Oliver, Dennis. Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks: German Army and Waffen-SS, Eastern Front 1944. Pen and Sword Military, 2016.

Oliver, Dennis. Sherman Tanks: British Army and Royal Marines, Normandy Campaign 1944. Pen and Sword Military, 2016.

The TankCraft series by Pen and Sword Military is specifically meant for the modeler who wants to “get it right” by being as historically accurate as possible. The books are organized into three basic parts: 1) there are detailed unit histories, generously supported by photographic examples of specific tanks in the field; 2) there are beautiful, full-color illustrations clearly showing insignia and camouflage schemes; and 3) there are comprehensive surveys of the kits and after-market products that cover these subjects in various scales, with examples of completed work by world-class modelers.

By zeroing in on one type of tank in one theatre during a limited scope of time–not Tiger tanks, but Eastern Front Tigers in 1944, and not Sherman tanks, but British Shermans in Normandy–author and tank expert Dennis Oliver is able to offer a remarkable level of detail perfectly suited to the exacting standards of today’s modeler, who often wants to reproduce in miniature something that was very specific and very real.

Of course, these attractive books suffer from the same weakness as any reference works in print: the time-sensitive information they contain about retail products will eventually be out of date as current kit manufacturers continue to develop their catalogues and altogether new companies come onto the scene–which seems to happen in shorter time frames these days than it used to.

If you’re like me, though, and you like books, tanks and models, these volumes will be informative right now, and I expect they will remain enjoyable to look at for a long time to come.

See a gallery of my Tiger tanks here.