Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of the Associated Press FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Memories of World War II is a presentation of the most significant and influential photographs relating to World War II from the archives of The Associated Press. To create the book, 167 images were culled from tens of thousands of pictures in the AP Archives, including material from AP photo files in Europe and Asia that had not been seen since the war. These are actual images that informed American newspaper readers at home about the progress of the war." Taken together, these photographs form a portrait of war in both the European and Pacific theaters - a panorama of events from the rise of Hitler and the invasion of Poland to the dropping of the atomic bombs and the surrender of Japan. Arranged chronologically, with detailed captions and prefaced with essays by Bob Dole and Walter Cronkite, they give form to the dark passions and high ideals that shaped the course of the war.
SYNOPSIS
A foreword by former Senator Bob Dole and an introduction by Walter Cronkite are followed by a selection of exemplary photos from the Associated Press archive. The photos—many of which were published in the nation's newspapers—are captioned and presented chronologically. The oversize format (12x10.5") affords powerful display of these evocative b&w images. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Chris Patsilelis - The New York Times
The harsh black-and-white images in Memories of World War II hauntingly depict the horrific global struggle that cost millions of lives and transformed the geopolitics of the 20th century … Each photograph is accompanied by a succinct, informative description, and the volume contains an incisive foreword by former Senator Bob Dole, a veteran of the war, and an introduction by Walter Cronkite, a war correspondent in Europe.
Publishers Weekly
While AP did not produce all the good photographs of the war, it certainly produced a very large number. This selection of 170 b&w photos ranges in time from Hitler at Berchtesgaden in 1934 to a flyover above the Missouri in Tokyo Bay in 1945. Nagasaki; concentration camp documentation; and burned out European towns mix with the (familiar) flag raising on Iwo Jima and the 28th Infantry Division marching through Paris. Depictions of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin together give way to an implacable column of Pacific Fleet warships. Sometimes there is even joy-a classic portrait of George Patton, the Happy Warrior, and a passionate kiss between sailor and nurse celebrating the end of the war. Introductions by Bob Dole and Walter Cronkite are up to the expected standard. The captions occasionally go astray, as on the Russian battle casualties, but the photographs mostly speak for themselves, and the book stands tall as a shelvable version of the exhibit at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station that it accompanies. It's been more than a generation since everybody grew up with ready access to many of these shots; this book brings them back splendidly. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
This excellent coffee-table book consists of 170 photographs arranged in chronological order from a smiling Hitler in 1934 to the surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945. Bob Dole and Walter Cronkite contributed the foreword and introduction, respectively. The photos are presented in an 8" x 10" format, one to a page, and are accompanied by descriptive paragraphs. Some of the images will be familiar, while others have not been published before. Issued in conjunction with the recent dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, this is a dramatic and evocative compendium of photos from all theaters that offers a good visual narrative. A great choice for libraries looking for a visual history of the war. Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, KS Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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