Tank Command: How the Tank Changed the Face of Battle

Former tank commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE offers a gripping and unique account of the evolution of tank warfare, in collaboration with The Tank Museum.

'This deep dive into the evolution of tank warfare could not be timelier, and Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who has more experience than most on these machines, is the perfect person to tell their tale' James Holland

'Tank Command is an exciting and original look at tanks and tank warfare by a tank commander with over twenty years experience of commanding and fighting these behemoths of the battlefield' Al Murray

'Timely . . . [an] entertaining book' Express

Who would have thought that steel boxes with guns would endure as the stalwart of the battlefield for over a hundred years? For all the new trickery and wizardry of the modern fight, the tank's ability to pack a huge punch at up to 3000 metres, protected by steel, ceramics and now, electronics, is still the most reliable and durable weapon in the military toolbox.

In this thrilling new book, former tank commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE offers a unique and timely exploration of the evolution of the tank, on and off the battlefield. Written in close collaboration with the world-renowned Tank Museum, it brings the thrill of hardware together with the sweep of history, telling the tank's origin story on the battlefields of World War I, charting its primacy during World War II, and analysing its critical role in modern warfare, whether in the Gulf (where Hamish served) or on the new Ukrainian and Russian front lines.

From the MARK IV at the battle of Cambrai to the Challenger 2 in Ukraine, discover the characters who sat at the helm of these iron chariots and what they saw, those who innovated the machine to continue the tank's prominence despite numerous attempts to write it off, and why it remain critical to success in battle even in today's era of drones and cyber warfare.

With thousands of hours commanding Chieftains, Challenger 1s, and Challenger 2s, Hamish is the leading authority on the subject, and Tank Command is an essential addition to any military history reader's bookshelf.

'This review of tank warfare by an accomplished exponent is timely given the increased risks of high intensity conflict and the need to equip our Army effectively' General Sir Nick Carter, former Chief of the Defence Staff

'I fought with Hamish in a tank squadron in the First Gulf War, and gauge there are few better people to explain the evolution of the tank from Cambrai to the Donbass' General Sir Richard Shirreff, Deputy Commander of NATO

'With the world seemingly on the precipice of war again, Tank Command is a timely reminder of the heritage and future of the tank which has been the backbone of warfare for over a hundred years' Rt Hon Sir Andrew Mitchell MP, former DFID Minister and ex Royal Tank Regiment

'A great read and confirmation that the evolution of the tank is not over' General Sir James Everard Colonel, Commandant of the Royal Lancers

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a world-leading expert in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons. He served twenty-three years in the British Army, including service as Commanding Officer of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, the UK CBRN Regiment and NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion. His operational deployments included the First Gulf War, Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and he has been in Syria and Iraq frequently in the last ten years, setting up the CBRN Task Force in Syria and advising medical charities. This considerable experience in the field places Hamish as one of the world's foremost and most current experts in chemical, biological and nuclear counter terrorism and humanitarian operations.

Hamish is a commissioned reserve officer in the British Army's Staff Corp as senior advisor and mentor to the Ministry of Defence on CBRN. He is advising the Ukrainian government, NGOs and journalists ion CBRN defence.

Today, Hamish gives advice to UK and US government agencies and is a senior Ministry of Defence advisor on CBRN and Syria, is frequently seen on global news channels providing expert commentary, and writes for UK, Middle East and US news journals and newspapers. He was a Visiting Fellow at Magdalene College Cambridge in 2020-2022 and his memoir, Chemical Warrior, was published by Headline in 2021.