This book is an excellent counter to Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II. Lt. Cooper was charged with finding and tagging destroyed tanks. He has very little good to say about the Sherman. Mr. Zaloga is a militarian historian who explains in detail the Sherman's problems and its strengths.

The Sherman had a bad rap as a "Tommy cooker". This tendency to burn after being hit was blamed on its use of gas rather than diesel as a fuel. Mr. Zaloga demostrates that the real cause was ammo storage. Once this problem was fixed the burn rate after being hit fell from 60-80% to 10-15%.

The Sherman's other main problem was that the Allies were winning. This meant that they were advancing. The most important factor in tank-vs-tank fighting is NOT technical superority. It is who engages first. Here the defenders obviously have the advantage. The Army found that when the defenders fired first, the attackers suffered 4.3 times more casulties than the defenders. So the Sherman tended to get the short end of the stick.

This explains why rear-area Lt. Cooper Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II thought Shermans were death traps while Col Loza Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza thought they were much better than the German tanks.

It would be hard to overpraise this book. It is a masterpiece.

I met Steve at a military symposium in New York City in 1991 when I came down as an instructor from West Point to give a presentation on German World War II armaments production. Steve was in the audience and we shared ideas on the walk back to the train station.

I have read most of Steve's historical works and his understanding of the technology and issues surrounding World War II armored development is unmatched by few in the military history field. This book represents the first time someone has pulled together the entire story of the M4 Sherman tank's technology and production developments, doctrine, fielding,and combat experience in a single volume. It is a complex story that addresses the many personalities, opposing concepts, bitter debate, innovation and expedients surrounding the Sherman tank's compressed World War II service.

Steve handles that story masterfully, particularly the debate between LTG McNair's "battle need" (today what we call requirements-based procurement), MG Bruce's high-speed tank destroyer concept, and LTG Dever's more perceptive view that the "best enemy of the tank is another tank." Steve also explains the difficulty faced by the U.S. Army in meeting the demand for tanks to fight in environments around the world, be reliable, be simple to operate, and that could be produced in large numbers for the U.S. Army and all of its allies. The entire requirement was compressed into a three-year time span where technical intelligence of German Army developments lagged American production by months.

Steve, building on his previously published research, assembles supporting technical documentation of Sherman tank production, fielding, and deployed strength for the first time in one book. Steve is one of the few authors to accurately compare Allied and German tank losses in Normandy. Too many authors stand in awe of the Wehrmacht's Panzerwaffe and criticize Allied armored operations in Normandy and northern France, completely missing how devastating the campaign was to the German Army's tank strength. Allied tank losses were actually less than the Germans between June and September 1944. The reasons for the disparity are clearly spelled out in Steve's book.

The book is not without a few minor errors. These revolve around the American 90mm gun's capability compared to the German 88's and the British 17 lber. The chart that compares the M3 90mm versus the German KwK 36 and KwK 43 is invalid. The 90mm's standard M82 APCBC shell is compared to the 88mm tungsten-cored AP40 shot which has a higher velocity and was produced in extremely limited numbers (800 rounds in 1942 and 8,900 rounds in 1943. Of these only 5,570 were actually consumed by the end of 1943 and 1,600 rounds were returned for use in machine tools). Likewise the performance figures for the KwK 43's Pzgr 39/43 is for the higher performance tungsten-cored AP40 shot, only 5,750 were produced and fewer still were fired. (see Fritz Hahn's Waffen und Geheimwaffen des Deutschen Heeres 1933-1945) The correct comparison should have been the standard German Pzgr 39 APCBC shell, which for the KwK 36 gun penetrates 111mm at 500 meters while the KwK 43 gun penetrates 185mm.

Likewise the the comparison of the American 90mm with the British 17 lber understates the superiority of the American 90mm gun. First the American 90mm was a good all-purpose tank gun with an excellent high explosive round, a round used more frequently than armor piercing in combat. With post-war developments it was also used extensively in Korea and Viet Nam. Second, the 90mm M77 AP shot was capable of penetrating the Panther's front glacis out to 600 yards, the gun mantlet out to 1000 yards, and the front turret out to 1500 yards. This was demonstrated in the test shoot at Balleroy, France in July 1944 and Isigny in August 1944. The 17 lber could not penetrate the Panther's glacis with standard APCBC ammunition even at point-blank range of 200 yards. With tank versus tank engagement ranges in Western Europe averaging 800 meters the 90mm was gun was more than adequate. This was demonstrated in battles along the Roer in the Ardennes, and in Alsace wherever,the M-36 TD's were on hand.

