Images of War: Tanks and Armour at Kursk 1943 is a forthcoming entry in the long -running Images of War photographic-history series from Pen and Sword Military. It focuses on the German armored formations that participated in the Battle of Kursk during Operation Citadel in July 1943, widely regarded as the largest tank battle in history.

The book is written by Ian Baxter, a prolific historian specializing in German military history of the Second World War. Baxter has produced numerous illustrated campaign studies emphasizing archival photography, unit organization, and battlefield conditions.

What the Book Covers

The emphasis is on:

• German Panzer and Waffen-SS armored units at Kursk
• The buildup to Operation Citadel
• The northern and southern attack sectors
• Armored combat conditions on the Eastern Front
• Vehicle-focused photography and identification
• Tactical and operational commentary accompanying the images

The publisher describes it as a “richly illustrated account” featuring roughly 200 black-and-white photographs, including rare and previously unpublished images.

You can expect substantial coverage of iconic German armored vehicles such as:

• Panzer IV
• Panther tank
• Tiger I
• Elefant
• German half-tracks and assault guns

alongside battlefield wreckage, recovery operations, logistics, and frontline crews.

Style and Format

Like most Images of War volumes, this is primarily a visual history rather than a deep operational analysis. The series generally combines:

• archival photographs.
• extended captions.
• concise narrative chapters.
• maps and unit context.
• highly image-driven.
• strong for vehicle enthusiasts and modelers.
• lighter on exhaustive academic analysis.

Historical Context

The book centers on the armored phase of the Battle of Kursk, especially:

• The German attempt to eliminate the Kursk salient,
• The clash at Operation Citadel,
• and the attritional tank warfare that permanently shifted the strategic initiative to the Soviet Union.

The Germans entered the battle with advanced new armor like the Panther and Tiger, but Soviet defenses, minefields, artillery belts, and numerical superiority blunted the offensive.

This book is probably best suited for:

• armored warfare enthusiasts,
• WWII Eastern Front readers,
• military vehicle modelers,
• archival photo collectors,
• readers who prefer visual military history over dense operational scholarship.

If you want a deeply detailed operational analysis of Kursk, works by David Glantz or Valeriy Zamulin are usually considered stronger scholarly references. But for photographic documentation of German armor at Kursk, Baxter’s volume looks positioned as an accessible and visually rich companion book.