The Devil's Chariots: The Birth and Secret Battles of the First Tanks

John Glanfield's intensive research has unearthed much new information on the events and personalities surrounding tank production and development to paint a refreshingly different picture of the tank story. The Devil's Chariots is a revelatory account of the pioneer builders and their strange machines, of the men who backed them, and their disbelievers. The heroism of the crews is not forgotten, but behind their terrifying war lay a very different series of often bitter conflicts. They were fought out in greatest secrecy by - and sometimes between - the visionaries, constructors, politicians and the Army at home and in France. The lives of many thousands of Allied and German soldiers hung on the outcome.

John Glanfield has contributed articles on tank history to publications in Britain and the USA, and edited Not for Themselves Alone, the story of the Royal Air Force. A retired director of London’s Earls Court and Olympia, he lives near Guildford.