This is the first large book I've had the opportunity to read from Historie and Collections. It covers a subject that is rarely dealt with by most authors and that is the Sherman tank in the Pacific theater. It is Europe and North Africa that usually gets all the press, but the truth is that both the US Marines and the Army used the tank once it became available. Though not in the numbers seen elsewhere, it first saw action in New Guinea in late 1943 and was prominent in every invasion and assault that occurred until the end of the Pacific war.

In truth, the Pacific campaign could have been waged without the Sherman. The Japanese spent most of their military budget on ships and aircraft. Tanks were always an afterthought and the Japanese fought the war with equipment that was basically obsolete by European standards. The US initially pitted Stuart light tanks against the Japanese and in this regard, they fought well. In the Pacific, the 37mm anti-tank gun, which was useless against German tanks, was quite effective against the Japanese. However, if one has big stick, it is silly not to use it in a fight so the Sherman went island hopping.

During the course of their use, it was discovered that the Japanese had a penchant for magnetic anti-tank mines, so having the sides covered in lumber became the norm. Even later in the war, the Japanese would assault a tank, open the hatch and toss in a grenade. Not good for the occupants, so one found these areas rimmed with spikes and screens to prevent this sort of attack.

The way the author decided to format the book is rather clever. He treats each section with a map of the area invaded (since they are mostly islands), showing the progress of the US forces. There is a short historical section and then the rest are photos of the Sherman in the field. As one can imagine, the number of images is rather minimal at first and as the book unfolds and more images become available, more are provided. There is an excellent caption with each image, pointing out salient features seen on the subject tank. The photos are well chosen and crisply printed so you can see a lot of detail. I appreciate that the author chose not to tint the images as one sees so often and on the cover of this book. Also included are various full color profiles of many of the tanks illustrated.

The text in this one is in English, but the English of someone who speaks it as a second language as there is some rather odd word usage and sentence structure from time to time. Nothing confusing, but definitely different. The large format of the book and the thick, high quality glossy paper on which it is printed ensures you of a durable product and good that it is for you will find yourself reaching for this one over and over again.

A truly superb book and one that I give my highest recommendation.

July 2015

Review book courtesy of  Casemate Publishing, where you can order your copy of this and many other superb books.

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