The book under review is a new series of mini modeller’s reference books by Model Detail Photo Monograph. It starts with a list of the data on the tank and then a single page of  historical background to the tank. It starts with  6 black and white period photographs , the  remainder of the 130 full colour photographs are of the highest quality and clarity and show the tank externally and  internally for both versions  .  In the centre pages it has two full colour illustrations of the tank in service in 1945 with the Russian army, again the quality is outstanding. Unfortunately there are no engine details in this photo montage.

Conclusions , this book is worth every penny and the detail in the photographs is of the highest quality. To give a few examples on page 10 photos number 22 and 25 show the torching marks left behind when the casting plugs were removed.  One outstanding set is  on page 20, photos number 59-60 shows the state of the welding and torching to the rear hull plates and towing attachments.

So for all those Russian Modellers who like to add the casting and welding marks onto their tanks this book is a must. I know from personnel modelling the IS2 tank  I wish it  had been available a lot earlier so I could have gone to town on my own model. This book is very highly recommended and for the American reader who like marks out of ten . I give it 10 for presentation, 10 for its photographs  and lastly 10 for the level of information it contains.

Ian Sadler © May  2003