The format of this book is somewhat similar to Squadron/Signal's "In Action" series (softcover, landscape), although it has slightly fewer pages (40 vs. 48 for the typical In Action title) and, instead of colour profiles, has 16 pages of colour photographs of (mostly) preserved specimens (there is a single page of period colour photographs as well).  While I will be the first to admit that the colour profiles in the Squadron books (especially Don Greer's superb work) is very attractive, I think that this format may be more useful to modellers looking to add details, both inside and out, to a model.  Also, the line drawings included in this book (over four pages, no less) are reproductions of the Ordnance Department's official drwaings dated November 1942.  These are particularly useful since, aside from having five views, also have dimensions marked on the drawings, so they are easy to scale out. 

While there is very little text per se in this book, the captions are, as always from this author, very informative and have plenty of useful details.  The odd error creeps in (for instance, a couple of photos show some Stuarts at Camp Chorrera in the Philipines, but surely the date of March 1943 cannot be correct?), but the they are minor and do not detract in any way from the book.

The book strikes, in my opinion, a good balance between operational and details photographs.  The colour walkaround photos are arranged in a logical and complete manner and show the vehicle inside and out (even the hull bottom is illustrated).  More emphasis is put on the interior with the colour photos than the exterior, which is fine since the exterior is covered well in the period photos.  The photographs are well-reproduced and show a keen eye for detail.

The black and white photographs are all Second World War-era, and concentrate on US vehicles (there are two pages of photos of British vehicles and a single fascinating shot of an Egyptian Stuart Gun Carrier fitted with steel chevron tracks towing a 17 pdr. antitank gun postwar).  Aside from a few assembly line and proving ground photos, most of the images included are combat shots, many of which I have not seen before.  One page had interior and exterior shots of an expedient flamethrower-armed Stuart that was converted by the 1st Marine Tank Battalion in the southwest Pacific in November 1943, which would make an interesting (and easy) conversion.  There is also a page on Culin hedgerow cutters applied to Stuarts (Sgt. Culin himself was a Stuart driver from the 2nd Armored Division's 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron).

Plenty of inspiration lurks on these pages, with all manner of exotic stowage, supplemental armour, weathering, battle damage, conversions (such as the psy-ops tanks with loudspeakers fitted), and markings.  Perhaps my favourite photo is on p. 31, showing a pair of M5A1s from the 709th Tank Battalion seen beside a destroyed farmhouse on Christmas Eve, 1944.  The tank on the right is camouflaged with black swathes over the olive drab and still has remnants of its deep wading trunks fitted!

I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in the M5 and M5A1; it has a very good balance of detail and combat photos of both vehicles.  As with so many of the great references out there these days, perhaps its biggest failing is the fact that only the woefully inaccurate Tamiya M5A1 kit is out there to satiate modellers' appetites for this important vehicle.  Come on, AFV Club - you've given us a great M3A3.  How about following it up with some M5s?

My thanks to the author for the review sample.