Action-packed stories of legendary tank soldiers in some of the bloodiest engagements of World War II, from North Africa to the Eastern Front.

With brash courage and finely honed skill, Germany's black-clad panzer troops blasted their way into the annals of military history as feared and fearless fighters. Leading from the turrets of Panthers, Tigers, and other lethal machines, these men spearheaded the Third Reich's offensives on the Eastern Front, in the West, and in Africa, turning T-34s and Shermans into burning wrecks and battling on even when all seemed lost. Franz Kurowski captures the essence of World War II tank combat: the rattling of tracks, the fire and smoke of rounds hitting home, the guts of the commanders who led from the front.