Nicola Cortese was born in Montreal, Canada in 1961 to Italian-Irish parents. He studied Creative Arts at college, and spent 15 years as a professional musician. He currently works in Kirkland Quebec as a technical writer for software programs. His hobbies include music, cinema, world history, and scale modelling. He began AFV modelling some four years ago and was instantly hooked: this is his first title for Osprey Publishing.

The IS (Iosef Stalin) heavy tanks were some of the most widely used AFVs produced by the USSR. First entering combat in 1944, the IS-2 went head-to-head with German tanks such as the Panther, Tiger and King Tiger, and post war IS-2s and IS-3s were exported to China, Cuba and North Korea. This book is packed with easy to follow super-detailing and finishing instructions for building the IS-2, IS-3, and IS-3M variants, as well as for the prototype ISU-152, and features kits from manufacturers such as Dragon, Tamiya, and Fujimi. Advanced scratch-building techniques and working with photo-etched and other after-market accessories in 1/35 and 1/76 scales are covered, making this highly accessible book a welcome addition to any modeller's library.