On Armor

(Paperback)

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Description

On Armor tells three important and interconnected stories. The first is a tale of a technology, in particular, the rise and fall of the main battle tank - an armoured vehicle that came to dominate land warfare in the middle of the 20th century. The second is a history of ideas. The problem that armoured vehicles created for 20th-century armies was as much about concepts of operation as it was about technology. The third story is one of organization. The author pays particular attention to how armoured vehicles were combined with other forces to form a rich variety of units and formations. He also comments on the current and future roles various types of armour will play on the battlefield.

Reviews

.,."Unlike most books on this subject, Gudmundsson's absorbing study examines not only the tank, but armored vehicles in their many varieties, to include infantry carriers, self-propelled guns, and armored cars. Getting beyond a narrow focus on technical specs, he offers keen insights on doctrine, organization, training, and battlefield employment. On Armor combines sophisticated analysis with powerful narrative scope. It captures how armies historically have sought to balance the eternal tension among firepower, mobility, and protection. Simultaneously, it takes readers on a breathtaking sweep through the mud of Flanders and the sands of the Western Desert, across the Russian steppes and the north German plain."-Colonel Alan Cate, US Army (Retired)
"On Armor is a fresh look at the rise of mobile forces in all their diversity: not just tanks, but armored cars, assault guns, and motorized infantry. Another excellent work by Gudmundsson."-Rob Citino, author of Blitzkrieg to Desert Storm

Author Bio

Bruce I. Gudmundsson is a military historian who studies the way that modern armies adapt to radical change in their operating environments. He divides his time between historical research and assisting present-day military organizations with their own attempts to innovate.