introduction

The subject of this book by Gordon Arthur is the American-built M1A1 Abrams tank, as used by the Australian army since 2007. Chosen as replacements for the Leopard AS1, these Abrams tanks allow better interoperability with Australia’s closest military ally the USA. They also offer a proven vehicle at an affordable price, with no appreciable development period.

contents

Like other Tankograd books this comes in softcover A4-size format, with thicker card covers around 64 glossy pages. Text is in German and English, with 153 colour photos. Image quality is stunning.

The first six pages cover the procurement, delivery, deployment, and eventual upgrading of the tanks. Also included are paragraphs on the accompanying M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle and other support vehicles.

Then come the photos! 26 pages of the Abrams in service are followed by 17 pages of detailed walk-around shots. Next come five pages of the M88A2, and nine on assorted support vehicles such as the M113AS4 family of tracked vehicles and the MAN-built transporters with locally-sourced trailers. The tanks are seen in as-delivered sand as well as locally applied three-colour “AusCam” of green, tan, and black. While most show weathered and dusty tanks, there is a shot of a pristine freshly-painted tank in vibrant colours that would surely cost any modeller a trophy in the average AMPS or IPMS contest! The full load of field stowage is also well illustrated.

conclusion

This book is a treasure-trove of reference for the modeller of modern Australian armour.

This author wishes to thank Justin at Bookworld (aka Avid Reader) for the review sample of this new Tankograd title.