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The Reference Library

NSP

NSP

LE
All your recommended reference/coffee table books for modelling subjects here, be it armour, aircraft or war canoe.

Picked this up in the TM shop. Lots of illustrations and colour plates, including spreads of interior detail shots and factoids. Begins in the beginning and works through in sections; both WWs, the CW, and contemporary conflicts into future concepts. Tanks, APCs, IFVs - the lot - all covered.

The Tank Book on Amazon

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NSP

NSP

LE
A mate bought me this (for some reason!) - the technical manual the Spams wrote after evaluating a captured 88:-

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Apart from being historically interesting to read there's lots of detail photos and illustrations, not only for the mount but the ancillary kit like the battery aiming solution computer unit and range-finder.

On Amazon.
 
robinrocket111

robinrocket111

LE
Far East Armour.

Go to YouTube, Australian Army Tank Museum, Puckapunyal.
Not to big but all the Aussie vehicals are painted in their colour scheme's. They've got quite a mix of vehicals. Looking at the film, I counted at least 5 Matildas, one Matilda Scorpion, a dozer mark. Three Grants, four Centurions, a couple of Buffalo's one fire support version.
Enjoy.
Just a quick edit, had another look at video. They've also got a BARV, not 100% but looks to be based on a M3 or M4. There's also some Soviet kit as well.
 
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NSP

NSP

LE
Another excellent reference for the detail modeller:-

Amazon product
 
NSP

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LE
Haynes are releasing a CVR(T) "manual" in the new year for those detail nuts that like making little models of little tanks*...

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* Typed in a Oberleutnant Gruber accent.
 
NSP

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LE
Treated myself to some more reading material to offset the lockdown blues.

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I bought them to feed my interests in military history and engineering but they'd make good references for modelling - the Haynes books are particularly well-stocked with colour plates; period photos - many in colour; development, technical, tactical and historical information, diagrams, cutaways and so on. The German Inf one is particularly good for figure modellers and if you are placing figures in, on or in diorama for your AFVs. Gives the Schutzstaffel a stiff ignoring, not surprisingly, but covers pretty much all branches of the WH from infantry through artillery to the loggies.

The CVR(T) book covers pretty much the full range of variants - mainly Scorpion but Scimitar, Spartan, Samaritan get chapters detailing their development, deployment and notable frontline historical events. The usual plethora of detailed photos, diagrams, schematics, etc. Ditto the D-Day book - which looks at the whole event from conception, planning, technical developments specifially for the invasion (the funnies and so on), Mulberry, breaking through the Wall, key figures and commanders on both sides - the lot. As a result it is notably thicker than most Haynes non-repair manuals - and they're printed on decent paper and not the blotting paper the car repair ones are printed on!

British Battle Tanks looks in alarming detail at the Cent', the Vickers MBTs, Chieftain and both Chally marques. Not so heavy on the photos but there there are lots of detailed colour plates showing the differences between variants, marques, paint schemes both within the British army and with export customers (such as Israeli Cent's). A hell of a lot of detailed technical and historical info in text form, though. I'm going to enjoy a good read with that one.

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Expecting this one tomorrow:-
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I wonder if David is any relation to noted German armour historian Hilary Doyle...?
 
NSP

NSP

LE
Been doing some more reading and have some more recommendations for modelling references. The first two for diorama detail, especially when creating a specific action in a specific battle, the third for vehicle detail.

Looks at the significant engagements of the war with images specific to each - including the oft-overlooked assault on Westerplatte. Detailed isometric maps and diagrams to illustrate how the battles developed. Quite a lot of detailed photos not seen in many other coffee table histories, too.
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This is a nice, compact book with quite a lot of images of actual soldiers on all sides in a variety of states of war-weariness and kit - probably a good guide for figure modelling an "ally star!" Plus many photos from theatres various, including the now-cliched and apparently staged shot of the two squaddies bayonet charging the PzIII chap leaning out of his turret mit Hände hoch.
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Lots of photos of all variants including wrecked ones, good technical detail and several detailed interior shots in this one. The authors research reckons that StuGs alone accounted for over 20,000 Soviet AFVs!
Amazon product
 
NSP

NSP

LE
And today my indulgence from the Tank Museum Shop arrived, including this little beauty:-

tankmuseumshop.org

Matilda Infantry Tank Enthusiasts' Manual

This limited run is published by Haynes exclusively for The Tank Museum shop. Supported with almost 300 photographs and illustrations, Dick Taylor reviews the design, construction and combat use of the Matilda Infantry Tank and investigates the restoration of the Tank Museum’s Matilda II.
tankmuseumshop.org tankmuseumshop.org

If you are going to town on a Matilda kit with interior detail and you're splashing out on the full after-market PE and bits then this is a really good reference as it features the recently-restored to running condition Bovvy A12 Matilda II (first public running display at Tankfest 2019, as I understand it) and there are a lot of large, clear, sharp colour photos of the interior (including "the plumbing") as well as a walk-around section showing the exterior detail. I am really digging these Haynes "owners manuals" for tanks, particularly the Dick Taylor ones. There's so many photos, illustrations, detail diagrams, technical info from the design, development and deployment aspects plus a lot of historical references from the perspective of how the machines were used and performed in combat.

