Tank: The Progress of a Monstrous War Machine

One thing you should be warned is that if you are a person obsessed only with detail of gun calibre, armour thickness, speed and tank design; if you are a person who loves the clash of metal and the wide sweep of panzers across open spaces; if you locked yourself in the toilet reading endless stats on the various tanks of the century while waiting for a bowel movement (I sure did) -- then this book may not be for you. This is a book about the meaning of the tank. Whether it is as oppressive Behemoth, crusher of will or the imposition of force on either the field of battle or internal control of dissendent elements, this book explores the place in the consciousness of mankind of the Tank. That means that the book enters ground never covered before and it would take someone who really knows how to write to pull this off. Patrick Wright writes extremely well and keeps up the entry of new ideas surrounding the tank and develops them well while keeping mind several thematic elements through the whole book. In this sense Fuller, Alistair Crowley, Punk Culture (a concept introduced to describe German tank crews in the Western desert)poets and philosphers -- this is all relevant in the intellectual history of the tank. What you really have is a very, very rare work here that in my estimation is extremely underrated. It is difficult to communicate the importance of this work. It is, in short, a book that should be read by both those who enjoy femminist literature and those who like to read cheap war novels -- try to do a sell on this book to those two different kinds of people! It is next to impossible, yet both groups would enjoy it! Both would understand its import. But again, try selling a book names "Tank" to both groups -- next to impossible. Thematic elements to be enjoyed are JFC Fuller the "recycled occultist" whose interest in unorthodox strategy mixes as counter point to his own bizaare interest in eastern religions and his support for Fascism and anti-semitism. Later Fuller would be equally studied by the great Israeli tank generals. He also contrasts the external usage of conquering external threats and those of crushing internal dissent -- something present since the advent of tanks and their use against Scottish trade unionists in Glasgow in 1919. There is also the notion of protection to sheild people within from the horror without. Whether it be the horror of using Russian soldier's body as ballast on sunken roads or the PLA killing their own people in China.... the tank sheilds the mind and conditions hopes and expecations of society, Poland, Germany and Israel are notable examples. Finally I must note that the book is very well written. Wright knows how to ellicit passion and he also knows how to tweak us with poetry from time to time. He is able to go between diverse ideas of the tank over time. If you are looking for a biography of tanks and their usage and expecting the clash of Panzers and reams of quotes from Guderi

An excellent book for the military history-minded, mostly for the non-military history elements. The purely tank-oriented material is well-researched and sometimes illuminating (connecting Polish officers of today to their Wolrd War II ancestors works well), and the book forces the reader to consider the non-military-ness of tanks in culture. Although the tangents Patrick Wright takes sometimes stumble along for too long, the strength of his writing makes even David Dinkins homeless policies interesting. His descriptions of the Israeli tank and its unique design had me searching the internet for interior pictures. Too much Alastair Crowley and Magick, perhaps, but overall an excellent use of cultural appreciation and careful research to create a useful history.

While Patrick Wright's Tank looks to be just another military history title, it's actually much, much more: it is a definitive history of the tank, a mobile and armored weapon system introduced onto the European battlefields of World War I and which was to transform the nature of ground warfare forever. From its use through the 20th century as a weapon and a symbol to the evolution of tank mechanics, world battle zones and events are covered in a lively history.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Good treatment of the subject. I recommend it highly and look forward to Mr. Wright's next book. Thank You.

this book was published in UK over one year ago. It is an excellent biography of the tank. Well written and worth the time of military buffs. Enjoy it!