T-80 Standard Tank: The Soviet Armys Last Armored Champion

(Paperback)

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Description

The history of the little-known yet controversial T-80 and its subsequent variants. The Soviet T-80 Standard Tank was the last tank fielded before the Soviet collapse, and the most controversial. Despite having the most sophisticated fire controls and multi-layer armor ever fielded on a Soviet tank, its turbine power plant (rather than a conventional diesel) remained a source of considerable trouble throughout its career. Steven J Zaloga charts the little-known history of the T-80, covering the initial construction, through the development to the subsequent variants, the T-84 and Russias enigmatic Black Eagle Tank. Accompanying detailed cut-away artwork illustrates the unusual design features that made the T-80 so controversial.

Reviews

"The book is full of photos and illustrations, mostly in color, that again, will make this a much-used modeler's book... If your interest includes modern Soviet/Russian armor, I highly recommend this book to you... This volume gives you a developmental history that is easy to read and understand, plus the many photos and illustrations chosen with the modeler in mind, make this a very valuable asset to every modelers library." --Howie Belkin, IPMS/USA

"Steven J Zaloga's T-80 Standard Tank: The Soviet Army's Last Armored Champion offers a narrowed focus for speciality military collections focusing on military equipment. The T-80 was the last tank fielded before the collapse of the Soviet Union -- and the most controversial. Its history is revealed with photos and discussion." --California Bookwatch (April 2009)

Author Bio

Steven J Zaloga was born in 1952. He received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has published numerous books and articles dealing with modern military technology, especially armored vehicle development. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in World War II, and he has also written extensively on American armored forces. Steven lives and works in Maryland. Hugh Johnson is a highly experienced and talented freelance digital illustrator who has completed a number of books for Osprey including New Vanguard 102: T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 19442004, New Vanguard 117: Jeeps 194145 and Fortress 030: Fort Eben Emael. He lives in Surrey, UK.