Zenith Press

4th Armored Division in World War II

by George Forty

Reviewed By Joe Koenig, IPMS #31441

MSRP: $21.99 US ISBN: 978-0-7603-3160-6 Publishing date: Jan. 15, 2009 Website: www.zenithpress.com This book is another in the Spearhead series that looks into the makeup, operations, and performance of a military unit operating independently and forcefully at the forefront of battle. The book is 128 pages, printed on a coated paper with a card-stock gloss-coated cover, 7 ¼ x 9 ¾. It contains 25 color and 75 black and white photos, ten maps, and diagrams. The book starts out with the unit's origins and history, starting with a brief history on the role of armor. Then it picks up on April 15, 1941, when the 4th Armored was activated at Pine Camp, New York state. It then follows the movement of the division stateside as they form up, train, and prepare for war. Something that I particularly liked about the book is that it contains excerpts from several people who were there and from works of other authors. Chapter 2 covers the unit getting ready for war, including twelve pages of organizational tables along with some information on the hardware, particularly the tanks, used by the 4th Division. Pages 33-87 give a brief history of the unit in action, from their arrival in Normandy to the war's end, which found them in Czechoslovakia. The author really packs a lot of fascinating information into so few pages. Being a WW II buff, I realized just how little that I know. Again, the first person accounts of several of the battles really add to this book. What the division accomplished during its campaign across northwest Europe is incredible to read and makes me want to go deeper into its history. It is really interesting to see how the 4th Division was at the forefront of the entire campaign, leading the way. What they did in December 1944 to help relieve the 101st Airborne at Bastogne had me in awe. Next the book covers the insignia, clothing, and equipment used. The book gives a little more history of the Division insignia, both what was issued to the troops and to the armored vehicles. The book then covers several of the main characters who made it all happen and what became of them. It goes into what the division did postwar to shift from a wartime footing to keeping the peace. It concludes with a nice reference section for those who want to know more. This book was a great read for me and there were many photos I've not seen before. The photos were great, but not much help if you are a modeler. However, the story will make you want to build models of some of "The Greatest Generation." I highly recommend this book and thank Zenith Press for making it available for review.