L
Lighthorse
Guest
I enjoy all of Steven Zaloga Books...and Armored Thunderbolt was an excellent read. I'm copy and paste the edition review of Armored Thunderbolt. They did a better job than I could have. I used to think German tanks were the best, now in last 10 years I realizes that American's Sherman and Soviet T-34 were war winners and as good if not better than German amour. Armor and good gun is a must, but if ones tank could only travel 50 to 60 km's before breaking down, than It 's a mechanical lemon. American Sherman and T-34 could travel 1000 km's before breaking down, they were turned out la mass, the German's never really figured that out. A hand crafted tank was fine, but vs that one tank would be 10 to 20 opponent tanks that were mass-product and mechanical better. German armor great if it a CM game, but to win a war you can't beat the Sherman or T-34's. I quote the last part of the book " The Sherman was not the best tank of World War II, but it was good enough."
Lastly I enjoyed the Chapter 11, "Cold War Sherman" on the continue use of the Sherman up to and well into the 70's.
Review
Steven Zaloga knows his subject, and is a prolific author of technical histories. His comprehensive knowledge makes this book one of those rare should not be missed volumes that come along from time to time. He addresses the problem of whether the Sherman was a war winner or a deathtrap by covering the development of US tank policy from its origins in the First World War through its rapid development in the early part of the Second World War and uneven success as the war progressed to its conclusion. While covering tank development he provides snapshots of the key institutions and individuals involved in the process, as well as the evolution of tank and anti-tank doctrine. Finally, the actual evolution and use of the Sherman in all theatres is covered. The hundreds of photographs supplement the concise prose perfectly the author has expertly selected them to illustrate all the many, many points he makes as he progresses to his conclusion.
The arguments Zaloga makes are notable not only for their persuasiveness, but for the broad perspective he employs. He is well aware that many readers of his book will be knowledgeable regarding various technical aspects of the Sherman. Consequently, he goes beyond the data to explain why certain factors resulted in the problems or virtues that are often well known, if not well understood. For example, the propensity of early Shermans to burn when hit by anti-tank fire is often attributed to the tank s gasoline driven engine. Zaloga explains the real problem ammunition stowage thoroughly, and then goes on to describe the various measures that were taken to minimize the risk of fire, which ultimately did reduce the problem substantially. He also notes that all tanks risked fire when penetrated, even the gasoline driven German ones such as the Pz IV, providing statistics that back his arguments up well.
This is a minor example and focuses on one narrow technical aspect of the Sherman. A better example of the breadth of Zaloga s approach might be the way in which he addresses the development of US operational doctrine during the war. He notes that the US Army Air Force was extensively resourced as part of a deliberate policy to ensure air superiority by US ground forces, and that German complaints about their inability to operate effectively because of constant interference by jabos (fighter bombers) fails to grasp that the US Army deliberately set out to make their life difficult in this way. This argument is probably not all that revolutionary, but I was surprised by one little fact that he brought out to indicate just how significantly aviation was resourced as compared to tanks by the US Army approximately six times as much was spent on aircraft as on tanks (36 Billion as compared to 6 Billion). Insights such as this are throughout the book, making it a very interesting read for even those reasonably well versed in the history of the Second World War. --Doug McLean, The Wargamer, January 29, 2009
Product Description
* Hundreds of photos, including many never published before
* Riveting accounts of armored warfare in World War II
* Compares the Sherman to other tanks, including the Panther and Tiger
* Author is a world-renowned expert on the Sherman tank and American armor
Some tank crews referred to the American M4 Sherman tank as a "death trap." Others, like Gen. George Patton, believed that the Sherman helped win World War II. So which was it: death trap or war winner? Armor expert Steven Zaloga answers that question by recounting the Sherman's combat history. Focusing on Northwest Europe (but also including a chapter on the Pacific), Zaloga follows the Sherman into action on D-Day, among the Normandy hedgerows, during Patton's race across France, in the great tank battle at Arracourt in September 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge, across the Rhine, and in the Ruhr pocket in 1945.