Despite these minor discrepancies this is an outstanding book and one which should be on the shelf of those interested in understanding World War II armored combat developments.

Keith Wooster

It would be hard to add to the reviews already written here about this wonderful book. What I really liked about this book was that it puts the development and battle history of the Sherman tank into the proper context and perspective. Too many tank histories are so narrowly focused that you could almost believe that the tanks were developed and used in some kind of void or vacuum. To the contrary there are a myriad of issues that impact on weapons design. There are the questions of raw materials, available technology, size and capability of the industrial base, and the time available to field the new weapon just to name a few. When you add to these challenges the egos and ideas of engineers, industrialists, politicians, and generals all trying to come up with the right answer you begin to understand the complexity of the challenge. Like no one has done before, Mr. Zaloga ties all these elements together in a clear and understandable way in his history of the Sherman. For this reason alone the book is worth reading. The book itself is made of high quality materials, and the pictures are great. You can't go wrong with this book!

Armored Thunderbolt is a very well written account of the Sherman Tank and how it came to be the legend it is. It is essentially a chronological volume showing the development of the Sherman, the legend, the myths, and end results, of one of the most popular or unpopular tanks (if you wish) of the 20th century.

While it is not what you would consider a technical free for all type of book, it gives you the basic statistics and types of the venerable Sherman. The book describes the various types of the Sherman, while not getting too technical on the multitude of changes to production runs of the same series of tank. This means it is not going to tell you when a certain style of turret made its' appearance in the development, but it does give you a breakdown of the M4 series and the major advances or improvements made with the development of the Sherman over the span of the Second World War and on into the cold war.
Armored Thunderbolt in intended as a more general and understandable history of the Sherman without all the overwealming tech information. In depth technical Information is better retrieved from the R.P. Hunnicutt volume entitled the Sherman, well known as the bible for all Sherman enthusiasts.

There are many chapters in the book covering the use of the Sherman in the various theatres of war and how it was employed. It is quite interesting to see the differences in how the tank was used by the different branches of the services especially in how the crews stowed the tank with both personal and military equipment. While a tank in North West Europe may have been found to be covered in the crews baggage and war booty, tanks in the Pacific theatre of war had very little stowed outside them. This was due to the profound use of the tank in close combat with infantry where the stowage could easily be set alight by the enemy causing great difficulties for the crew.

A short section in the book also covers the use of the Sherman in the experimental role and its role as an armored engineer vehicle. This information is well received as it shows how the Sherman was adaptable to various uses throughout its' life. Armored Thunderbolt also gives you a good look into the changes made to the next generation of tank, The Pershing and how lessons learned with the Sherman affected its' development.

Armored Thunderbolt is a book well worth being in any military vehicle enthusiasts' collection with its excellent selection of photographs and informative text. Quite frankly, I had never seen many of the photos that appear in the book and I was truly impressed with the authors' exhaustive attempts not to reuse many photos that can be seen in other books on the Sherman. The reader must be aware though that this is a book on the American use of the Sherman and not one covering all the Allied armies use of it. While there are some photos of the Sherman in Lend Lease use but it generally sticks to American usage in all the theatres of war.

The author has been writing books on military matters for many years. Steve Zaloga is a well known historian as well as a military advisor having a wealth of in depth knowledge and superior access to various archives and collections throughout the world. He has given us a true definitive work on the history of the Sherman worth much more than the asking price of the book.

My but the Sherman tank's reputation has certainly changed over the years. Initially hailed as a 'war winner,' recent books labelled it a 'death trap.' Given the dominant role the Sherman played in WWII, an objective evaluation has been long overdue. Thankfully, that volume is now in hand with ARMORED THUNDERBOLT by noted tank authority Steven Zaloga. Zaloga has penned many fine books on tanke and armored warfare over the years and ARMORED THUNDERBOLT is his best yet!

Reading ARMORED THUNDERBOLT, one immediately realizes the author has a masterful knowledge of the subject. The reasons the M4 developed as it did over the years are many and varied. What is so impressive about Zaloga's book is his ability to illuminate all the various strands that led to the original M4 design - and its subsequent development - and interweave all those elements into a lucid, entertaining narrative. Make no mistake about it: ARMORED THUNDERBOLT is a valuable, instructive examination of American WWII tank development but it is also a great read.

There have been other Sherman books published but few have shown the clarity, the readability of ARMORED THUNDERBOLT. In my opinion, too many of those books buried the reader under nuts-and-bolts and stats. While Zaloga doesn't shy away from such material, he uses them judiciously to make his points. Consequently, this is a book to savor. While you can certainly read it from cover to cover, it might be more instructive to read a chapter at a time, mulling over the various points and observations Zaloga has raised.

