Booklist - British/Commonwealth Military Vehicles.

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by von Poop, Sep 2, 2010.

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  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Uninspired in the bookshops of late.
    Dozens of lists relating to German designs out there - Thought I'd list what I've found worthwhile relating to British Stuff.
    (Mildly depressing how slim the overall pickings are in comparison to German gear.)

    Armoured & Softskin.
    Any period.
    More suggestions please?


    David Fletcher:
    Landships - British tanks in the First World War - HMSO 1984.
    War Cars - British Armoured Cars in the First World War - HMSO 1987.
    Mechanised Force - British Tanks Between the Wars - HMSO 1991.
    The Great Tank Scandal - British Armour in the Second World War, part 1 - HMSO 1989.
    The Universal Tank - British Armour in the Second World War, part 2.
    Vanguard of Victory - The 79th Armoured Division - HMSO 1984.
    Mr Churchill's Tank - The British Infantry Tank, Mk.IV - Schiffer 1999.

    Historic Military Vehicle Directory - Bart Vanderveen - ATB 1989
    Wheels & Tracks Magazine (75 Issues) - Bart Vanderveen - ATB 1982-2001

    Cromwell Tank - Vehicle History & Specification - HMSO 1983.
    Churchill Tank - Vehicle History & Specification - HMSO 1983.

    Universal Carriers - (2 volumes so far) - Nigel Watson - Watson 2006.

    The Vickers Tanks - From Landships to Challenger 2 - Foss & McKenzie - Keepdate 1995.

    Making Tracks - British Carrier Story 1914-72 - Chamberlain & Ellis - Profile 1973.

    The Churchill - Brian Perrett - Ian Allan 1974.

    British & American Tanks of WW2 - Chamberlain & Ellis - Cassel 1969

    Bovington Tanks - George & Anne Forty - DPC 1988.

    Armoured Firepower - The Development of Tank Armament 1939-45 - Peter Gudgin - Sutton 1997.

    Conqueror - Rob Griffin - Crowood 1999.
    Chieftain - Rob Griffin - Crowood 2001.

    Alvis Saracen Family - Bill Munro - Crowood 2002.

    British Armoured Cars since 1945 - Simon Dunstan - A&AP 1989.

    Tank - Patrick Wright - Faber 2000.

    Pat Ware:
    Ferret - FV700 series in British Army Service - Warehouse 1997.
    Quarter Ton - Ford & Willys Jeep, Austin Champ, Land Rover Series one - Warehouse 1996.
    Tugs of War - Heavy Recovery Vehicles, Tank Transporters & Artillery Tractors of the British Army, 1945-1965 - Warehouse 1995.

    Will likely add to later.
    Obviously there are many others on deployment, units etc. - but I'm trying to concentrate on the Technical side - Design, manufacture, testing.
    You never know - 'someone' might have a suggestion or two on motorbikes... realising I've very little on them.

    ~A
     
  2. idler

    idler GeneralList

    The Churchill - Brian Perrett - Ian Allan 1974.

    Also his: The Matilda and The Valentine

    Are you including stuff on development (not that I can boast about a £1 boot-sale mint copy of Men, Ideas and Tanks) such as A New Excalibur and Rude Mechanicals?

    And are any series or titles deemed not worthwhile?
     
  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Yep, 'development' pretty much sums it up, don't know why I left the word out.
    I suppose general titles on that theme can accompany the 'British' aspect, as things like Ogorkiewicz, while not specifically on one nation's armour, feed into the whole subject.

    Armour - The development of mechanised forces and their equipment - Richard Ogorkiewicz - Atlantic 1960.
    Design and development of fighting vehicles - Richard Ogorkiewicz - Macdonald 1968
    Technology of Tanks (Vols 1-2) - Richard Ogorkiewicz - Janes 1991

    New Excalibur, Band of Brigands, Rude Mechanicals, Buckley etc. should probably go in shouldn't they - I kind of want to stop short of pure deployment histories, but as long as there's something on design/development in there.

    Good shout on further Perrets (still bugs me those two are almost all there is outside of Osprey specifically regarding those machines).

    I thought about excluding stuff, but I'm not so sure it's worth it. Nothing wrong with having multiple Ospreys etc. listed.
    Eventually I'll tidy everything up and we'll hopefully get a reasonably worthwhile/comprehensive list.
     
