Book Review of
M1 Abrams
The US’s Main Battle Tank
In American & Foreign Service, 1981-2019
Author: David Grummitt
Pen & Sword Tank Craft Series
ISBN: 978-1-52-674975-8
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $26.95
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $26.95
HISTORY:
Since its introduction in 1981, at the height of the Cold War, the Abrams main battle tank has been one of the most visible and iconic symbol of American military power.
Designed to meet head-on the massed tank forces of the Warsaw Pact, its combat debut in fact came in a different scenario in 1991 during the First Gulf War. Since then it has served in the peace-keeping role in the former Yugoslavia and seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen
It has gone through a series of modifications and modernizations that see it set to remain the backbone of the U.S. Army until at least 2050.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Military is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 64 pages in 8 1/3” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover art has a color photo of a 1/35 scale Ryefield brand M1 Abrams model built by Vorya Heidaryan over 3 color photos of Abrams and a color side profile of one.
The book contains 7 black and white photos and 47 color ones.
Key features of the book are:
Design and operational history of the U.S. Abrams main battle tank from its Cold War origin, through its service in the Middle East, to its contemporary role in NATO.
Features a selection of specially commissioned color profiles.
Details its service in the Australian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Saudi armies.
Reviews the full range of kits and accessories available to model the Abrams in all the major scales and includes a gallery of photographs of outstanding models.
Details of variants and modifications made in production and in the field.
Sources of further information from books and websites.
There are 7 different models , covering the service of the Abrams featured: the DML Dragon 1/35th scale Abrams built by John Murphy and illustrated with 8 color photos, the Tamiya 1/48th scale Abrams built by Joaquin Garcia Gazquez and illustrated with 6 color photos, the DML Dragon 1/35th scale Abrams built by Chris Jerrett and illustrated with 12 color photos along with the kit’s box art, the 1/35th scale DML Dragon Abrams built by Mark Chisholm and illustrated with 3 color photos, the 1/35th scale Ryefield Abrams (shown also on the cover) by Vorya Heidaryan with 8 color photos, the 1/35th scale Academy Abrams built by David Grummitt with 3 color photos.
The box arts of the 1/35th scale Tamiya, DML Dragon, Italeri, Trumeter, Ryemodel, Meng, RVF, Panda and Academy kits are shown.
For 1/72nd scale models the AMT, Hasegawa, Revell, Tiger Model, Trumpeter and Flyhawk brand box arts are shown.
The author of this book’s Flyhawk model is shown built up and so is the 1/72nd scale DML Dragon Abrams, along with a copy of a page out of the Tiger Model’s instructions.
Box arts for the 1/48th scale Abrams Tetro, Trumpeter and Tamiya kits are shown and Tamiya’s 1/16th scale M1A2 is shown in 2 built up photos.
The Panda Model’s Abrams is shown built up with illustrations of the Eduard PE set for the Abrams.
Voyager and Def Models accessory sets are pictured.
The last page of the book has 15 black and white cover arts of other Pen & Sword books: Tiger I & II Tanks, Sherman Tanks, Panther Tanks, Churchill Tanks, Panzer IV, Jagdpanther, Centurion, a second Sherman Tank book, a second Tiger I & II book, T-54/55, Tank Destroyer Achilles & M10, Panzer I & II, The Jeep, M2/M3 and Bren Gun Carrier.
This is one neat book. Highly recommended to modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of Pen & Sword books for this review sample and the folks at Pen & Sword too.
All Pen & Sword titles can be seen listed on Casemate’s website at:
Since its introduction in 1981, at the height of the Cold War, the Abrams main battle tank has been one of the most visible and iconic symbol of American military power.
Designed to meet head-on the massed tank forces of the Warsaw Pact, its combat debut in fact came in a different scenario in 1991 during the First Gulf War. Since then it has served in the peace-keeping role in the former Yugoslavia and seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen
It has gone through a series of modifications and modernizations that see it set to remain the backbone of the U.S. Army until at least 2050.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Military is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 64 pages in 8 1/3” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover art has a color photo of a 1/35 scale Ryefield brand M1 Abrams model built by Vorya Heidaryan over 3 color photos of Abrams and a color side profile of one.
The book contains 7 black and white photos and 47 color ones.
Key features of the book are:
Design and operational history of the U.S. Abrams main battle tank from its Cold War origin, through its service in the Middle East, to its contemporary role in NATO.
Features a selection of specially commissioned color profiles.
Details its service in the Australian, Egyptian, Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Saudi armies.
Reviews the full range of kits and accessories available to model the Abrams in all the major scales and includes a gallery of photographs of outstanding models.
Details of variants and modifications made in production and in the field.
Sources of further information from books and websites.
There are 7 different models , covering the service of the Abrams featured: the DML Dragon 1/35th scale Abrams built by John Murphy and illustrated with 8 color photos, the Tamiya 1/48th scale Abrams built by Joaquin Garcia Gazquez and illustrated with 6 color photos, the DML Dragon 1/35th scale Abrams built by Chris Jerrett and illustrated with 12 color photos along with the kit’s box art, the 1/35th scale DML Dragon Abrams built by Mark Chisholm and illustrated with 3 color photos, the 1/35th scale Ryefield Abrams (shown also on the cover) by Vorya Heidaryan with 8 color photos, the 1/35th scale Academy Abrams built by David Grummitt with 3 color photos.
The box arts of the 1/35th scale Tamiya, DML Dragon, Italeri, Trumeter, Ryemodel, Meng, RVF, Panda and Academy kits are shown.
For 1/72nd scale models the AMT, Hasegawa, Revell, Tiger Model, Trumpeter and Flyhawk brand box arts are shown.
The author of this book’s Flyhawk model is shown built up and so is the 1/72nd scale DML Dragon Abrams, along with a copy of a page out of the Tiger Model’s instructions.
Box arts for the 1/48th scale Abrams Tetro, Trumpeter and Tamiya kits are shown and Tamiya’s 1/16th scale M1A2 is shown in 2 built up photos.
The Panda Model’s Abrams is shown built up with illustrations of the Eduard PE set for the Abrams.
Voyager and Def Models accessory sets are pictured.
The last page of the book has 15 black and white cover arts of other Pen & Sword books: Tiger I & II Tanks, Sherman Tanks, Panther Tanks, Churchill Tanks, Panzer IV, Jagdpanther, Centurion, a second Sherman Tank book, a second Tiger I & II book, T-54/55, Tank Destroyer Achilles & M10, Panzer I & II, The Jeep, M2/M3 and Bren Gun Carrier.
This is one neat book. Highly recommended to modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the North American distributor of Pen & Sword books for this review sample and the folks at Pen & Sword too.
All Pen & Sword titles can be seen listed on Casemate’s website at: