This book charts the final years of the Panzerwaffe and the tanks they used. It has some very
informative text but the main part of the book is pictures. They illustrate the variety of tanks
used and how to distinguish between these fighting monsters. It serves the purpose well and
is highly entertaining and absorbing to read.

Military Archive Research

The interest in the German forces during WW2 never seems to wane and in this latest profusely illustrated title in the publisher’s Images of War series, the focus is on the deployment of their heavy tanks. Despite their worsening situation in the conflict, the highly trained and motivated crews showed their undoubted abilities, but this ultimately proved insufficient to stem the Allied advance into Germany.

This book contains detailed information and images of the main heavy panzers of the period on operations; many images of Tigers I and II, plus Panzerjager, Panthers, Panzer 4s, Stug IV and III, Wespes and Hummels are provided as well as other examples of German ingenuity.

Stuart Asquith, Author

Reviewed on War History Online

War History Online, Mark Barnes

A part of the "Images of War" series, looking at Germany's fearsome array of heavy panzers which entered the battlefield from 1943 onwards. As one would expect the Tiger I and II's, Mk IV and Panther Tanks receive considerable attention, but besides these and their numerous variants, many tank destroyers and assault guns also feature, including the StuG III, Brummbar, Hummel, Nashorn and Ferdinand Elefant. Superb photographs and detailed captions show each in a variety of situations on both the Western and Eastern Fronts; at rest, on the move and sometimes heavily-laden with infantry, knocked out, refuelling, and a number which demonstrate a range of camouflage techniques. Unlike many other books in the series, this one concludes with several appendices giving more precise information on crew uniforms, the composition of typical armoured units, and a brief order of battle of the panzer divisions.

Pegasus Archive, Mark Hickman

This addition to the Images of War series from Pen and Sword covers German AFVs in the later period of the war. The title is a useful guide as it includes a high proportion of photos of the Tiger I and the Panther, though there is only limited content illustrating other heavy pieces such as Jagdtiger, King Tiger and Ferdinand. Other content includes some Panzer IIIs remaining in service in this later period of the war, along with Nashorn, later Pz IV variants and SP guns such as the Nashorn and Hummel as well as Brummbar and Stugs. Many of the pictures you may have seen before as the Tiger and Panther are both regular topics for books on the Panzers.

This is a good collection of well captioned photos with some useful references for modellers. A series showing a Tiger I under maintenance, along with the large gantry crane will make a useful reference for what could be an interesting diorama. The book itself has 140 pages and is split into three chapters plus three appendices. The chapters break the years down to cover Fighting Withdrawal 1943, then Panzer in Retreat 1944 and then The End 1944-45. Each one is introduced by a couple of pages of background text to set the scene, then a collection of photos appropriate for each period. At the end of the book there are appendices to provide more information and these are notes on Armoured Crew Uniforms, German Armoured Vehicle Colours 1943-45 and a list of Panzer Divisions Units, Insignia and Theatres of Operation.

Military Modelling - Robin Buckland