Having recently finished a trilogy of New Vanguard titles on tanks of the Cold War, a title on tanks of the Gulf War seemed like a useful culmination of the theme. The 1991 Gulf War was the largest tank conflict since World War II and involved an amazing variety of tank types. On the Coalition side, there was the predictable selection of NATO types. But on the Iraqi side, there was an incredible variety of types.

This new book covers some of the familiar Cold War tanks such as the M1A1 Abrams, Challenger, and AMX30B2 on the Coalition side. It focuses on why these tanks performed so well in the Gulf War, particularly the pivotal impact of lesser-known technologies such as their revolutionary new thermal imaging fire control sights.

The coverage of Iraqi tanks includes a good deal of fresh new research. Over the past few years, the CIA has declassified a number of reports dealing with tank sales to Iraq in the 1980s. This provides some fascinating new insights, for example, explaining why Iraq ended up with so many Chinese tanks. It also clarifies who was selling tanks to Iraq and how many were sold. These formerly top secret reports explain why the Iraqi arsenal was so diverse.

Another aspect of Iraqi tanks that I cover in the book is the issue of Iraqi tank markings, which should be of special interest to tank modelers. I can recall that immediately after the war, there were many photos that appeared showing a wide variety of colorful geometric signs on their tanks, usually with no explanation of their meaning. Over the years I have collected a lot of material that helps to explain the meaning of these markings and to pinpoint which units used which markings.

This book is capped off with some exceptionally nice artwork by Felipe (Rodna) Rodriguez. His artwork provides a remarkably convincing portrayal of the subjects. It is thoroughly illustrated with color photos of the tanks, including a number of rare shots of tanks of the Coalition allied armies such as Egypt and Qatar.

You can read more in Tanks in the Gulf War 1991