Schiffer Publishing

Legends of Warfare

M60 Tank - US Cold War MBT

Schiffer Publishing’s Legends of Warfare series is noteworthy for its wide range of subjects; aerial, naval and ground combat are all well represented in this line. Previous books that I’ve examined from the Legends of Warfare series all share similar format, physical characteristics and quality of content. Some recent titles in this series authored by David Doyle have added pages (up to 144 pages) allowing for even more content.

Prolific author David Doyle is back with another of his in depth military vehicle studies, this time doing a deep dive on one of the Cold War’s most iconic tanks, the M60 main battle tank.

The M60 tank succeeded the M48 Patton as the USA’s main battle tank in 1959/60. Among other improvements, the M60 mounted a more potent 105mm main gun, needed to counter well protected Soviet armor. Upgrades to the M60 extended it’s service life considerably.

The M60 served during a critical time in US history, bridging the gap between the post WWII M48 Patton tanks until the coming of the M1 Abrams around 1990. The M60 was the tank that the US and NATO hoped would hold the line in Europe until help arrived if the Cold War went hot. The bulk of M60 tank production was destined for service in Western Europe, with some seeing use in South Korea. Service in South Vietnam wasn’t deemed suitable for the M60, due to largely unfavorable terrain and a lack of enemy heavy armor. The M60 variants served a great many of the USA’s allies over the years, and still serves in a few countries. The use of and service careers of M60’s by foreign nations could easily be the subject of another entire book.

The M60’s were finally removed from National Guard use in 1997, almost 40 years from their 1960 introduction into service.

Vital Statistics

Format - hardcover, square format

 Page Count - heavyweight, glossy paper,  144 pages

 Size - 9.25" x 9.25"

Photos - 300+ wartime black and white images, contemporary full color images

Tables / Drawings / Diagrams - tables of technical and performance data, line drawings of variants, component differences

All text and photo captions are in English

What's in the Book?

Above - the book’s table of contents, laid out in a chronological manner in terms of the M60 family development, followed by a lengthy Field Use chapter.

The volume begins with an examination of the M60, which entered service in 1960. Note the similarities with the M48 Patton, particularly in the lower hull and drive train. While not officially titled as a “Patton” tank, many continued to use the term in regards to the new M60.

This volume contains a mix of black / white and color photographs. The newer walk-around style images are in full color, with some older images of prototypes or other early examples being in black/white. There are quite a few full page images such as the one above, giving the reader a good look at details.

Above - this volume provides good photographic coverage of all M60 variants, both inside and out. 

As with several other recent titles in the Legends of Warfare series from this author, very well done line drawings are provided which highlight features of a specific vehicle, or illustrate differences of different variants. These drawings are a very welcome addition to the books in this series.

Above - a terrific page of drawings which show at a glance the evolution of the M60 tank from it’s predecessor the M48, through the M60A3 and the engineering type variants.

The volume meshes the visual components ( tables, drawings, photographs ) seamlessly with the blocks of text to provide the maximum informative content in an attractive and effective manner. Above - the opening pages of the chapter on the M60A1.

Above - another example of the well executed, informative drawings contained in this book.

Above - another example of a typical two page chapter starting spread. Good images, informative and complete photo captioning, and well written, informative blocks of text.

Above - excellent views of the M60A3 with reactive armor mounted. Bright, clear images like the above are found throughout the volume, providing the reader with great reference images. The author provides complete, well written photo captions to describe and explain what’s shown in the images.

The book’s fifth chaper which focuses on M60 derivatives provides a great look at the M60 variants that did the dirty work, the M728 combat engineer vehicles with their A-frames, dozer blades, and the AVLB with their scissors bridges. These vehicles are all well described and great images accompany the text.

The Field Use chapter is the lengthiest chapter in the book, and should bring back a lot of memories for readers of this book who served during the Cold War. The vast majority of the M60 tank’s long service life was that of a “peacetime” role, yet at the same time during a period of incredible tension between East and West. Soviet bloc and NATO forces were both on hair triggers, awaiting the start of the next World War. The M60 finally got its large scale baptism of fire (with US forces) in the Middle East’s Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The now slightly aged veteran tanks acquitted themselves quite well in service with the US Marines vs. Iraqi T-72’s.

This chapter shows M60’s in US service virtually all over the world from the early 1960’s until the early 1990’s. Stateside training activities, exercises in Europe ( primarily Germany ) are shown, the M60 in service with other nations (Egypt for example, I’d had no idea about this…), peacekeeping missions such as the one in Beirut, Lebanon that cost the Marines so dearly due to a truck bomb, are all shown. 

Above - the images in the Field Use chapter are quite wide ranging in terms of location, and actions shown (even in mid-air!).

The final images of the volumes concluding chapter include some interesting images of the M60A1 tanks still in active use by (who else?) the US Marine Corps during 1991’s Operation Desert Storm. The M60 tank finally had its chance to participate in large scale US combat operations and performed well. 

Above - a general data table in the book’s final chapter provides a good comparison look at statistics for the different versions of the M60 through the final M60A3 variant. 

Some of the final images in this book show the final deployment of quite a few M60’s….being consigned to a watery grave as part of artificial reefs, which struck me as sort of a sad end to faithful fighting vehicles that had served well. But, I guess it’s better than being recycled into razor blades or serving as range targets as so many did.

Conclusions

As with so many titles in the Legends of Warfare series by this author, this book is a very complete, very thorough, well written look at its subject matter.

Once again, the author has done a masterful job in meshing his informative text writing with a terrific selection of images of the M60 tank. The author has a great eye for interesting images, whether they are in the field, on training grounds, or in museums. The quality of the photographs provided in this book is of a uniformly high standard. His text work and photo captioning is also well up to the authors typical fine work.

For those interested in this workhorse tank of the Cold War and beyond, this book is very worthy of inclusion in your library.

Highly Recommended ( a Must Have for those interested in the M60 family )

Thanks to David Doyle Books for the review copy

Reviewed by Chuck Aleshire, AMPS Chicagoland

AMPS 2nd Vice President, Midwest Region

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