Armoured Warfare: A Military, Political and Global History

by Alaric Searle

This book charts the history of armoured warfare from the first use of the tank in 1916 right through to the 21st century, adopting military, political and global perspectives. Alaric Searle explores the origins of the tank, the part it played in the First World War and its contribution to the outcome of the war. He considers its role as a tool of propaganda, the military controversies of the interwar period and the employment of armoured forces in all the major theatres in the Second World War. Since the First World War, major and medium-sized powers have invested heavily in armoured forces. Searle looks at the conduct of mechanised warfare in Korea, Indo-China and Vietnam, and during conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli Wars and the Gulf Wars. Armoured Warfare adopts a global perspective, providing the most comprehensive survey of the history of the subject currently available. With a detailed bibliography of both primary and secondary sources, it is an ideal companion for those studying armoured warfare, modern military history and war studies.

284 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2017

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intended as an introductory text for the college-level reader this work certainly succeeds on that level, as Searle provides a good overview regarding how most of the high-profile tank theorists related to each other during the 1919-1939 period, before surveying the armored battles of World War II that remain the iconic images of what tank warfare is supposed to look like.

Where Searle tends to fall down is that he has remarkably little to say about tank theory in the U.S. Army, which one would consider rather relevant. I would at least think that the process that led to emergence of the M4 "Sherman" would be important, considering what an icon that machine is. Nor will you find commentary on the U.S. military's operational revolution of the post-Vietnam era, which one might think significant, seeing as "Air-Land" Battle was the doctrinal foundation of the wars waged in Iraq. I would have at least expected a couple of pages each to be devoted to Jacob Devers (the first substantive commander of the U.S. Armored Force) or Donn Starry, the responsible figure behind the doctrinal revolution of the 1970s, and a notable historian of armored warfare in his own right.

Actual rating: 3.5.

Originally written: October 2, 2019.