Rather than belabor the point, pick up a copy and enjoy the work of a masterful, knowledgeable author at the top of his form. It is hard to imagine a better written 'report card' on the M4 Sherman. Likewise it is hard to imagine Zaloga topping ARMORED THUNDERBOLT...but I hope he tries! Highly recommended.

Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War IIThis book is very well written and gives a complete history of the
sherman tankand its development throughout the war. Battles are given in sequence with the tanks development as well as the use of other armor, allied and German.Very interesting, informative, and well written book.

The previous 5 reviews, collectively, do an excellent job of summarizing the book's content. I concur with them and recommend the book generally without reservation.

Rather than repeat, I'll cite a few points on book design and interesting factoids to round out the above reviews.

The book is actually large medium format (10" x 8") with glossy paper and photographs (with captioned material) on almost every page. The title ("Armored Thunderbolt"), cover photo, physical layout and subject matter suggest a mass audience hardcover book that should cost $15 at outlet retailers repeating existing information -- yes, it has that feel, but the extensive prose (300+ pages) and illustrations put it in the technical journal category.

The book is not a Vanguard series or George Forty "skimming" narrative history. Zaloga provides a "you are there" view of technical AND operational aspects behind the major decisions on the Sherman - - it extensively discusses the Sherman's combat effectiveness both in technical terms and battlefield actions.

The narrative material contains a load of information; Zaloga writes well and he includes his opinion on a variety of decisions made. However, his writing is burdened by having to link many decision elements involving the Sherman -- army tactics and strategy came out of MANY groups and branches -- ground forces, the armored forces that was subordinate to ground forces, the underachieving & unfocused ordnance branch (which explained the later generation gap between the M60 and M1 tanks and no suitable tank gun to this day), tank destroyer forces, manufacturing, logistics, etc. In order to do justice to the impact of each group, Zaloga had to devote considerable prose to their actions, and thus, many points are repeated but within the context of those groups. A constant theme throughout the book is the acknowledgement that the Sherman was a truly successful evolution from poor and mediocre tank designs and that battlefield reliability with adequate performance was supreme to any other fighting quality. That has been the consensus on the Sherman since WWII, but Zaloga provides extensive background information that make those historical assessments come to life.

The photos I think were mainly US Army sourced and they look to me to be mainly unpublished before - - the photo captions are extensive because they serve to describe particular points -- for example, photos come with captions pointing out visible hits by 50mm, 75mm and 88mm on various Sherman models in the battlefiled; photos of visible armor penetrations on (mainly) Panthers and (a few) Tigers by Shermans; and battlefield armor upgrades (particularly against Panzerfaust attacks. There are a few line drawings, not many though but enough to convey a sense of "technical journal.

The history of the Sherman is intertwined with its battles with the Panzer forces, first in North America and more ferociously in Western Europe. There is a long list of mini-stories in this book and I'll point out a few that were personally interesting.

This is common knowledge, but worth repeating from the above reviews. The increased battlefield experience of American armored forces (particularly battalion & company commanders who organized stout defenses against strong German counteroffensives), (relatively) high mechanical reliability of Shermans (Panthers would be kaput or destroyed by 1,000 road miles), mobile & flanking actions by Shermans for side shots, poorer training of Panzer crews after late 1944, brittle Panther armor that sometimes failed, and last but not least, the 5-1 (10-1 in March 1945) number superiority after Allied logistics peaked, all combined to permit Sherman crews to take on the big cats with confidence.

There were many actions in June - August 1944 where inexperienced American tank unit commanders unnecessarily expended tanks and crews without success. It seems that unless the hit was catastrophic, 4 of the 5 crew members would survive and thus, the material loss was significantly less important than keeping alive the now more experienced crews.

You'll read about the enduring 75mm gun (still favored even after encountering the Panther beginning in mid July 1944 for its HE round), the 3-inch tank destroyer gun, the 76mm gunned Shermans that were generally refused by high battlefield commanders, and 90mm gun that could defeat the big cats but still not a sure thing. Zaloga suggested that the 3-inch gun was designed with a 57 caliber barrel but logistics had it shortened because it would be an obstruction while maneuvering or transiting. It turns out that ammunition was more critical than the gun, with the availability of the HVAP round (vs. the standard AP round) being a bigger factor in the ability to defeat a big cat with a front glacis shot. (I assume that M2 Bradley 25mm APDS rounds could defeat a Panther.)

