The past 86 years have seen the tank develop from a primitive experimental weapon designed to break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front into a fearsomely sophisticated machine designed to dominate the battlefield. Over the same period, tank crews have ceased to be a band of intrepid pioneers and have become an elite arm whose units now boast battle honors ranging from Alamein to Kursk and from Korea to the Sinai.

This lavishly illustrated book by Philip Kaplan tells the story of the tank's development and of the men who rode into battle on board their tanks, from the Somme in 1916 to the Gulf War of 1992. Chariots of Fire brings to life the experiences of tank crews both past and present, and features many unusual and dramatic photographs of men and machines, conveying a vivid impression of armored warfare in the twentieth century.