A Book Review

From time to time I intend to do book reviews on these pages. I am a firm believer in the adage that any book you haven’t read is a new book. So some of my reviews may be of earlier published, perhaps out of print (but still available used on the internet) books. Today’s book, however is a new one.

Historic Photos of World War II: North Africa to Germany is a photography book with text and captions by Bob Duncan. The book’s 198 photographs drawn from archival sources begin with the origins of the war in the rise of Nazism and Fascism and move quickly into the American campaigns in North Africa, Italy and Northwest Europe.

Coming as it does at roughly the same time as the Ken Burns documentary and related book might be seen as a disadvantage. However, this book takes pains as the Ken Burns documentary did not to explain with a few well chosen photographs why the war was necessary. Totalitarianism, militarism, the persecution and genocidal murder of the Jews and the subjugation and exploitation of the varied and numerous peoples of Europe are all elegantly and succinctly brought to mind with pictures.
The context having been set, the subsequent photographs of Americans in combat and on campaign are all the more evocative as we now know in a way that only powerful images can show what has set in motion the suffering, destruction and death; and the courage and devotion to duty that come with them.

While a few of the photographs are classic and familiar, most are photographs that I have not seen before. Particularly interesting are the photographs of what comes after the intense moments of combat. One picture that stands out to me is of a small group of 3rd armored division soldiers who have broken out of a local encirclement. Their faces still blackened with the camouflage used in the breakout, their faces are also marked by relief, exhaustion and elation at being free and alive. They are crowded round boxes of food and cigarettes eating, smoking and celebrating their survival.

I could go on as these photographs repay detailed study of what they depict. The home front industries and their workers, interesting weapons and equipment, the modifications and upgrades made to the Sherman tank, various historic personages and much more including scenes of combat are strikingly depicted in a well chosen selection of photographs. I really hate to say anything negative about this very entertaining and informative volume. However, it did strike me that the captions to the photographs, though very informative, occasionally lapsed into the simplistic and the cliched. This usually happened in comments that were not strictly necessary to caption the photograph. A little more editorial attention and restraint might have brought the narrative to a higher level more worthy of the photographic content.

Still, this is a handsomely produced volume and obviously a labor of love for Mr. Duncan who clearly brings a great deal of interest and enthusiasm to his topic. At 39.95 it is not for everyone. However, anyone interested in World War II or war photography and building a personal library on either should not fail to be aware of this volume. The publisher is Turner Publishing and their website is here .