In The Tank Debate , John Stone highlights the equivocal position that armour has traditionally occupied in Anglo-American thought, and explains why - despite frequent predictions to the contrary - the tank has remained an important instrument of war. The author charts the shifts in attitude which have occurred in relation to the tank since its introduction in 1916, and demonstrates how these shifts have been prompted by threatening developments in anti-tank systems. The tank's longevity in the face of such threats is, it is argued, a result of its ability to accommodate countervailing technological and doctrinal responses. But the author also contends that technology and doctrine must be kept in close accord for the tank to perform most efficiently, and that this relationship is currently under considerable strain. The present generation of tanks are, he suggests, ill-suited to today's doctrinal regime, which has changed dramatically since they were initially conceived. Stone concludes that such tanks might therefore be approaching obsolescence - not necessarily because of near-future developments in anti-tank systems, but because they will be increasingly incapable of meeting the performance demands associated with a continuing process of doctrinal change This book provides a timely and provocative study of the tank's developmental history, against the changing background of Anglo-American military thought.