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.
