SOVIET T-62

◗ J. Kinnear and S. Sewell

◗ Osprey (2021)

◗ £30

◗ 224 pages (hardback)

◗ ISBN:9781472848222

◗ ospreypublishing.com

A book like this makes you realise how little you know about tank design and development...

This is a very detailed account of this iconic Soviet tank, which saw more than five decades of service. All thirty-odd prototypes and variants are covered, including the inter-agency and political squabbles around the vehicle design context: traditionalist, revolutionary or evolutionary approach? Each of the latter two prevailed at times, albeit many of the more innovative concepts (for example, a munitions system to destroy incoming missiles) proved unworkable in practice. The early chapters can be heavy going, with innumerable references to Russian agencies, working groups, design variants, etc, but the bulk of the book is accessible, with the fine detail in appendices and with ample photographs - ideal for the modeller.

It is still quite hard to get data on Cold War NATO AFVs, but you get everything here on the T-62, including armour and penetration values. A forty-page chapter on combat use is most helpful for wargamers – and a sobering reminder of the large number of conflicts in the last fifty years.