Trackpad Publishing

16/06/2026

Shortest Gap - The Story of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineer
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/shortest-gap
Due for publication 25 June. Pre-orders are very welcome!

Written by Michael E. (Ossie) Orsbourn

The history of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineer is covered from the first R.E. Tank of World War 1 to the Churchill AVRE – in all its variants. It is brought into the ‘modern era’ with Centurion and on through different Chieftain AVRE variants, closing with the current Trojan AEV.
The reason behind this book is to gain an insight into the AVRE and why they are still important today, carrying out the engineering work deemed necessary by the Army during conflict.
The book is called Shortest Gap for the simple reason that Armoured Engineers always find the shortest gap to cross by whichever means they have to hand. This could mean either using Fascines, Bridges or ARKs within the Direct Fire Zone of which the AVRE was called for. Direct means that the vehicle was armoured and deemed to be used within a battle group with the same protection levels as gun tanks.
This book gives an insight into the design and development of the vehicles themselves, their associated equipment, and the people behind them. The book does not cover actual historical actions in which the AVRE has fought as this has been covered in other books. Nor does it cover indirect engineer vehicles used by the Royal Engineers.
Personal stories from crew members that crewed these machines provide an invaluable insight into their operation.
Scale line drawings of most of the Churchill variants and Centurion AVRE have been kindly contributed by the well-known AFV Club scale model company.

10/12/2025

https://armorama.com/news/centurion-modeller-s-guide

Volume 2 of Centurion Modeller's Guide is now available from Scorpion Miniature Models.

27/11/2025

Centurion Modeller's Guide Volume 2 - The Later Marks
The book is available NOW!!

https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/product-page/centurion-modeller-s-guide-vol-2-the-later-marks

Also available from SMM-Scorpion Miniature Models

14/10/2025

14/10/2025

Helping out a friend once again to promote his third aviation book about the story of his local airfield.
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/tales-of-lympne-airfield-3
Available NOW!!
Tales of Lympne Airfield Volume 3
Author: John Simpson
This is the third volume of fascinating accounts of true events that span seventy years of aviation history at Lympne Airfield.
Two world wars, peacetime record breaking, a commercial airport, parachuting, sport and relaxation were all experienced at Lympne.
It is a story about people showing gallantry, aviation prowess, witnessing tragedy, escape, fun and frolics – all helping to make Lympne an international name from 1916 until 1986.

​TTP03 A5 portrait, 132 pages, well over 100 photos, RRP £16.50Available

20/03/2025

Here is a double review of two Japansese titles recently released.
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-74
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-16

It's been a while since we've featured anything from Trackpad Publishing. For those of you who don't know the publisher, first, where have you been? And second, you have missed some of the best-produced and most informative armour-related books on the market.
Not my words - but those of David Grummitt of Military Modelcraft International😀

Available here:
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-74
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-16

02/02/2025

Type 16 Mobile Combat Vehicle
Available now!!! https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-16

17/01/2025

Japanese Type 16 Mobile Combat Vehicle
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-16

Due for publication early February. Pre-Orders are very welcome!

60 pages. 130 photos. £15.50 retail

The Type 16 Mobile Combat Vehicle (16MCV) is a wheeled armoured vehicle of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). It is transportable by air and has high on-road mobility to enable rapid deployments to strategic locations and air transportability.
The main armament is the same 105 mm gun used on the Type 74 tank allowing it to destroy enemy armoured vehicles by direct fire. The Fire-Control System is based on that of the Type 10 Tank, therefore achieving highly accurate fire whilst on the move.
The 16MCV shares data between vehicles and units via a Field Communication System command-and-control software and battlefield information software.
Type 16MCVs are deployed in reconnaissance combat battalions and rapid deployment regiments in divisions/brigades of the JGSDF.

27/10/2024

Japanese Type 74 Main Battle Tank
by Koji Miyake
Now available direct from Trackpad.
https://www.trackpadpublishing.com/japanese-type-74
64 pages, over 160 photos, £15.50