero's book "The Leopard 1 & Leopard 2" is on the last page of the book.
This book will be of great interest to armor modelers and armor historians alike.
Highly recommended.
I want to thank Casemate Publishing for this review sample and the folks at Kagero.
All Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate's site at:
During WWII, the tank came of age, and was probably the predominant land weapon of the period. However, the tank was never perfected during the war, and the post-war decades have seen enormous resources expended on trying to do just that- to make the tank perfect.
This, of course, is an impossible task, as threats evolve and mutate, and trying to design a vehicle (or indeed any weapon of war) to do a multitude of different tasks will inevitably lead to compromise.
Not withstanding this, the development of the modern "Chariots of Fire" in the 1950's was an utterly fascinating process, with ten more project and trial tank designs rejected for every design actually adopted.
It was truly an era when technology was evolving rapidly, for if all the specifications of the late 1940's differed little from the most powerful wartime designs; by 1960 the specifications for new battle tanks reflected every tactical implication of NATO's nuclear strategy.
The cover art shows a German M48A-1 over a FV214 British Conqueror.
The book contains 108 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 1/2" page format.
There are 213 black and white archival photos, and 12 color profiles.
The black and white photos are of:
The Centurion, M4A3E8, M4A1, M24, M26, M46, T-28, T-29, T-43, T-48, M18, M48A1, M48A2, M103, M48A3, M60, A34 Comet, Centurion Mk. 2, Churchill Mk. III, Sherman 1C Firefly, A39, A43, A41, A45, Centurion Mk.3, Soviet IS-3, Churchill ARV Mk. II, FV-214 Mk.1, Conqueror Mk.2, Centurion Mk.5, monowheel trailer, Centurion Mk. 7, Charioteer FV-4101, Centurion Mk.10, Centurion Mk.12, ARI 44, AMX 50, M4A1E8, M24, AMX 13, Sherman VC Firefly, M42, STR103 S, STR B1 Centurion, IKV72, Soviet T34-85, T44 and the FV432.
Next is the bibliography.
Followed by technical sketches of:
The Centurion 2's exterior-rear & R/H/S
It's interior-turret and hull front
It's exterior-front and L/H/S
It's exterior-rear and R/H/S
It's exterior and front L/H/S
The Conqueror Mk.2's Stowage sketch
It's rear and L/H/S
It's interior R/H and rear of turret and turntable
It's interior L/H and front of turret and turntable
It's driver's compartment
It's exterior front and R/H/S
For color photos there are:
The M46, M47, M48, Centurion Mk. 8, M3A2E8, M48A2C, M103, M24, Centurion Mk. 5, FV 214 Conqueror and the FV4005.
For color profiles there are 12 of the Centurion.
A color cover art of Kagero's book "The Leopard 1 & Leopard 2" is on the last page of the book.
This book will be of great interest to armor modelers and armor historians alike.
Highly recommended.
I want to thank Casemate Publishing for this review sample and the folks at Kagero.
All Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate's site at: