First Look:

With 48 pages of black and white photomontage, it has over 122 high quality photographs usually two or three to a page. The internal end covers have colour illustrations of examples taken from the book. The main text is in Russian with the comments alongside the photographs are bilingual. See comment at end on this review.

In Depth:

It contains a wealth of new information about the German practices of camouflaging tanks and B vehicles. As more and more information from this publisher becomes available. The rules of standardisation seem to be largely ignored. Photographic evidence shows that it was mainly down to the whim or abilities of the painter as to how he interpreted the way it should or should not be painted. Picaso would have been proud of some of the results.

To pick out one photograph to illustrate this the markings on a Panther G do not follow the usual rules of three numbers but has AJ9 in what looks like red outlined in white, page 38, photo 106.

The vast majority of the photographs have never been published before. And those that have, usually in the past have been poorly printed or misidentified. It contains a great many surprises and the so-called German experts are going to have to eat their words yet once again.

Once more the authors and publishers are to be congratulated on bringing us loads of new and interesting reference material.

Conclusion:

To sum up simply; if German Tanks is your thing, miss this book and you will miss out on many hours of enjoyment and reference material. Get one while you can as they are only published in a Limited Number run. Usually of 3000 copies world-wide. I have only two adverse comments to make. Several of the photographs could have been better served if printed in a larger size; to pick out two, numbers 68 and 106. If the publishers would only publish in the International Language of model makers " English", they I know would sell many more copies.

Comments on Price:

I obtained my copy from NKR Models Australia for 14$ Aus, 35-56 plus P & P. About 37-50 in total.

If I had bought it here in the UK I would have been charged at least A312-95 plus P& P roughly A315-45.

I know whom I will be dealing with for my books in Future.