
Tank Action
An Armoured Troop Commander's War 1944-45
Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Publisher)
Published on 16. June 2016
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-4746-0326-3 (ISBN)
Description
A gripping account of the Second World War, from the perspective of a young tank commander. In 1944 the average life expectancy of a newly commissioned tank troop officer in Normandy was estimated as being less than two weeks. David Render was a nineteen-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst when he was sent to France to join a veteran armoured unit that had already spent years fighting with the Desert Rats in North Africa. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting in Normandy, in which more than 90 per cent of his fellow tank commanders became casualties, his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements defied expectations and earned him his squadron's nickname of the 'Inevitable Mr Render'. In Tank Action David Render tells his remarkable story, spanning every major episode of the last year of the Second World War in Western Europe, from the invasion of Normandy to the fall of Germany.
Ultimately it is a story of survival, comradeship and the ability to stand up and be counted as a leader in combat.
Ultimately it is a story of survival, comradeship and the ability to stand up and be counted as a leader in combat.
Reviews / Votes
'Extraordinary youth, unbelievable bravery and humbling heroism: David Render and his crew are the real deal. His book with Stuart Tootal more than delivers' -- Damien Lewis, bestselling author of Zero Six Bravo and Operation Mayhem [Render's] first-hand account of his experiences - brilliantly written with Stuart Tootal - is not only wonderfully informative on the nitty-gritty of a key element of the Allied victory, but as gripping as the very best war fiction. -- John Harding DAILY MAILMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
612 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4746-0326-3 (9781474603263)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
David Render is one of the very last surviving Second World War tank troop commanders to have participated in the D-Day landing and the entirety of the subsequent fighting in the Allies campaign to liberate Europe in 1944 and 1945. After the war, he went on to become a highly successful businessman and national champion racing-car driver. David lives with his wife in north London. Stuart Tootal spent twenty years as a soldier, serving in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, the Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2006 he commanded 3 PARA as the first UK combat unit to be sent to Helmand province in Afghanistan. A champion of veterans' affairs, on leaving the Army he set up the Parachute Regiment Afghanistan Trust charity and now works in the City of London. A defence and security commentator for several national media networks, he also regularly lectures on leadership in the commercial environment. Tank Action is his third book.