Tank Warfare

By: Jeremy Black

Narrated by: Simon Barber

The story of the battlefield in the 20th century was dominated by a handful of developments. Foremost of these was the introduction and refinement of tanks. In Tank Warfare, prominent military historian Jeremy Black offers a comprehensive global account of the history of tanks and armored warfare in the 20th and 21st centuries.

First introduced onto the battlefield during the World War I, tanks represented the reconciliation of firepower and mobility and immediately seized the imagination of commanders and commentators concerned about the constraints of ordinary infantry. The developments of technology and tactics in the interwar years were realized in the German blitzkrieg in World War II and beyond. Yet the account of armor on the battlefield is a tale of limitations and defeats as well as of potential and achievements.

Tank Warfare examines the traditional narrative of armored warfare, while at the same time, challenging it, and Black suggests that tanks were no "silver bullet" on the battlefield. Instead, their success was based on their inclusion in the general mix of weaponry available to commanders and the context in which they were used.

The book is published by Indiana University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2020 Jeremy Black (P)2021 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"An overview of what tanks are today and, of course, what tanks should be tomorrow." (Nuova Antologia Militare)

"I can think of no short history of the tank which covers so much ground so succinctly...an excellent overview of the subject." (Alaric Searle, University of Salford, UK)

Quite Good

Jeremy Black is quite prolific.
I have listened to several of Mr. Black’s books in the past and have been mostly disappointed.
Tank Warfare however is an enjoyable solid book worth the time.

Better to listen to than read

Jeremy Black clearly does extensive research and "Tanks" seems to cover everything possible to say about tanks, starting with chariots and going up through unmanned versions. I learned a lot about military strategy, tactics and operations too. But as I listened to Mr. Barber's narration, I could only imagine how dull it might have been to actually read this extensively detailed book. Barber added an extra dimension that brought the material alive. Well worth the time. Jeremy Black should have Barber read all his books.