The T-54 and T-55 tanks are the most widespread tanks ever built. They have been present in wars worldwide since the 1950s, starting with Hungary in 1956, including the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967, 1973, and 1982, the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1975, the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the conflict in Afghanistan, Operation Desert Storm, the Yugoslav Wars, and the recent conflict in Iraq.

This book will examine the origins of this numerous family of tanks, beginning with the Soviet Army's early efforts to replace the legendary T-34 during World War II, and covering the T-43 and T-44, the most successful T-54, and its final evolution into the T-55.