At the Forward Edge of Battle

At the Forward Edge of Battle is the first ever illustrated history of the Pakistan Armoured Corps. The Pakistan Armoured Corps is based on a unique blend of values and traditions inherited from its predecessors, with those of the post-Independence national army. Origins of this force can be traced back to the times the cavalry units of the British India Army were mechanized, in late 1930s. They were worked up and then deployed extensively during the World War II, and further moulded during the post-independence period and two wars with India, 1948-1971. By 1990s, the Pakistan Armoured Corps evolved into a modern fighting force in thought, organization, and equipment. Based on decades of author's first hand experience, extensive research with help of authentic sources and official documentation, this book is providing a detailed and richly illustrated description of the build-up and expansion of the Pakistan Armoured Corps, its culture, organisation, doctrine, equipment, bases, a myriad of events and personalities, and combat operations that made it over the last 95 years. At the Forward Edge of Battle, Volume 1 is illustrated by over 100 rare and authentic photographs, 15 colour profiles, and a similar number of maps. AUTHOR: After a career of 50 years in the Pakistan Army, Maj Gen Syed Ali Hamid developed a passion for the military history of the Pakistan-India Subcontinent. He had served in an armoured regiment in the 1971 Pakistan-India War and wrote its combat history, Forged in the Furnace of Battle (Sang-e-Meel, 2012). 100 b/w photos/ills, 20 colour profiles, 12 colour ills, 2 maps, 2 tables

“"Good organizational coverage of the transition period as Pakistan became independent from India and military assets were divided between the two."”

-- "Historical Miniatures Gaming Society"

After a career of 50 years in the Pakistan Army, Maj Gen Syed Ali Hamid developed a passion for the military history of the Pakistan-India Subcontinent. He had served in an armoured regiment in the 1971 Pakistan-India War and wrote its combat history, Forged in the Furnace of Battle (Sang-e-Meel, 2012). Hamid spent more than half his service in the Pakistan Armoured Corp during which he rose to command a mechanized division, and also spent six years on the faculty of the Army Staff College and Pakistan’s National Defence University. He therefore has both the knowledge and skillset to compile a riveting account of the history of the Pakistan Armoured Corps. Hamid comes from a family that has soldiered for over 150 years and his father Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid authored several books on the political and military history of the sub-continent. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ali Hamid has been extensively researching the history of the British India Army and has written a number of articles for various military magazines and journals. The theme of the book he is currently working on is accounts of Muslim officers and soldiers of the British India Army who were awarded for gallantry during the Second World War.

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