  4. idler

    idler GeneralList

    A few more:

    Bedford at War, Kelsey Books
    Bedford to Berlin & Beyond: QL the Forces Favourite 4x4, Coates, Fitzjames Press
    British Military Transport 1829-1956, Fletcher, TSO
    Moving the Guns, Ventham & Fletcher, HMSO
    The Devil's Chariots, Glanfield, Sutton
    The Funnies, Futter, Bellona
    Modern Combat Vehicles 1: Chieftain, Forty, Ian Allan
    Modern Combat Vehicles 2: Centurion, Dunstan, Ian Allan
    Modern Combat Vehicles 5: Scorpion, Forty, Ian Allan
    Classic AFVS No. 1 - Crusader, Milsom/Sandars/Scarborough, PSL
    Classic AFVS No. 2 - Lee & Grant, Jones/Chamberlain, PSL
    Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the World: Volume 1: AFVs of World World One, Profile and reprinted by Cannon
    Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the World: Volume 2: British AFVs 1919-40, , , Profile
    Death By Design: British Tank Development in the Second World War, Beale, Sutton
    Land Warfare: Brassey's New Battlefield Weapon Systems & Technology Series: Volume 7: Fighting Vehicles, Terry, et el, Brassey's
    Fighting Vehicles & Weapons of the Modern British Army (1962), Pugh, MacDonald
    British Military Vehicles 1981, MVEE
    Modern British Armoured Fighting Vehicles (1986), Gander, PSL
    Irish Army Armoured Cars: An Illustrated Record, Martin, Karl Martin
    The Tank: Its Birth & Development, William Foster & Co. Ltd

    The British Army and the Theory of Armored [sic] Warfare, 1918-1940, Larson, University of Delaware Press
    Man of Armour: A Study of Lieut. General Vyvan Pope CBE DSO MC and the Development of Armoured Warfare, Lewin, Leo Cooper
    Our Armoured Forces, Martel, Faber & Faber
    The Apostles of Mobility: The Theory & Practice of Armoured Warfare, Carver, Weidenfield & Nicolson

    Getting a bit off-topic (and over-budget): forward-looking techno-tactical tomes from the early eighties:
    Tank Warfare, Simpkin, Brassey's
    Mechanized Infantry, Simpkin, Brassey's
    Antitank, Simpkin, Brassey's
    Human Factors in Mechanized Warfare, Simpkin, Brassey's
     
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  5. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Since you've asked, 'British Forces Motorcycles 1925 - 1945' - Orchard & Madden is the 'bible' for the two-wheelers.

    It has chapters on MWEE / MEE / TT2 as well as the VAOS 'Vocabulary of Army Ordnance Spares' system so there are aspects which relate to other vehicles.

    There are a couple of books on Canadian motorcycle usage but they don't include much new technical information.

    I'm afraid that I'm mostly at the level of Parts books and Workshop manuals plus old copies of 'Motor Cycle' and Motor-Cycling'

    British vehicles aren't very 'cool' are they ? The world seems to be divided into Hollywood wannabees and neo-Nazis when it comes to vehicle preferences.
     
  6. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Cheers chaps.
    Tell me about the 'uncoolness'.
    Very odd that there aren't large books on each vehicle, just as there is for any German machine.

    Bit general, but each has a touch of the British machinery creation process:
    Modern Battle Tanks - various - Profile 1978
    Band of Brigands - Christy Campbell - Harper 2007
    British Armour in the Normandy Campaign - John Buckley - Cass 2004
    Tank - Macksey/Batchelor - Macdonald 1970
    Armoured Crusader - Macksey - Grub Street
    The Great Tanks - Chamberlain & Ellis - Hamlyn 1975
    Vehicles of the Home Guard - Martin Mace - Through The Lens 2001
     
  7. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The Harley worshippers have a whole book about restoring a bike that the War Department would rather not have had.

    9780760304297: How to Restore Your Military Harley-Davidson 1932-1952: Authentic Restoration Guide - AbeBooks - Palmer, Bruce: 0760304297

    Can you imagine a book 'How to restore your WD BSA' ?

    How many books on Jeeps are there ?

    Armour is not really my thing (I like to see it but it doesn't fall into one of my obsessive categories) but I would buy books on British softskins, especially the pre / early war stuff. It's just that there's hardly anything.

    Who's going to write a coffee table book on WD Morris-Commercials for me ?
     
  8. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Who's going to write a coffee table book on WD Morris-Commercials for me ?

    Another yawning gap.
    Christ knows how many issued/adapted/deployed over 40-odd years, but details have to be picked from here & there.
    Wheels & Tracks is still the closest I've got to real hard info on most British Softskins. Vanderveen is my prophet.
    (Not British, but CMPs must be one of the most neglected major allied types too.)

    Those Watson Carrier books have been the biggest breath of Fresh published air in recent years (Still waiting for the third), and even those seem to be a private publication.

    Seen the price of a set of Fletcher Mechanised force/Tank Scandal/Universal tank?
    Well overdue for a single volume reprint.

    We are obviously just miserable 'niche' readers, but maybe one day we'll gain some ground on the Panzer-boys. My primary interests are British vehicles, but I must have three times as many decent books on German tanks, kind of by default as I can't find what I really want.
    Mind you, even their softskins aren't as well covered as they should be. More people are just drawn to armour I suppose.

    Rant.
    Blah.
    Dribble.
     
