“An in-depth illustrated history of one of the most successful post-war British tanks” from the author of Special Forces Vehicles (Forces Pension Society). Few tank designs have been as effective, versatile and long-lived as that of the British Centurion. Conceived during the Second World War as the answer to the superior German Tiger and Panther tanks and to the lethal 88mm gun, this 52-ton main battle tank incorporated the lessons British designers had learned about armored fighting vehicles during the conflict, and it was free of the major faults that had impaired the other British tank designs of the time. The Centurion was so successful that it served in the British Army and in numerous other armies across the world from 1945 until the 1990s. Pat Ware’s highly illustrated history of this remarkable tank covers its design and development, its technical specifications and the many variants that were produced. He tells the story from the design brief of 1943, through testing and trials to the tank’s entry into service. In addition, he traces the course of the Centurion’s subsequent career, as it was up-dated, up-gunned and adapted to operate in varied conditions and conflicts all over the world including Korea, the Indo-Pakistan wars, Vietnam and the Arab-Israeli wars. His expert account of this remarkable fighting vehicle is accompanied by a series of color plates showing the main variants of the design and the common ancillary equipment and unit markings. His book is an essential work of reference for enthusiasts. “An impressive tribute to a superb vehicle.” —The Pegasus Archive

The Centurion was the British Army's first standard post-World War Two main battle tank. It first saw combat in the Korean War, and was used by a number of armed forces in many engagements over the next thirty years. Many different variants were produced, and many remain in service to this day.

First trialled in Europe in the spring of 1945, but formally introduced into British Army service in December 1946, not only is the Centurion one of the most important tanks in the history of the British armoured fighting vehicle (AFV), but it is also one of the most significant post-war Western tanks. Between 1946 and 1962, 4,423 Centurions were built in 13 basic marks and numerous variants, with the chassis also adapted for several other AFV roles. A small number of the Beach Armoured Recovery Version (BARV) served with the British forces during the Iraq War of 2003, some 58 years after the Centurion first entered service! The Centurion has seen extensive combat in the Korean War (Britain), Vietnam (Australia), the Middle East (Israel) in the 1967 Six Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and during the 1978 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon, and in the Indo-Pakistan War (India) in 1965 where it fought against US-supplied M47 and M48 Patton tanks.

The fifty-ton British Centurion tank, developed during the darkest days of the Second World War, was designed to outgun and outperform the latest German tanks, such as the formidable Panzer V Panther. It was one of the most successful tanks ever produced, and this volume in the TankCraft series by Robert Jackson is the ideal introduction to it.The Centurion came into service too late to test its ability in action with German armor, but in the postwar world it earned a fearsome reputation in action during the many conflicts of the Cold War era, from the Middle East to Vietnam. Nearly 4,500 were built, serving with the armies of some twenty nations. The Centurions chassis was also adapted to fulfill a variety of tasks, including armored recovery, bridge-laying and guided weapons carrier.As well as tracing the history of the Centurion, Robert Jackson's book is an excellent source of reference for the modeler, providing details of available kits and photographs of award-winning models, together with artworks showing the color schemes applied to these tanks. Each section of the book is supported by a wealth of archive photographs.

A tightly focused illustrated study comparing the design, development, and combat performance of two of the Cold War's first main battle tanks. Conceived at the height of World War II, the British Centurion and the Soviet T-55 were initially expected to counter the formidable Panther and Tiger tanks of Germany. But as the Cold War unfolded, these machines prepared instead for the coming struggle between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Though they never fought in Europe, these two tanks became the mainstay of the Cold War's proxy forces around the world. From Korea to the Middle East and on to Angola, these two armored combatants clashed repeatedly, reaching their crescendo on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War where 177 Centurions of the IDF took on a vastly superior Arab force. Presented with highly detailed digital artwork and photographs, this is a tightly focused study of the development and operational history two of the Cold War's first main battle tanks.