You will also read about tank destroyer tactics and forces, and this story is an unexpected benefit of the book. I was surprised that the towed 57mm anti-tank gun was still in abundant numbers after D-Day, and towed gun battalions provided a stout defense in notable actions, saving the day from getting overrun in a Panzer attack.
The US Army rejected the analysis that the best anti-tank weapon was another tank; instead, throughout the war, it designed and fielded fast vehicles that were mostly tracked, had light or no armor, and carried the biggest gun possible that could sprint to stop enemy tanks that broke through the lines -- a 1940 France battle concept.

The book focused on the Sherman vs. Panther struggle with Tigers mixed in. The story of the Pkfw IV which was still 50-60% of 1944 Panzer forces in Europe almost seemed left out. Perhaps the Sherman's 75mm gun could deal with the Pkfw IV made for a less interesting story.

The story of the muzzle brake and how the British Sherman Vc with the 17 pdr become known as the Firefly is quite interesting to me as a non-service person. Muzzle brakes were installed to channel gun blast to the side to reduce the kick up of dirt which obscured target visibility and delayed a 2nd shot (allowing your target to evade). The nickname of Firefly for 17 pdr gun Shermans came from the unnerving muzzle flash from the gun. The story of the US Army's rejection of 17 pdr is also interesting -- Zaloga described it as a technical rejection (no effective HE shell which was still a tank's primary round for infantry support).

There are many more of these stories that made this a compelling book for me. In reading the story of the Sherman, you will also know about the US Army armored forces story in WWII.

Great book on the M4 Sherman tank. I love all the pictures and description in the book.

In the introduction to Armored Thunderbolt, noted armor specialist Steven Zaloga mentions that he was growing up in the 1950s the Sherman tank was routinely referred to as a `war-winning weapon' but recently, this iconic image has been derided by sensationalist accounts and TV documentaries as a `death trap.' Thus, Armored Thunderbolts sets out to examine whether the M4 Sherman tank was a `war-winner' or a `death-trap' or something else. Rather than just a technical history - which already exists - the author uses his thesis to lay out how the U.S. Army developed, built and operated its main battle tanks in the Second World War, in both the European and Pacific theaters. Overall, this is a well-researched, well-written book by an author in clear command of his subject. Furthermore, the numerous photos are superb and really help to bring home the author's points. For readers seeking to understand how U.S. armor was used, this book is simply indispensable.

The first chapter outlines the basis of U.S. tank development between 1917 and 1940, culminating in the M3 medium tank. Although this was a rushed design based upon half-digested French technology, the author makes the point that development of the M3 `primed the pump' for vastly future production and taught U.S. industry valuable lessons that were used in developing later tanks. Chapter two covers the `Birth of the Sherman' and its initial use in 1941-42 by both the British and U.S. Armies. The author also discusses the twin U.S. design priorities of "Battle Need" (there had to be a specific need for a weapon to go into production) and battleworthiness (the weapon had to be reliable under battlefield conditions) and how they shaped the Sherman. In essence, based about what they knew about tanks in 1940, the U.S. Army wanted a medium tank with a 75-mm gun, decent armor and a reliable engine. It got all three with the M4 in 1941 and as the author notes, the Sherman was considered quite successful in North Africa and even in Italy in 1943. In comparison, most German tanks were poorly tested and not very mechanically reliable.

In chapter three, `the panzer nemesis,' the author discusses the impact of Germany's development of the Panther and Tiger tanks in 1942-43 and how this affected the Sherman. Initially, few of these heavier tanks were encountered before the Normandy fighting in June 1944 and thus, the U.S. Army was not concerned about a handful of enemy tanks with armor and firepower that outclassed the Sherman. Other factors discussed in this lengthy chapter included the appearance of potent infantry anti-tank rockets, the confusion caused by the Tank Destroyer doctrine and the U.S. failure to emphasize infantry support training for tankers before D-Day. The author notes that both the British and Soviets recognized the threat from the new generation of German heavy tanks but the U.S. Army was overly-complacent and provided only sporadic support to the project to upgrade Shermans to 76mm guns. However, the U.S. Army did accept some combat lessons from North Africa, such as the adoption of `wet stowage' that reduced ammunition fires and improved gun sights. Chapter four discuses the various options the U.S. Army considered to either upgrade or replace the Sherman, including the nearly moribund heavy tank project.

