The T-54 and T-55 tanks are the most widely manufactured tanks of all time. They have become ubiquitous to wars around the globe since the 1950s, including the Arab-Israeli wars, the Vietnam War of 1967-75, the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88, Operation Desert Storm, the Yugoslav Civil Wars, Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This book examines roots of this prolific tank family, starting with the Soviet Army's first attempts to replace the legendary T-34 during World War II and covering the T-43 and the T-44, the more successful T-54 and its ultimate evolution into the T-55.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Legendary Origins - Early T-54 Tank - The T-54A Tank - Nuclear Battlefield: The T-55 Tank - Rebuilt Tanks - Combat Engineer Tanks - The Ultimate T-55 Tank - Secret Thruse - Explosive Protection - Foreign T-55 Upgrade Progams - The Chinese Type 59 and Type 69 - The T-54/T-55 in combat - Bibliograpy - Color Plate Commentary - Index.