A well-researched and written account of flame-thrower tanks. It recounts how tanks struck terror into enemy forces,not with an exploding shell or machine-gun fire, but by projecting long jets of flame into their positions, whether well-constructed concrete bunkers or concealed trenches. Adapted to pump fuel in sustained bursts, these weapons could penetrate narrow gun slits, either burning those inside or consuming the oxygen they needed to breathe. Few could have faced such a weapon without fear; it was later prohibited under the Geneva Conventions. The crews of these specially adapted tanks were themselves at considerable risk. Their vehicles could be struck and turned into incinerators by a well-aimed antitank weapon, particularly as they had to operate at close range to be effective. The book clearly describes both the deployment of these machines and the mechanics behind their operation.