Osprey- WWII Tank Spotter's Guide

Book Specifics

Compiled by Chris McNab

ISBN 978-1-4728-6678-3

Price: $12.00

Softcover, 5" X 7" Landscape format,  128 pages, two color profiles for each entry

What's Inside

Osprey has released a book ideal for those just getting into armor modeling or wanting to learn about some of the more obscure armored vehicles from the Second World War. The pocket-sized format is ideal for those visiting museums or wanting to travel light with some extra reading. Seasoned armor aficionados may not see much of use here-- but it is ideal for those looking for an introduction to the stalwart vehicles from the war. Inside are 40 different tanks grouped by their origin nations. The Table of Contents below gives you an idea of what is inside...

Each entry consists of three pages-- the first page dedicated to a description of the tank- including its origins, brief descriptions of variants, engines, armament, and brief service history. The second page features a Specifications chart and one profile. The final page of each entry features another profile and captions that refer to each of the profile art pieces. I have included scans of one entire entry below to give you an idea of what I am writing about...

The artwork should look familiar to most who've read previous Osprey armor volumes as they are representative of most artists who have illustrated for Osprey before- including Jim Laurier and Felipe Rodna among others. 

Conclusion

Again there may not be much for those of you who have been interested in armor and armor modeling for some time and have extensive libraries already. However, the profile art pieces provide inspiration for out of the ordinary schemes. The book is ideal for those just starting out in the hobby or shifting genres into armor which may be unfamiliar to them. The size makes it perfect for heading out to a tank museum to supplement your visit- and it sure won't take up much space on the shelf to boot!

Recommended for armor builders of any level.

Thanks goes out to Osprey Publishing for this review kit.

Reviewed by Michael Reeves

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