Designed as a heavily armored tank which could accompany infantry formations, the Churchill's ability to cross rough ground and climb seemingly unassailable hills became legendary. The tank first saw action in 1942 and the basic design was constantly reworked and upgunned, culminating in the Mark VII version which was capable of taking on the heaviest German tanks. In his fourth book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses archive photographs...

Designed with the hard lessons of the North African campaign in mind, including the adoption of a dual-purpose gun capable of firing high-explosive and anti-tank rounds, the Cromwell was one of the most successful of the British cruiser tanks produced during the Second World War. The lack of heavy armor was made up for by the tank's high speed provided by a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine. The Centaur was externally almost identical to the Cromwell,...

When at Hitler’s insistence the first Tiger I tanks went into action in Tunisia in December 1942 they rapidly gained a formidable fighting reputation despite their lack of reliability and the small number deployed. With its heavy armor and 88mm gun, it outclassed all the Allied tanks then in service and forced the Allies to accelerate the introduction of improved anti-tank guns and tanks that could match the Tiger in terms of firepower and protection....

With production in excess of 55,000 the Sherman tank was eventually in service with most Allied armies of the Second World War and by the time of the Normandy landings was the mainstay of Britain'sarmored battalions. In his second book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver useswartime photos and extensively researched, exquisitely presentedcolor illustrations to cover theSherman tanks used by the units of the Royal Armoured Corps and the Royal Marines...

The Sherman tank served with most Allied armies during the Second World War and it is justly famous for the role it played in the Normandy landings and the subsequent drive into Germany. But the part played by the British commonwealth armored units in the Italian campaign is less well known and in his latest volume in the TankCraft series Dennis Oliver uses wartime photos, extensively researched text and highly-detailed color illustrations to cover...

The Sdkfz 251 halftrack was one of the most versatile armored vehicles produced by either side in the Second World War. Designed by the firm of Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, or Hanomag, production ran to over 15,000 vehicles and it was eventually built as twenty-three separate variants serving as not only a personnel carrier, but also a command vehicle, mobile rocket launcher, armored ambulance and bridge-layer. In his first book in the LandCraft...

Combining the destructive firepower of the 75mm gun with the mobility of the Pzkpfw IV medium tank, the Jagdpanzer IV was quite possibly the most effective tank destroyer of the Second World War. From early 1944 these vehicles were allocated to the anti-tank battalions of Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions and saw action in Normandy, the Ardennes and the final battles in Germany. In his latest book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses contemporary...