I just received a free copy of a new book in English through my friend Karl-Heinz Muench. The book is probably out in German and may already be out in the English version. It's a super detailed book. My photos of the recovery of King Tiger number "332" by the 436th Ordnance Company and a few other pics are in this book. ISBN: 978-83-60041-22-2 - Bill
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Bill, are there any photos of the King Tigers on the Eastern front in 1945?Willi
Preußens Gloria!
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Sapere aude -
I could swear I have seen that book floating around in model shops for building miniatures for a few years now. The high price of those reference books has stopped me from buying them though.Comment
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I was lucky enough to find a copy at a gun show, so here's a review. I was eagerly awaiting this book, but I was apprehensive. I'm always apprehensive when illustrators try to produce detailed color renditions of specific WWII German tanks, because so much of an effort like that can only be speculation. Starting with many military print artists and continuing with Jean Restayn, the artists's efforts most often fall far short of the mark.
I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with Trojca's new book. The color tank prints are based largely on very good research, judging from the sections I was mainly interested in.
I have to qualify my remarks by saying that I'm only addressing the sections on s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501. That's the unit I've researched the most, and I'm not really qualified to speak about his presentations of other units.
Trojca's text historical account of SS-501, while based on already-published sources, comes the closest of anything I've seen in print of the story of the battalion in the Ardennes, and in Hungary in the spring of 1945. His color plates of the tanks are what I would like to show on my website, if I was (or could hire) an artist! The drawing proportions are good, and at least in the case of most of his SS-501 illustrations, the camouflage patterns are close to what is shown in wartime photos.
Having said that, the book is marred by some errors. There are a number of typos and mis-translations, which can sometimes be amusing: "Lrois Points" for Trois Ponts, "Johen" Peiper, and tank 332 now on display in "Agerdeen."
For anyone interested in detailed points of individual tanks, Trojca also makes some demonstrable mistakes in his illustrations. For instance, he shows the 1. SS-Pz.Korps tactical marking on headquarters tanks 008 and 009, where there is no photographic evidence for that (the only original view of 009 doesn't show that area of the tank where the marking would appear). He shows the tactical marking on the rear hull plate of 204, but he put it on the left instead of on the right side where it was. On most of the tanks he shows the muzzle brakes as painted black; original photos show muzzle brakes painted in camo paint. Some of the illustrations (222 in particular) aren't that close to what can be seen in wartime photos. And there are a couple of "fantasy" illustrations of tanks that don't appear in any photos - headquarters tank 007 at Holte Castle in Nov 44, and tank 205 at Stavelot in Dec 44.
Perhaps the biggest error in the s. SS-Pz.Abt. 501 section is his illustration of 332 with the cross-in-circle markings. These markings were long thought to be a stylized representation of the tactical symbol of s. Pz.Abt. 506, and Trojca repeats that error. These markings on 332 could not have been German tactical markings; they don't appear in photos until Feb 45 when the tank was being prepared by the US Army Ordnance Technical Inspection Team to be transported from Spa to Antwerp.
To me, the book also suffers from a fault of so many similar books - a lack of detailed footnotes or citations. Trojca gives a list of references, but it would be helpful to see the detailed sources of individual pieces of info. For example, why does he say that SS-501 tank 213 had black turret numbers outlined in white, and 334 had red numbers instead of the blue-and-yellow of 332? The answers lie in eyewitness accounts, which it would have been nice to see cited.
Having said all these "negative" points, I still think this book is the best effort I've seen yet at an attempt to illustrate tanks in color, and in good scale and detail. Just don't take every image as the "gospel truth."
Best,
GregComment
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Getting everything right is difficult and few books manage to eliminate error.
The art illustrations I don't really go for them in a book , for me simple and "should have been avoided" captions errors are the most annoying thing.
Some books are pretty expensive and increasingly reflect a mixture of much used and new photographic material , if the publishing team expect the reader/ buyer to pay a handsome price quality control should be good as well.
Certainly at the cheaper end of the market some publishers will put anything in by way of illustration , almost by way of a "filler".
Down side of buyin over the internet is that you can't inspect as one would in a book shop and increasingly buying via the PC is becoming the norm. , if you ask your local bookshop to order in a copy you can't really say no if it does not meet your expectations and I would guess that many people are influnced by reading reviews by others in forums such as ours.
I have become increasingly "pickey" about what I buy book wise and quality is the watch word, quality of content and production.
Is it well written , well illustrated , is it well bound and produced - above all does it fill a gap and am I going to learn anything from owning and referring to the book ?
£50 plus for a book is a lot to shell out.Last edited by behblc; 10-02-2007, 02:39 AM.Comment
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How many more books are needed on a tank with less than 500 built ? The specific vehicle has been done to death. I think that's all Fedorowicz publishers, but maybe he fogot the 3 volumes needed stll needed on electrical wiring and plumbing of the Tiger I.Comment
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I'm almost finished with my manuscript about the Tiger crew sanitation systems - having trouble finding good close up photos, though.Originally posted by Mark C. Yerger View Post
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Mark C. Yerger
The Tiger legend lives on - there will always be another book and folks to buy it.How many more books are needed on a tank with less than 500 built ? The specific vehicle has been done to death. I think that's all Fedorowicz publishers, but maybe he fogot the 3 volumes needed stll needed on electrical wiring and plumbing of the Tiger I.Comment
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