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Sherman Firefly (New Vanguard) | 
 enlarge | Author: David Fletcher
Creator: Peter Sarson
Brand: Osprey Publishing Limited
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $11.39
You Save: $6.56 (37%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 248004
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 48
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
ISBN: 1846032776
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9781846032776
ASIN: 1846032776
Publication Date: February 19, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Excellent softcover edition. Fast shipping! INV#JW235
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Product Description
Sherman Firefly
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good broad overview of the Firefly's development March 21, 2008
Osprey Publishing has sent me a copy of one of their latest releases, this one on the Sherman Firefly tank. The British army took delivery on hundreds of U.S.-built Sherman tanks and outfitted them with a massive 17-pound gun. This innovation finally allowed British forces to match up with the imposing german firepower that had dominated the Western European Theater of Operations for so long. Veteran author David Fletcher, the historian at the Tank Museum in Bovington, UK, had penned an interesting and detailed account of the history of this conversion, exploring the people and methodology behind the development of the Firefly.
Fletcher's writing style is perhaps unusual and a bit too folksy for my American taste, but his content is outstanding. He offers a thorough look at the history of the Firefly. As with all Osprey books, this one is profusely illistrated with period photographs (from the collection of the museum the author works for) and lavish full-color (colour for my British friends!) drawings and sketches.
Number 141 of the New Vanguard collection, this newly released book is certainly an authoritative look at this powerful weapon of war. At only 48 pages, it is a short and easy read, but is chock full of interesting information of value to the wargamer, WWII buff, or tank enthusiast. Fletcher examines the successes (and failures) of this tank destroyer, which was in high demand and short supply. They were allocated among various units, usually no more than 1 or 2 per unit.
 Good on development info; lacking on combat info February 21, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I purchased this book right away when it became available, a couple of months after buying Stephen Hart's book "Sherman Firefly vs. Tiger" (Normandy 1944).
The chapters are as follows:
Introduction
The 17-Pounder
Developments at Lulworth
Designing the Firefly
The Conversion Programme
Ammunition
Concrete Busters
The Firefly in Action
The American Angle
Supply and Demand
What's in a Name?
Index
The strengths of this book by David Fletcher are the detailed information on the development, design, and conversion of the Sherman Firefly. If you like detailed specifications on the Firefly, Fletcher does a good job of providing this info. All the different variants of the Firefly are briefly described. Tony Bryan does an excellent job in his colored illustrations.
However, the main deficiency in this book is the sparse info provided about the combat performance of the Firely in the European theatre. Fletcher does not even mention the pivotal battle in St. - Aignan (Aug. 8, 1944) where the British Fireflies destroy the Tiger tank and the legendary career of notable Tiger tank ace Michael Wittman. I can't believe the author would make no mention of some of these pivotal battles.
Therefore, I liked Stephen Hart's book much more. It provides the essential development and design info on the Firefly but it describes the combat performance in much more satisfying detail. Hart describes briefly each pivotal battle against the Germans, and gives the reader a detailed synopsis of how the tankers on each side operated in battle. Hart even describes the notable tank aces on both the Axis and Allied sides.
If I were to pick one "Sherman Firefly" book, I would pick Hart's book instead of this one. Hart's book has the added bonus in providing the design, development, and combat info on the legendary Tiger Tank. It's like getting two books for the price of one. Hart's book contains 79 pages of script while this book only contains 48 pages.
If you buy this book, consider purchasing the Hart book as well, to augment the section on the combat performance.
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