David Doyle's book on the M911 and M1070 HET is one of the latest entries in the 'Legends of Warfare' series with entries in Ground, Naval, and Aviation. The Legends of Warfare series has expanded rapidly since its 2017 debut in the market with now over 100 titles released. This hard cover series covers a wide variety of monographs at a good price point.

After many years of being published in enthusiast publications focused on military vehicle restorations, David Doyle 'graduated' to full-fledged books in 2003. His first book was a hefty 512 page history of US military vehicles. He has now had more than 175 books published in military vehicles, aviation and naval topics. David and his wife Denise have amassed a collection of ten Vietnam era military vehicles that still displays at shows. In June 2015, was honored with the Military Vehicle Preservation Association's Bart Vanderveen Award, given in recognition of "...the individual who has contributed the most to the historic preservation of military vehicles worldwide." Be sure to check out David's website at www.DavidDoyleBooks.com where you can see and buy at a discounted price off of MSRP, all his books that are still available.

The Oshkosh M911 was a very large 8x6 Truck-Tractor manufactured between 1976 and 1992 with 1,722 produced. Powered by a Detroit Diesel V-8 that produced 430 hp at 2,100 rpm, the M911 was typically used with the M747 semi-trailer. The M911 / M747 rig was typically used to transport main battle tanks such as the M47 Patton. The coming of the heavier M1 Abrams tank generated the requirements for a next generation tank transporter. Oshkosh, again, was the winner with the M1070 along with the DRS Technologies M1000 semi-trailer. Nearly 2,900 M1070 Tractors have been delivered to the US Army and foreign countries with production initiating in 1992. The M1070 is still in service in twelve countries.

The front cover features a partial color photograph of a 1070 HET with the crew protection kit, a M1000 semitrailer, and an Abrams tank [the full photograph can be found on page 089]. On January 11, 2008, the 1070 HET went into a skid going into a turn on a muddy road outside Patrol Base Murray in Iraq. This caused the Abrams tank to slip off the side of the semi-trailer. Note the field-modification of a work light in an olive drab casing and mount that has been fixed to the side of the front right fender. The rear cover features a partial color photograph of a M1070 HET [the full photograph can be found on page 100] marked “209” that is part of a convoy carrying MRAP [Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected] vehicles. This convoy represents the US Army’s 143rd Transportation Company, 541st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Ohio National Guard as they travel from Taji, Iraq, to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, on April 14, 2010. You get 128 glossy pages graced by clear, well captioned, photographs. I counted 251 photographs: 233 in color and 18 in black and white. Many of the selected photographs are being published for the first time.

• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: M911 Commercial Heavy-Equipment Transporter [Page 011]
  • M911 General Data [Table]
• Chapter 2: M747 Semitrailer [Page 035]
  • M1070 General Data [Table]
  • G-904 M747 General Data [Table]
• Chapter 3: M1070/M1000 Heavy Equipment Transport System (HETS) [Page 083]
• Chapter 4: Field Use [Page 093]

David Doyle does a great job of tracing the development and service of US Army Heavy Equipment Transporters from 1941 to the present through well-captioned photographs. Each chapter begins with about a page of text describing each variant, followed by period and modern-day photographs. David Doyle also includes walk-arounds of surviving M911 tractors, M747 semitrailers, M1070 tractors, and M1000 semi-trailers. Major variants are covered as well with the M1070A1 and M1070F, along with the crew protection kits. Large clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, unlock the secrets of these tank transport systems.

Model wise, 1/35 and 1/72 kits of the Oskosh M911 and M1070 C-HETs are available. HobbyBoss and Meng are both competing with 1/35 kits of the M911 C-HET with the M747 semi-trailer while HobbyBoss has the same entry in 1/72. MinimanFactory appears to have resin kits of the M911 C-HET in 1/24, 1/35, and 1/72 scales if you can find them. HobbyBoss has also done the M1070 C-HET with M1000 semi-trailer in 1/35 while Accurate Armour has done the M1070 C-HET with M1000 semi-trailer and the British M1070F C-HET with M1000 semi-trailer in resin. Takom has released the M1070 C-HET and M1000 semi-trailer in 1/72 either including a D9R Bulldozer or a M1A2 SEP Abrams Tusk II tank. Black Dog has offered resin conversions to a M1070 Gun Truck or Dump Truck and now HobbyBoss is offering both in injected form as complete kits.

This is a gorgeous hardbound book and is well worth the money at the MSRP of $24.95. Primarily a photo-essay, David Doyle provides plenty of detailed photographs with detailed captions. This is an excellent reference book solely for the pictures. I am definitely looking for more monographs in this affordable series of books from Schiffer.

My thanks to David Doyle Books and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great book.

Highly recommended!