Panzer Vor 3: German Armor At War 1939-45

This is Frank De Sisto's third volume in his series on German armored vehicles of WWII. The format is identical to the two volumes that have previously been published. The successful, tried and true formula of a combination of text, good quality photos, explanatory captions, and a series of excellent color plates by Laurent Lecocq, is happily present. In this particular volume, the text commences with a brief description of the principal families of tanks fielded by Germany (for example, the Panzer I, II, Tiger). For a book of this type, the text is necessarily concise, for it is the photos that are the main feature. Nevertheless, the text offers a good primer for the novice.

The black and white wartime photos are wide-ranging in their coverage, and this is what makes the book so interesting. Many of the photos are new and will be of great interest to modelers, or those simply interested in German military vehicles. The photographs range from early war through to late war. They cover the diminutive Panzer I through to the monstrous species of the Tiger family. They cover armored cars through to heavy tanks. And they cover vehicles operating from France through to those on the Russian steppes in the East. The author has again gone to special lengths to write captions that are extremely accurate, and that offer insights into vehicle details and how armored vehicles were typically employed. The accompanying notes are a product of painstaking research and many years of familiarity with reference sources.

Panzer Vor! 3 is an excellent pictorial examination of armored vehicles in action, and is the perfect complement to the two earlier volumes. Readers will be pleased to know that in this volume they will find an accurate and informative text, along with a large number of inspiring photos. This fascinating book would be an excellent addition to any military enthusiast's library, but especially for those with an innate curiosity about German vehicles of war.

Frank V De Sisto
Softcover book of 72 pages, 172 photos, 16 colour plates
Concord Publications