530194 - THE M47 PATTON TANK: Development, Production and Deployment of the M47

by David Doyle

The American M47 Patton is one of the least known tanks of the Cold War, but in this meticulously researched new book well-known US vehicle historian David Doyle reveals its history. With the real threat of World War III imminent, the M47 was rushed into production in 1951 as an interim improved medium tank. Thankfully, the feared global conflict was averted, and for the United States, who developed the M47, it proved to be an interim tank indeed, serving for less than a decade. But for many of the nations across the world who fielded it, the M47 soldiered on for many years - with some still in service as late as 2024. This feat is made even more impressive when the story of the struggle of its development and production, which was far more convoluted than many other military systems, including many far more complex, is fully understood. This 96-page softcover book, based almost entirely on primary source documents and lavishly illustrated with previously unpublished images, reveals the history of the M47, one of the longest-lived armored fighting vehicles. It is an essential addition to the library of modellers, vehicle enthusiasts and historians alike.