SabingaMartin has been publishing references on the IDF tanks for several years. Their intent to cover all aspects of IDF armor has led them into publishing various volumes on some subjects.
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The book being reviewed is the second on the Centurion but is volume 1.
In the Priority Mail envelope, I found the soft cover book measuring 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall and 80 glossy pages within the two heavy cardstock glossy covers. It utilizes perfect binding which will probably be
damaged thanks to the heavy use I am planning for it backdating some AFV Club kits. The covers do have an intentional crease parallel to the spine to allow them to be spread out.
Color is used throughout except on the tonal photos. Gone are the sepia tones some had to them in the earliest publications from SabingaMartin. Flipping through, I saw many service photos, color detail photos, scale
plans, and color profiles. I prepared myself a cup of coffee and sat down to read the text.
Once I was past the color cover design, the inner cover provided some details of the labor of love this book is for Dr. Robert Manasherob. The name of the publishing company is based on the names of his children.
They are listed in the acknowledgments along with many others who helped. A dedication to his father, Shalom Manasherov, shows that the author's heart is in the right place; family first.
What follows are 222 photos, 67 of which are tonal photos and the remaining 155 walk around photographs being in color. The photos are clear and in several cases show details which are usually censored. While they
are in a chronological order, with excellent captions that go in depth, they do not necessarily follow the text.
The text goes into detail about the need for aheavt tank and the deals required to obtain them from the UK. A central section offers the personal memoirs of a member of Company Zayin during 1959.
The color section contains 155 photos covering every imaginable detail of the early Centurions. All variations of the roadwheels, idlers, drive wheels, and suspension are covered.
Arkadiusz Wróbel’s artwork includes nine color profiles and two scrap views of markings found on the IDF Centurions. Twelve pages have 1/35th scale plan views (four sets each on three pages shwing five views and a full plan of the barrel). These show the progression of the Centurion's development during IDF service.
This book is highly recommended. A conversion using AFV Club's exceptional Centurion kits will be easy thanks to the photos and scale plans. In that case, this book is indispensable! To order the book, send the author Dr. Robert Manasherob an e-mail or visit
their web site; SabingaMartin Publications.