Chapters 5-9 cover the Shermans role in the battles from D-Day to the Rhine in 1944-45. These are superb chapters, filled with interesting battle descriptions and incisive analysis. Although the German tanks had better firepower and protection than the Sherman, the smaller U.S. tank was often better suited to close-in fighting in the bocage, in cities and in the hilly areas of Lorraine than the German `big cats.' Furthermore, U.S. tank crews were usually better trained their opponents after August 1944 and the reliability of German tanks sank to absurdly low levels in the last year of the war. The authors does a terrific job explaining how U.S. tank developers could not deploy a better tank than the M4 Sherman quicker than 1945 due to the fact that the real "battle need" did not arise until the Normandy fighting in 1944. Chapter 10 covers Sherman operations in the Pacific theater. In conclusion, the author states that "there has been a tendency in many recent histories to judge the Sherman on the basis of purely paper comparisons with the Panther and Tiger," but the reality was that, "the U.S. Army did not face the Panther very often in the summer of 1944, and when it did...the Panther did not prove to be a wonder weapon and was defeated by American combined arms tactics." Numerous appendices are included, such as technical specifications, production and distribution data, unit strengths, losses, etc. A very extensive bibliographic section is also included. This book was a pleasure to read and the author's conclusions provide an important contribution to our understanding of how American armor functioned in the Second World War.

This book excels by not just re-hashing the technical details of the M4 versus it's opponents, but by providing much invaluable 'soft' information that was every bit as important -- and perhaps more so -- than the technical details.

The author provides background information on how the Sherman was created and how the design changed - or did not change - over time. Shortcomings of both the Sherman and the Panther are covered in some depth. The author also touches on bureaucratic issues, metallurgy, training, crew experience, reliability (and the causes for reliability issues), availability of spares, ammunition, mission of the tank (tank versus tank, infantry support), the focus on the US Tank Destroyer concept, and many, many other relevant and interesting issues.

A large part of the book contrasts the Sherman against the German Panther. When you look at only the technical specifications, the Panther appears to be a vastly superior weapon to the Sherman. However, the book looks into detail at issues that exacerbated the Panther's problems, blunting it's technical edge, and the things that mitigated the Sherman's shortcomings, and made it 'work' better than the specifications would otherwise indicate.

While I consider myself very knowledgeable on WWII armor, I learned a great deal from this book. If you want to learn more about some of the 'soft' -- but very important -- issues that affect armor performance beyond the technical specifications, I feel that money spent on this book is money well spent.

Since most can't afford Hunnicutt's SHERMAN, this is probably the best alternative. Mr. Zaloga has done a very good job in explaining the Sherman's history and development. There are some errors, such as his assertion that the Soviet KV heavy tank was rearmed with a 122mm gun and renamed the Stalin (two completely different tanks), or that the Soviet 85mm was superior to the American 76mm (the latter was superior in armor penetration). The book does falter a bit in describing the Sherman in action where generalizations take the place of indepth analysis. Mr. Zaloga does, however, provide a reasonably balanced perspective of the Sherman as well as its opponents. Most information deals with the European Theater of Operations having little to say about the Pacific, etc. One of the more unusual and welcomed elements of the book is the BIBLIOGRAPHIC ESSAY in which Mr. Zaloga lists and describes where he found his research/source material. If you want to know about the Sherman tank and U.S. Armored Force doctrine in WWII, this is one of the best available.

This is a superb book on the Sherman Tank that - amazingly - covers much new ground. It accomplishes this by not focussing on technical development as RP Hunnicutt's Sherman "bible" (and most other Sherman books)do. Instead, it's a history of how the various organizations within the US Army created the Sherman, why they made the design decisions they did, how combat effective the Sherman was as a result, and how development proceeded (or didn't) as a result of that experience.

Unlike many writers of amour (sorry - armor!) books, Zaloga is not just a vehicle enthusiast. He's a real historian who has been conducting original research in various archives and other primary sources for three decades now. So, when he discusses the preference of Gen McNair and the Army Ground Forces for proven designs or the tendency of the Ordnance Department to waste time on pointless but interesting technical developments, he supports his argument with specific detail and extensive quotations from period correspondence.

When it comes to evaluating the Sherman's combat performance, Zaloga provides a lot of statistal data from the operational research that was conducted by the US and Britain during and shortly after the war. The facts will surprise even those who think they are Sherman experts.

Before purchasing the book I was concerned it would focus solely on US Army Shermans (as implied by the sub-title). In fact it includes a chapter on US Marine use in the Pacific as well as good coverage of British and Commonwealth Sherman developments and experiences. Contemporary Soviet and German armour developments and attitudes are also summarized. All this provides a very useful context for the Sherman story, and the book would be poorer without it.

Finally, Zaloga's prose style is both vivid and clear, and the large format pages are used to include many, many large and well-reproduced photographs. The only minor criticism I could make is the lack of maps. However, since the purpose of the combat sections are to analyze the Sherman's effectiveness, not provide a campaign history, even this is forgivable. All-in-all, a wonderful book.