+0

Holmes' poignant book contains 500 photographs, almost all of them black-and-white and most drawn from Britain's Imperial War Museum. A few were taken by prominent photographers, such as Cecil Beaton and Robert Capa, but many of the photographers--some destined to remain unknown, others ordinary officers and men--served with army film and photographic units. There are also captured German and Japanese official photographs. Presentation is by year, from 1939 to 1945. Holmes prefaces each year with an account of its major events and briefly introduces each block of photos within a year. Although most of the pictures are war photos, some reflect the fact that millions of civilians were affected--young children being evacuated from London, a British air raid warden comforting a child rescued from a bombed-out home, German citizens made to view the horrors of the Buchenwald concentration camp, shaven-headed French women accused of sexually consorting with the Germans. World War II enthusiasts will want both books. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

As we approach the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II, interest in the greatest military conflict of all time remains stronger than ever. Richard Holmes, one of Britain’s finest military historians—assisted by the research staff of the Imperial War Museum—takes us on a photographic look back at the confrontation. In year-by-year chapters, from 1939–1945, this breathtaking volume covers every theater of operations. Dramatic, hard hitting, and intensely moving, this is a unique visual testament to the millions who lost their lives in the war, and a reminder of both the heroism and horror of global combat.