The Devil's Chariots

The Devil’s Chariots is the product of six years of research by author John Glanfield, who wanted to tell the story of the birth of the tank in World War I, and, importantly, the men behind it. Based on personal recollections and official reports, Glanfield uncovers the British tank pioneers and their odd machines, the men who supported the new weapon, those who refused to accept their worth, and the brave crews who took them into battle.

The birth of the tank is a story of bitter conflicts between visionaries, politicians and the military, set against the backdrop of a brutal war. The clash of personalities and prejudices under the pressures of war and competition for materials resulted in disastrous delays and often bizarrely naive experimental machines, which nevertheless ultimately led to triumph on the battlefield.The Devil’s Chariots charts the initial experiments and tests that eventually led to the now-familiar design, which, in turn, went on to revolutionize warfare.