A close-up at the sharp end of armoured warfare

This is the story of a tank regiment: the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in the Second World War. Raw and visceral personal recollections from the men themselves recall some of the most dramatic and horrific scenes imaginable - the sheer nerve-wracking tension of serving in highly inflammable Sherman tanks, the sudden impact of German shells, the desperate scramble to bail out, and the awful fate of those who couldn't. Even if they made it out of the tank, they were still vulnerable to being brutally cut down by German infantry. Yet amidst these horrors, the humanity of these men shines through. And as we follow in their tracks, through letters, diaries and eye-witness accounts, they will change how we think about tank warfare forever.

"Excellent ... a raw and visceral, bird's-eye view of the action from the men who were there" - Times

"What Hart has done superbly is to weave many voices into one seamless narrative ... Conveys in sobering detail the relentless grind of modern warfare" - Mail on Sunday

"Dramatic and horrific scenes ... Peter Hart puts us in the shoes of the soldiers who served in tanks in the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry" - BBC History Magazine

"Exquisite ... Hart lets these [men] speak" - The Times

"Memory can play false, of course, but these recollections, admirably curated, have authenticity" - Spectator