This latest book in the New Vanguard Series (#93), is on Modern Israeli Tanks and Infantry Carriers; 1985-2004. The Israeli Army operates in an environment that makes things a bit different in terms of how they design armored vehicles. They can specialize their equipment, unlike the US and other countries who may be tasked to operate in different climes.

The Israelis also are quite innovative. For instance, they have made use of a lot of captured enemy equipment. They also modify their tanks after they are no longer suited for front line service into other types of vehicle.

For instance, they have used the M113 for an APC for years. However, the situation is such that they were woefully under-armored. The solution was to add tons of additional armor plating. They also modified captured T-54 and T-55 tanks into heavily armored APCs and Engineering vehicles. This was also done with outmoded Centurions. In the tank arena, much of this book covers updated M48 and M60 tanks as well as the latest in the line of Merkava MBTs.

The book has several excellent cut away drawings as well as color profiles and a number of fine color photographs of every one of these vehicles and a few more. I personally found the book to be very entertaining and I learned a great deal that I did not know about the Israeli Army and their armored vehicles.

Those of you who are similarly enamored with AFVs will find this one hard to resist!

Available in bookstores everywhere, through Classic Motorbooks at (800) 826-6600 or at www.motorbooks.com. For more on the complete line of Osprey books, visit www.ospreypublishing.com

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