Panther Tank Enthusiasts' Manual: Panzerkampfwagen V Panther (SdKfz 171) - An insight into the design, construction and operation of the finest medium tank in the Second World War

After buying many books to try to learn something about Panthers, I was very pleased. Most books briefly touch on them or give you some "facts and figures". Nowhere was I able to find this much information in one place. It cut out a lot of fruitless searching. Recommend it.

Bought the book as a reference for building models. Very good. Love all the books in the series.

Many New photos with lots of details

This book needs more data. But it's good

Although I wasn't terribly thrilled with Mark Healy's "workshop manual" on the T-34 tank, this follow-up is a better book, albeit one with a glaring flaw. While it still focuses excessively on the history of the tank for a technical reference, it's a much more well-rounded and in-depth look at the type. Along with a look at the tank's development and each of the produced variants, it also goes into a fair amount of detail on the tank's suspension, engine, transmission, cooling and fuel systems, and turret and armament. There's also a fairly extensive history of the tank at war, first-hand accounts from both Allied and Axis perspectives, and some revealing commentary on its myriad flaws from the men who crewed it in combat. For once, we get a warts-and-all study of the Panther, a far cry from the hagiographic descriptions of German armor we usually get.While I'm not the sort of crank to slap a one-star rating on a book just because it doesn't have lots of pretty color photographs, I do expect a certain visual quality from a Haynes title. Unfortunately, that's this book's major downfall; large parts of it are simply ugly to look at. Many of the wartime photos are very dark and grainy, have blown contrast, excessive amounts of digital processing and compression artifacts, failed attempts at grain removal, and so on. Considering how much money and resources Nazi Germany invested in propaganda, you'd think there'd be better pictures of the tank than the ones here! There are some excellent photographs that are printed too small, and some mediocre ones which take up entire pages. The exterior drawings by Mark Rolfe are nice, as are the color photographs of museum examples, but on the whole, the period imagery is wildly inconsistent.This isn't a bad book, but it's rather typical of some of the mid-tier, not-great-not-terrible work Haynes pumps out when they aren't terribly interested in quality control. I'm not a German armor fanatic, but I found "Panther: Germany’s Quest for Combat Dominance" to be a more informative, and more enjoyable, read. With some polishing, this could have been a four-star book.

Good knowledge about mechanics of a panther

Husband liked it

5 stars great value and detail.

Ho avuto modo di leggere gli equivalenti manuali sui carri Tiger e T-34, non mi sono quindi fatto mancare quello sul Panther; solito schema introduttivo sulla genesi del carro e del relativo contesto storico, passando poi per una disamina dei singoli componenti costruttivi (motore, cambio, cannone) e delle varianti derivate, il tutto corredato da numerose foto storiche.Da segnalare il contributo del Tank Museum di Bovington (UK), che detiene un modello Ausf G in esibizione statica; è quindi possibile gettare un'occhiata anche all'interno del mezzo (si può approfondire su Youtube nella sezione Tank Chat).Consigliato per tutti gli appassionati di Storia e Modellismo

Bästa boken man kan få om denna legendariska stridsvagn. Är mycket nöjd och rekommenderar den för andra med intresse för stridsvagnar.

c (est un excellent livre bien emballé tout est ok

This latest title in the Haynes line of books, is curiously titled as being an “enthusiasts’ manual” rather than the more traditional “operators’ manual” or “workshop manual”. Once one has an actual look at the book iteelf, the reasons for this begin to become evident. Those seeking the more traditional Haynes approach of examining the chosen subject at the “nuts and bolts” level may not find that this is the book they are looking for. The Panther title, authored by Mark Healy (who, in addition to having written several books, also produced the video series “Die Deutschen Panzer”) is a more traditional approach to the subject matter, in that it describes the development, production, combat history and anatomy of the Panther through the use of text and photographs, as well as providing a section of walk-around photographs of preserved examples in museums. In addition to many interesting historical and contemporary photographs, the book offers up a number of helpful drawings. That being said, if you are looking for detailed blueprints or wiring diagrams, etc, you would be well advised to seek them elsewhere. What this book, along with many of the Haynes series of books, sets out to do, is to provide a reasonably comprehensive overview of the Panther series of vehicles. One book cannot likely offer the level of detail a true devotee of the Panther may desire; but at the same time, the level of detail is not so great that it will put off someone who is not well versed on the vehicle type. I have a number of what many would consider to be “core” Panther references in my library, and yet, I find this book still provides useful information even though I have more collective information than it contains. The book contains some interesting photographs, some of which even I’ve not seen and it represents good value for money. If you are a seasoned Panther experten seeking to add a greater depth of information to your library, then perhaps this title is not for you. If on the other hand you are looking for a nicely-produced and good all around Panther reference, then this book may well be worth considering. I have found the Haynes titles to be excellent initial reference choices whenever I begin a modelling project, which I tend to consult prior to delving deeper into my library. They are well-produced, clear and never overwhelming in their scope, while at the same time providing enough information to get the ball rolling as it were. If that sort of thing appeals to you, then by all means pick up a copy and you won’t be disappointed.