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The Centurion Tank (Images of War) Kindle Edition

by Pat Ware (Author), Brian Delf (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 217 ratings
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“An in-depth illustrated history of one of the most successful post-war British tanks” from the author of Special Forces Vehicles (Forces Pension Society).

Few tank designs have been as effective, versatile and long-lived as that of the British Centurion. Conceived during the Second World War as the answer to the superior German Tiger and Panther tanks and to the lethal 88mm gun, this 52-ton main battle tank incorporated the lessons British designers had learned about armored fighting vehicles during the conflict, and it was free of the major faults that had impaired the other British tank designs of the time. The Centurion was so successful that it served in the British Army and in numerous other armies across the world from 1945 until the 1990s.

Pat Ware’s highly illustrated history of this remarkable tank covers its design and development, its technical specifications and the many variants that were produced. He tells the story from the design brief of 1943, through testing and trials to the tank’s entry into service. In addition, he traces the course of the Centurion’s subsequent career, as it was up-dated, up-gunned and adapted to operate in varied conditions and conflicts all over the world including Korea, the Indo-Pakistan wars, Vietnam and the Arab-Israeli wars.

His expert account of this remarkable fighting vehicle is accompanied by a series of color plates showing the main variants of the design and the common ancillary equipment and unit markings. His book is an essential work of reference for enthusiasts.

“An impressive tribute to a superb vehicle.” —The Pegasus Archive
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  1. Part of series
    Images of War
  2. Print length
    200 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Military
  6. Publication date
    April 19, 2013
  7. File size
    49227 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
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  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pat Ware is a leading expert on the history of military vehicles and a prolific writer of books and articles on every aspect of the subject. His most recent publications include a study of the military Jeep and encyclopaedias of military vehicles and motorcycles. He was the founding editor of Classic Military Vehicle magazine in 2001 and continues to contribute to the magazine as well as writing a military column for Land Rover World.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DN5V99K
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Military (April 19, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 19, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 49227 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 217 ratings

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Pat Ware

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
217 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Geoffrey Tanner
5.0 out of 5 stars A good general description
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
A good academic description of the Centurion tank. Good drawings but maybe not too good for model makers. Years ago I had the Dinky model complete with Antar transporter.
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Alan Ogata
4.0 out of 5 stars Centurion
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019
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I lot of info in a a little volume. I wish there were more pictures. , but the info made it worth it.
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Daniel Waskes
3.0 out of 5 stars Could use more Centurion tank details photos.
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
Verified Purchase
There aren't enough photos of the tank's suspension and running gear. Pictures of the rear of the tank are almost nonexistent. The few pictures of the rear of the Centurion in the book are too muddy to use for detailing a model of the Centurion tank. This is basically a "coffee table" type of a book. That's why I only gave it three stars. The book I'd really love to get is Barry Beldam's "Canadian Centurion Gun Tanks" which goes into the details of this tank. Unfortunately it is long out of print and impossible to find.
One person found this helpful
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David Jacobson
5.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfying Read About the Centurion
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2016
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The facts and the history, well-written and well organized. The only question is the price-if you're looking for a book that thoroughly covers the Chieftain and the price is right, buy!
One person found this helpful
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Ned Middleton
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent appreciation of the Centurion.
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2013
This is the second book from the series `Images of War' to cross my desk this week. As that part of the title suggests, these are primarily devoted to images of the subject matter although they do also provide more than sufficient information in support of the excellent photography. In this instance, however, the work also benefits significantly from the professional and technically accurate drawings of the Centurion Tank - in its many guises and from all angles, provided by illustrator Brian Delf.

It was the emergence of the superior German `Tiger' tank which led to a call for a new British weapon in 1943 requiring a vehicle armed with a 17 pounder gun which was able to travel easily across undulating countryside. The resultant Centurion met those expectations and was regarded as being so good it remained in use for far longer than was ever envisaged. Throughout those years there were, of course, many variants as the tank continued to be improved and, in this excellent work, we find those variations illustrated from every angle - except from underneath. This allows the reader to compare earlier versions to each successor before marvelling at the way in which in which obsolete hulls were also modified to support repair and recovery crews and the laying of bridges and ramps.

It was, of course, the fighting capability of this weapon which remained its primary purpose and this is given more than adequate coverage in a readable style which makes the whole subject all the more interesting. Indeed, almost every aspect of the tank, its crew, weapons, engines, technical data and, as already mentioned, variants are all given reasonable coverage.

Whereas the photographs are of the highest standard, none show the vehicle in active combat. Some are best described as `brochure images' of the day and others are from inside barracks, factories and elsewhere where they are now preserved with only an occasional image from some far off clime. With the exception of a few (possibly the best of all!) which are spread over two pages and, therefore, spoiled by the books own central crease, these images and the aforementioned illustrations combine well with the text to provide an excellent appreciation of the Centurion tank and do much to explain that bridge-laying equipment I once saw in Germany in a barracks I was visiting...

NM
3 people found this helpful
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F-4 Phan
5.0 out of 5 stars Good coverage of the topic
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2016
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Good coverage of the topic. Typical "Images of War" period photographic coverage of the Centurion tank throughout its service life.
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jonn W. Sostarich
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014
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This book is a great addition to my library, and will provide loads of ideas for future models.
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Ted
3.0 out of 5 stars I was disappointed in the book
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
I was disappointed in the book. Provided a history of the Centurion tank but it was very generic. Pictures were just OK. Very few to no combat pictures. None from the Korean conflict. Lots of information on recovery and engineering vehicles. Nice to know but I purchased the book to learn more about the tank.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Otto Strasser
5.0 out of 5 stars Sachlich, technisch fundiert
Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2022
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Als ehem. Centurion Kampfpanzerfahrer interessieren mich die technischen Aspekte der ausländischen Varianten sowie die Historik.
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Peter Levens
4.0 out of 5 stars A well researched book about this tank
Reviewed in Australia on July 21, 2020
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A great book about my favourite tank
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Kindle Customer bryan
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the bunch
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2016
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As an ex tankman on cents and conquorers I cansay with conviction this is the one and only. I had to smile about the mono trailers they were. Disasters waiting to happen and I was present when the crane tank fell in the pit!!
One person found this helpful
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Empe
5.0 out of 5 stars Eccellente serie
Reviewed in Italy on October 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
Sintetica come testi ma ricca di immagini, spesso inedite. Acquistata in formato kindle scontatissima (meno di 1,5 euro). Se siete appassionati dell'argomento e avete un tablet grande (per zoomare le foto) è un eccellente acquisto.
Un po' piu' di foto a colori avrebbe giovato, ma per questo prezzo ...
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Brad Andres
3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad summary, good technical drawings of the different variants
Reviewed in Canada on May 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
Not bad summary, good technical drawings of the different variants. However not many action or exercise images for modellers to use.
One person found this helpful
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