Sorry, but utter utter nonsense. Stoke’s book is great (!) but it is over ten years old and KV research has made many steps forward since then. I correct Stokes in many details (he did not know at his time) based on most recent research. Additionally over one-thousand wartime photos show hundreds new findings, that Stokes does not include. PS: You should have look at my book before making such a sad statement. So you have nothing yet…
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As a subscriber of the quarterly Miltärfahrzeug from Tankograd, I have been informed about this book a few months back and immediately pre-ordered it.
I also have Neil Stoke’s book and so far it has been one of my absolute favorites on military vehicles. It cost me a fortune due to shipping from Canada to Germany + customs fees.
But as Tankograd has already stated, lots of new information has been discovered since its release. I agree Neil has added some of that to his 4BO site, but he somehow seems to have lost interest. Which is absolutely no criticism, just an observation.
So I look very much forward to this new book. I’ve read a sample chapter on the KV-2, and if the rest of the book is anything like that, I’d say it’s well worth the price.
That said, I hope more and better kits are released in the near future. Trumpeter’s kits 00356 to 00360 were very good and are now dirt cheap - and it’s fun kit-bashing them as Neil suggests - but later variants like the KV-1S and KV-85 are decidedly lesser efforts. I pin great hope on RFM.
Sadly I was unable to contact Neil Stokes, the link on his website does no longer work. So here is my letter to him, maybe someone can pass it on?: Hello Mr. Stokes, I am writing you these lines to inform you that, after 36 years of research, my final “verdict” on the KV will be released soon. In the face of the critic here, above, I like to tell you personally, that your book on the KV is still an outstanding piece of research that tremendously aided me in navigating the technical details. Having said this there is a large number of new findings in my book that add to or contradict your original facts (and mine of the vintage “trilogy” I like to add), this being based on ten years passing since your work and KV research not standing still. I hope you will find the time to read my work, I would be most interested in your opinion! Jochen Vollert
I too will chime in and say that, while I have Neil’s book and it is great, Tankograd’s books such as this are the best in the business. Great photos, detailed drawings and accurate information. While some of it may be similar to what’s in Neil’s book, it will no doubt add immensely to the information on the KV and will be well worth every penny. I have yet to be disappointed with a Tankograd book and own many, many of them, and look forward to this one.
I believe you, and since these facts are the case, I will buy your book. I value tomes like this and accuracy is my aim. Your research and evidence will be highly valued to me. Thank you.
You can never have too many books on the KV tank family.
For those still in doubt about the magnitude of the book, we have just posted the complete contents list on our Tankograd Publishing facebook page… And thanks for all the positive comments!
A pre-release review copy will be sent to Darren Baker or Armorama, let him be the judge of the book. We will also prepare some sneak-peek videos closer to the release date. So if in doubt, wait until September to see what you get.
When the first Son of Sherman book was released (the one-volume hardbound issue) at AMPS in Atlanta I passed someone in a hallway telling his buddy “I must have 10 Sherman books already. Why would I need another one? What could they possibly have that’s new?”
KL
The KV has been a favorite subject since I started modeling in the 1970s, and I have acquired an exhaustive amount of reference material over the years, including N. Stokes’ fabulous book, as well as your first three.
Sad to say, if the price of your as yet unpublished book is accurately reflected on David Doyle’s site ($269) you have priced yourself out of my effective range. I have an exhaustive collection of photos, which regardless of any “new” research and information remain all I really need for modeling purposes. I am also already sold on the new narrative that the KV was far more influential than many early sources might have said, so I don’t need convincing. I can’t justify an additional reference at that price.
I have to agree with Gregory. When I saw that the book was 169 Euro, I thought I could stretch the upper limit of my book budget and buy it. But going to the David Doyle site was a shock. I fully intended to order the book, but $269 is about $100 above my book limit and a huge amount for one volume. It looks like a wonderful book but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.
We fully understand that €169 is A LOT of money. Yet if you want a real Porsche it makes no sense showing up with milk money (and cry about it). On the other hand this is the price of just one (!) resin tank kit these days - so why the discussion? Books must be cheaper than kits, why? Also keep in mind that this is a 4kg book, and shipping just one copy around the globe in airfreight is approx. €30, which explains extra-EU prices. There are many more affordable yet now fully outdated KV books out there, yet only one that contains that much information, and also new (!) information. If 800 out of the 999 copies will be sold, we are just breaking even with all expenses, the wartime photos alone cost us €30,000 (thirty-thousand) to gather. In the end it is of course everyone’s personal choice, we force no one to stay on top of the food chain. Yet once again (!): wait for the Armorama review before bashing our efforts prematurely.
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Based on the shipping rates quoted and converting the amount, it’s around $219, $50 or more in savings ordering direct.
@Tankograd I don’t think it is bashing, more free thought on information posted that most consumers will internally have. The brand has a good reputation, so the issue will be is the subject worth it to the modeler at this price. For some it will be and others outside there budget/needed.
