American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II

This complex history traces the development of American tanks throughout the interwar period (1918–39) and during World War II. Former military analyst Anderson (Cracking Hitler’s Atlantic Wall) covers the minutia of funding and reorganization, development of vehicles, equipment, doctrine, the interminable disagreements over tactics, and the race to build up an armored force from a scattering of obsolete prototypes. Much of the material is compiled from army documents and contemporary professional journals, well documented and illustrative of the problems and attitudes that shaped the final products. The War Department and Armored Force coordinated closely with industry as the overall pace of innovation and production increased in the leadup to World War II and throughout the war. While developers contended with supplying U.S. Army needs, they were aware of the necessity to provide allies with a reasonably effective tank within the capabilities of an expanding and stressed industrial plant. Some of the book’s major players (Marshall, Eisenhower) are familiar names, but many of the important practitioners are known only to specialists today. The book includes plenty of images of tanks and equipment.