I've also got the Sherman and PzIII "manuals" in the same order but I haven't looked at them yet as I've been drooling over the long-desired Matilda book. It's a TM exclusive so "out of stock" on Amazon but currently on reduced price at the TM online shop.

I've also just finished reading this, which has a plethora of detail photos alongside a comprehensive text detailing the origins, development and deployment of the A11 and A12, and several pages of colour plates illustrating notable vehicles from each marque that acquired a notable backstory through the war:-

Amazon product

From the same series, I've just set aside this book on the Universal Carrier to get stuck into the Haynes Mati' book. Again, lots of photos showing detail and the development history through the marques and variations, field mods, etc. with similar detailed colour plates of "historic" vehicles. No mention of the Mantis, though. Definitely a nice, reasonably-priced book (booklet, maybe?!) for those looking for some detail reference and a reasonably comprehensive history:-

Amazon product

Edited to add: Not a lot of people know that Bovvy have the only three A11 ("Matilda I") left - one used as a hard target (showing just how damn hard it was), one static exhibit and one - wait for it! - working runner.

During the A12 restoration they also got rid of the incorrect "blue" Caunter cam - thank the Lord!
 
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robinrocket111

robinrocket111

LE
NSP said:
And today my indulgence from the Tank Museum Shop arrived, including this little beauty:-

tankmuseumshop.org

Matilda Infantry Tank Enthusiasts' Manual

This limited run is published by Haynes exclusively for The Tank Museum shop. Supported with almost 300 photographs and illustrations, Dick Taylor reviews the design, construction and combat use of the Matilda Infantry Tank and investigates the restoration of the Tank Museum’s Matilda II.
tankmuseumshop.org tankmuseumshop.org

If you are going to town on a Matilda kit with interior detail and you're splashing out on the full after-market PE and bits then this is a really good reference as it features the recently-restored to running condition Bovvy A12 Matilda II (first public running display at Tankfest 2019, as I understand it) and there are a lot of large, clear, sharp colour photos of the interior (including "the plumbing") as well as a walk-around section showing the exterior detail. I am really digging these Haynes "owners manuals" for tanks, particularly the Dick Taylor ones. There's so many photos, illustrations, detail diagrams, technical info from the design, development and deployment aspects plus a lot of historical references from the perspective of how the machines were used and performed in combat.

I've also got the Sherman and PzIII "manuals" in the same order but I haven't looked at them yet as I've been drooling over the long-desired Matilda book. It's a TM exclusive so "out of stock" on Amazon but currently on reduced price at the TM online shop.

I've also just finished reading this, which has a plethora of detail photos alongside a comprehensive text detailing the origins, development and deployment of the A11 and A12, and several pages of colour plates illustrating notable vehicles from each marque that acquired a notable backstory through the war:-

Amazon product

From the same series, I've just set aside this book on the Universal Carrier to get stuck into the Haynes Mati' book. Again, lots of photos showing detail and the development history through the marques and variations, field mods, etc. with similar detailed colour plates of "historic" vehicles. No mention of the Mantis, though. Definitely a nice, reasonably-priced book (booklet, maybe?!) for those looking for some detail reference and a reasonably comprehensive history:-

Amazon product

Edited to add: Not a lot of people know that Bovvy have the only three A11 ("Matilda I") left - one used as a hard target (showing just how damn hard it was), one static exhibit and one - wait for it! - working runner.

During the A12 restoration they also got rid of the incorrect "blue" Caunter cam - thank the Lord!
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Are there any reference photos of Matilda ll being used by Aussies in the Far East?
 
NSP

NSP

LE
robinrocket111 said:
Are there any reference photos of Matilda ll being used by Aussies in the Far East?
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There are a few, yes. Also of their home-grown mods like the Frog.
 
NSP

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LE
robinrocket111 said:
Cool, might have to invest in a copy, as I might do another Matilda at a later date.
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I'd get both Matilda books - the Haynes for the large colour shots of the interior and the fine detail (pics of the different designs of track link used and detail like that) and the little soft-cover one for the colour plates of notable vehicles and for additional Aussie and Commonwealth vehicles.

Plus they are both good reads and together give a complete history from conception to retirement.

Matilda was the only Allied tank to see front line service for the entire duration, apparently.
 
robinrocket111

robinrocket111

LE
NSP said:
Matilda was the only Allied tank to see front line service for the entire duration, apparently.
Click to expand...
My favourite quote about the Matilda…..
My favourite tank of WW2 and the point of frustration. It was probably the best tank in the world up until 1941/2, then it went all tits up till Centurion !
 

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