[Subnuts]

Amazon isn't publishing the review I wrote of the Haynes Challenger 2 MBT "Workshop Manual," so here it is.

In 2017, Haynes published a "workshop manual" for the M1 Abrams. Like many of their books on modern military vehicles, it was fairly well done but somewhat lacking in hard details. Although it still isn't quite as detailed as Haynes' WWII tank manuals, this follow-up on Britain's most powerful modern MBT is a more substantial and more well-rounded work. Lt Col Dick Taylor served in the Royal Armoured Corps and has written three other tank manuals for Haynes, and demonstrates an impressive understanding of the subject.

Although it follows the standard Haynes format, this book is definitely a bit wordier than the average "workshop manual." While there's still plenty of excellent diagrams and photographs, a substantial chunk of the text is devoted to the development of British MBTs in the second half of the Cold War, the introduction of the tank into service, and first-hand accounts from crewmembers who fought in the Iraq War. For once this doesn't feel like potted history; the level of detail in the historical sections is fairly substantial and added to my overall understanding of the tank's design. The technical sections are also fairly well done, with quite a few "how it works" bits (how to start the engine, how to engage an enemy tank, etc.), a photographic "walkthrough" of a tank's interior, and descriptions of each CR2 variant.

As the Challenger 2 is still in active service, the amount of technical detail is limited in certain places. Some elements, such as the ammunition and powerpack, are described in a fair amount of detail. Other areas, such as the armor and fire control system...no so much. Although there are numerous photos and diagrams of the turret interior, the driver's station only gets a single small unlabeled diagram. Thankfully there's very little in the way of jingoism present, and Mr. Taylor explains in evenhanded terms why Britain chose to design and build their own tank, rather than go with a foreign design such as the M1 or Leopard 2. He also avoids the trap of directly comparing it with other modern tanks on a one-on-one basis, and mentions some of the many problems encountered in the first years of service.

Although it lacks the brutal honesty of the author's Chieftain and Challenger 1 manuals, I think modern armor buffs should enjoy this book. It's a fairly substantial reference which manages to avoid reading like a Royal Army recruiting pamphlet.