I personally like the KV but not sure I love the KV that much for my needs. Hope it sells well for you and look forward to the review.
Please sir, I am not bashing in the least. Your new book is evidenced to be excellent and the new epitome of references on the KV tank. I applaud your efforts, your accomplishments, and your beautiful book. I was just lamenting the price in my country of $269. That’s a steep markup from 169 Euro. By the way, my latest KV model cost $40.
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I do understand that. Initially we had opted for a more economical version of the book for €139 rather than €169. But that would have meant dropping 328 pages (total of 400 rather than 728). I opted against that as it is done too often with many publishers. The bigger book turned into an enthusiasts project now containing all that I wanted it to have! Euro 169 are US$ 190 plus shipping ends up as US$ 234. So the price is hefty, but no one is getting inappropriately rich by selling it… Your decision thus must come from your heart rather than your wallet.
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PS: The curret sales prices in the US are based on airfreight import. We are working on a seafreigth option that could bring down the price a little, but with the airfreight books available in September it might well take up to November-December up till the shipborne consignment arrives. Where is Scotty when you need to beam something?
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I understand. A few of my decal manufacturing friends have mentioned that to get rich in this industry is to start out rich. 
It’s all for the love of the hobby.
The parcel arrived on Friday. My wife asked me if I had ordered bricks!
So far I’ve been only able to skim it and read a few select chapters that are of particular interest to me. I’m very impressed!
I control my heart, but SWMBO controls the wallet! 
My book will be here the end of September through David Doyle Books. Total USA price - $230. I already put $50 down on it so $180 on delivery. That’s only three kits. Not a big expenditure. I look forward to having this tome in my library and accurizing the eight KV kits that I have in my stash.
OK, fair enough, but I have to disagree his view on available kits in the 1:35 scale.
As already noted above, the Trumpeter kits 00311, 00312 and 00356 to 00360 were well researched, especially considering the time they were released. Of course there are flaws, but no reason to slam them like he did.
His praise for Tamiya is a straight facepalm. The KV-1 had countless flaws: features don’t match the well known pictures of this particular tank at all. The KV-2 was much better, but it also cost much more than Trumpeter’s 00312 for not much value added.
He mentions Bronco, but they have (had?) only the KV-85 and two variants of the SU-152.
Rye Field has the best kits at the moment. The second kit with the reinforced cast turret is a variant not described in Neil Stokes’ book, but fortunately this one: it’s the 2nd batch of reinforced cast turrets with the two “chins” on the overhang, but yet without interlocked turret roof.
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Sorry, forgot about the KV-122.
So far I’m on page 150 in the book, in the chapter on the KV-2. I have to say it’s very thorough, and the unwritten motto seems to be: “pictures or it didn’t happen”. Every change in production is documented in several pictures. In some cases these are very good pictures. Apparently it was quite a challenge to find pictures showing unusual angles, like slightly from above. Most pictures of KV tanks were taken “en passant” by German soldiers, few of whom took a closer look to inspect technical details.
Also very nice are series of pictures of a particular vehicle, when available. These help greatly in demonstrating combinations of features for specific production batches.
I have on minor nit-pick, though: the KV “large turret” and the KV-2 model 1940 (production batch November/December 1940) had a thinner recuperator cover compared to the 1941 model. On all pictures I could find, the opening for the gunner’s sight in the upper right corner when viewed from the front was not surrounded by a recessed ring. Yet the line drawings all show that recessed ring.
I can only find this feature on the 1941 model, formerly called KV-2 second production batch. There the thickened recuperator cover shows the characterisitc grooves on the sides, to allow acces the the adjustment bolts. But it also had the recessed ring around the gunner’s sight opening.
I had already corrected that detail on Trumpeter 00311 (KV "large turret), which I’m currently building. I’ll also have to remove the second bolt on the top of the cover - the one in the middle - which was also model 1941 only.
Here is a picture before I fixed the gunner’s sight opening:
The same would apply to Trumpeter 00312, if you wish to back-date it to the model 1940. Neil Stokes’ “recipes” tell you to remove the grooves on the sides, but you should also apply the changes which I just described.
Do you mean the gun sleeve? It’s made of three segments, but you have to look very closely to see the two fine grooves separating them. On the Trumpeter barrel these are much too pronounced (and the tube is too short by 3mm). If you look closely the turned aluminium barrel from Magic Models seen in the picture above has them.
The kit part also has a collar on the end of the barrel, which wasn’t present on the KV “large turret”.
It’s a shame the replacement barrels from Magic Models are so hard to get these days. The ones from Aber are also fine, but they require much more surgery.
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Here’s a picture of the aftermarket gun barrel for the KV-2. See the faint grooves for the 3 segments and the collar on the muzzle:
Thank you my eyes are not as good as they were but I can see them in the last picture
Pre-ordering it back in January was definitely the right move!