This is the fourth title in our new Russian Armour series which has been designed to provide much needed authoritative information on the classic Soviet tank designs of the 20th century. The books are written by Russian experts and the research has been done in Russian archives. The series has already established itself as required reading for all those interested in the development of armoured warfare over the past 100 years. The latest title examines in detail the T-34, one of the most famous and successful vehicles in the history of armoured warfare. The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. It was widely regarded as the world's best tank when the Soviet Union entered the Second World War, and although its armour and armament were surpassed by later WWII tanks, it is credited as the war's most effective, efficient and influential design. First produced at the KhPZ factory in Kharkov, it was the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces throughout World War II, and widely exported afterwards. At least 39 countries are known to have operated T-34s. It was the most-produced tank of the war, and the second most-produced tank of all time, after its successor, the T-54/55 series. The T-34 was still in service with twenty-seven countries as late as 1996. There are hundreds of surviving T-34s. Examples of the type are in the military collections and museums around the globe, and hundreds more serve as war memorials in Russian and former Eastern bloc countries. Aimed at the modeller, military historian and wargamer, we believe that the Russian Armour series provides authoritative information on the classic Soviet tank designs of the 20th century, to a level of detail probably not previously available in the English language.