Casemate Publishing

Panzertales World Tank Museum Collector Book

Illustrated by  Yoh Morinaga

Reviewed By  Perry Downen, IPMS# 44000

MSRP: $19.95 ISBN: 978-0-9790684-0-9 Website: www.casematepublishing.com To be honest, this book is not what I expected based on the title. I envisioned a gallery of museum specimens with a lot of close up photographs. Instead, it contains a different and interesting presentation of the armor we all know and love. As I began reading the material my slight disappointment turned to enthusiasm. The material and the manner it was presented reveled facts unknown to this (airplane) modeler. The book is soft bound with a glossy cover and glossy pages. It measures approximately 8-1/4" X 10" and contains 96 pages. It is the first English translation of Yoh Morinaga's "Panzertales" illustrations. A little background may help explain the book's layout. The illustrations were originally written as a series of pamphlets that came in candy. Photographs of 1/144-scale models were added and together with the illustrations were called the World Tank Museum Series. This book is a compilation of six of the series. The focus is on the WWII series. Each series effectively serves as a chapter. This explains why the various Tiger tanks, for example, are not grouped into one "chapter," but are found scattered across several "chapters." The term tank in the title may be a little misleading. This book also covers equipment associated with tanks. Some examples are: anti-tank guns, assault gun vehicles, half-tracks, the Kubelwagen, the Fi-156 Storch and soldiers of note such as Otto Skorzeny and Michael Wittman. There are approximately 36 topics covered. The format of the book is consistent for each topic. The left hand page contains Morinaga's illustrations and comments. The illustrations are not photographic-like fine line drawings. Rather, they remind me of an illustrator's watercolor renderings with human caricatures. The illustrations contain noteworthy pieces of information and insight. Mr. Morinaga depicted the tanks in a unique manner and style. The right hand page consists of photographs of the subject illustration in 1/144 scale. These are beautifully done in various camouflage patterns. Under the pictures is a brief history of the subject. While this book does not contain the photographs I anticipated, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The illustrations were very well done and informative. Because of the refreshing style and colorful illustrations, I recommend this book to the casual modeler as well as to the armor aficionado.