  9. idler

    idler GeneralList

    64 Transport Series: Volume 7: Ford Military Vehicles, Geary
    Airfix Magazine Guide 17: British Tanks of World War 2, Gander & Chamberlain, PSL
    The Second World War 1939-1945: Army: Fighting Support and Transport Vehicles, and The War Office Organization for Their Provision: Part 1 - Common Problems, Campagnac & Hayman, The War Office
     
  10. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    AFV Profile publications
    AFV Weapons No.38 - Conqueror Heavy Gun Tank
    AFV Weapons No.6 - Valentine Mark III
    AFV Weapons No.8 - Cruiser Mark VI
    AFV Weapons No.13 - Armoured Fighting Vehicles Ram and Sexton
    AFV Weapons 04 - Light Tanks M1-M5 (Stuart/Honey)
    AFV Weapons 01 - Churchill, B.I.T. Mk IV
    AFV Weapons No.20 - Churchill and Sherman Specials
    there a few more


    they give a good little history
     
  11. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    The Second World War 1939-1945: Army: Fighting Support and Transport Vehicles, and The War Office Organization for Their Provision: Part 1 - Common Problems, Campagnac & Hayman, The War Office
    Sounds interesting.
    Or is it quite the opposite?

    Profile Publications
    Has anyone got the compiled books made up from Profile publications?
    I can never remember the name of the damned things when I go looking. Two, maybe three volumes? Seemed expensive when I saw them once, but given the price some Profiles go for might now be worth a look.
     
  12. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    the link below re AFV profile publications
    Armoured Fighting Vehicles AFV Weapons Profile Ebooks on eBay (end time 05-Oct-10 10:49:54 BST)


    thought these looked interesting on ABE
    TANK POWER VOL.XCIII (AFV SERIES NO. 335) A13 MK I/MK II (CRUISER TANK MK III/IV) (ISBN: 9788372193353)
    Jacek Solarz

    BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH ARMOURED FORMATIONS (1919-456) (AFV/WEAPONS SERIES, PROFILE BOOK 2) (ISBN: 0853830819 / 0-85383-081-9)

    TANKS OF WORLD WAR II (ISBN: 0853830061 / 0-85383-006-1)

    MAKING TRACKS BRITISH CARRIER STORY 1914 TO 1972 (AFV WEAPONS SERIES)

    79th Armoured Division, Hobo's Funnies. AFV/Weapon Series. Profile Book 3.


    Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Profile Volume 3

    BRITISH ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES ( AFVs) 1919-40

    Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Profile: Volume 3 British & Commonwealth AFT's 1940-1946

    thought this link looked interesting
    http://www.irvania.com/downloads/TBOTIntro.pdf
     
  13. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Not quite the opposite. Lots on the mechanics of procurement, a chunk on Lend-Lease then whets the appetite for parts II: Unarmoured Vehicles and Part III: Armnoured Vehicles. I bet they're not easy to find.

    A couple of the Profile compendia(?) are in my big list. The WW1 one was reprinted a few years ago.
     
  14. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Cheers chaps - I should have read more closely on the profiles.

    For the WO Vehicles publications, might be worth watching this space, as Opanapointer's mates seem to have their scanning sights on it:
    HyperWar: British Army Staff Histories
     
  15. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    This thread.
    + Magic Plastic Money Card.
    + 2AM
    + Abebooks.
    + Belly-full of Vodka.

    = Surprise deliveries of ordered books that I'd completely forgotten about.

    Oh dear. Haven't quite decided if this is a good or bad thing :unsure:.
    Wonder if I should check my Abe account, or just leave myself in suspense...
     
  16. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Keep us posted Adam. Full reviews awaited !
     
  17. idler

    idler GeneralList

    A series I've only recently discovered:

    Warpaint: Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles 1903-2003 by Dick Taylor, Mushroom Model Publications.

    Vol 1 ISBN 9788389450630 - Paint & Camouflage to 1939, Registration/WD/Census Numbers to 2003 (out of print)

    Vol 2 ISBN 9788389450925 - Paint & Camouflage 1939 to 1945, Subunit Markings and Callsigns to 2003 (in print and a bit of a bargain on Amazon)

    Vol 3 ISBN 9788361421238 - Paint & Camouflage post-WW2, Arm of Service Markings, Formation Signs (should have been printed by now...)

    Vol 4 TBC (Maybe 1939-40 RA geometric markings? They're not in Vol 2 ;) )

    Obviously aimed at modellers but there is plenty of detail for those of us who are hamfisted.
     
  18. Golf Bravo

    Golf Bravo Member

    Ah, Adam, I just love plastic money. To that end, would a wish list slot somewhere here be a good idea? Seems there's a leak in my Amazon wish list that goes straight to buy with one click.

    Geoff
     
  19. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    One click buying on Amazon? Are you mad!
    I set that up once, and it got silly - really silly - Clever buggers those Amazons.
    Naughty, but nice...

    Those Warpaint books are indeed dead good Idler - never bought any but read a few (though the Sherman Swallow book might be in the series, so maybe I have) - is it me, or do they seem to get a fairly limited print run?
     
  20. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    A series I've only recently discovered:

    Warpaint: Colours and Markings of British Army Vehicles 1903-2003 by Dick Taylor, Mushroom Model Publications.
    Vol 4 TBC (Maybe 1939-40 RA geometric markings? They're not in Vol 2 ;) )

    With all the unpaid researchers now posting their findings on this forum, I think there's a good chance that it will appear.
     

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