Armor expert Zaloga enters the battle over the best tanks of World War II with this heavy-caliber blast of a book armed with more than forty years of research.Provocative but fact-based rankings of the tanks that fought the Second World WarBreaks the war into eight periods and declares Tanker's Choice and Commander's Choice for eachChampions include the German Panzer IV and Tiger; Soviet T-34; American Pershing; and a few surprisesCompares tanks' firepower; armor protection; and mobility as well as dependability; affordability; tactics; training; and overall combat performanceRelies on extensive documentation from archives; government studies; and published sources--much of which has never been published in English beforeSupported by dozens of charts and diagrams and hundreds of photos
#1612724 in Books Stackpole Books 2000-07-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.00 x 6.50l; 1.29 #File Name: 0811701980288 pages
Review
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Important Treatment of Relatively Obscure BattleBy David M. DoughertyThe author is to be commended for writing this book and lifting the veil of obscurity that has relegated the "Paoli Massacre" to a few lines in most works on the Revolutionary War. McGuire isn't an accomplished writer and some parts are disjointed; but the nuggets contained are worth the mining. McGuire accurately plays up the important aspects of this battle. First; the British were able to surprise Wayne's Pennsylvania troops who were on their home turf. This was due to the dark and rainy night; the fact that the British moved forward without flints so there would be no firing from the British side; and the Pennsylvanians were silhouetted against their campfires while the British were almost invisible in the dark woods. Secondly; it was only due to good fortune that Wayne's entire command was not annihilated. Third; the case can be made that Wayne should never have been in the exposed position he was in without some form of cavalry cover. Fourth; this battle "made" Wayne in that he learned from his mistakes and was able to turn the tables on the British later at Stony Point. And last; the survivors were energized to greater efforts and became better soldiers as a result. Although the Court of Inquiry's findings concerned with the Paoli battle have been lost; Wayne was obviously not exonerated at the inquiry; and at least four of the sixteen officers who testified criticized him. Wayne was then brought up on charges at a court-martial and acquited. About one-half of the book covers events before the battle and supplies a great deal of information on the units; dispositions and movements preceeding the night of battle. The battle itself takes up less than fifty pages. One of the best features about this book is the detail it goes into debunking the many myths concerning the battle and putting the event in proper context. The British posessed an excellent plan that was not executed well in its entirety; but nevertheless inflicted a crushing defeat on good soldiers and competent officers. On the American side there is confusion; mistakes; and an inability to adapt at all levels. It could have been worse; but Howe's thought that the Americans had been sufficiently humbled so as to pose little threat to his army was roundly shown to be in error only two weeks later at Germantown. In short; this is a specialist's book; well worth reading.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Balanced; Scholarly Examination of the "Paoli Massacre"By ZeldockI was delighted to find that "Battle of Paoli" -- a fairly specialized work on a secondary engagement in the Revolution -- is available as a Kindle book. The author has reviewed a massive amount of primary sources in tracing the movements of the forces of Washington and Howe after the Battle of the Brandywine on Sept. 11; 1777; and in reconstructing what actually happened in the so-called Paoli Massacre on the night of Sept. 19-20. The narrative he tells; with the help of letters; memoirs; and inquiry transcripts; is very different from the version commonly offered in histories of the American Revolution. The Continentals were not completely surprised; were not bayoneted in their sleep; and were not fatally silhouetted against their campfires.The Kindle formatting is about standard for non-fiction books. As I've come to expect; the illustrations are murky and the maps illegible. The table of contents is linked; but the footnotes are not (the one significant flaw).The book also includes the complete surviving transcript of the court of inquiry that was held after the battle and lists of the men known to be in the Continental forces; with indications of those killed and wounded.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One of the best books on a Revolutionary war battle.By FirelockLoved this book. Amazing detail for a Revolutionary account. Wish there were more books like this on other battles.
