TITLE - LIFE & DEATH ON THE EASTERN FRONT | THE RARE COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR
WRITTEN BY - ANTHONY TUCKER-JONES & IAN STEWART SPRING
PUBLISHED BY - PEN & SWORD BOOKS
PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW
Anthony Tucker-Jones and Ian Spring’s gorgeous book is a meticulously researched and arresting visual history of life on the Eastern Front of World War II, featuring an archive of colour photographs which provide an unprecedented insight into everyday wartime life.
The book begins with biographical detail of the various official (and unofficial) German and Russian photographers who took the photos at the time. Most of the photographs were taken using film made by the then up and coming manufacturer Agfa, which became widely popular both during and after the war. The shots have an honest, imperfect charm due to the limitations of the film.
Ian Spring’s stunning collection of over 30,000 colour photographs taken by Germans on the Eastern Front forms the backbone of this excellent book. The photos have a moving realism to them as they are naturally-posed records of the soldiers’ war experiences. Many of them are lighthearted with German soldiers posing and smiling for the camera, while others are incredibly poignant. There are even some shots of Hitler himself visiting the battlefield to the delight of the troops. Be warned that, as the book’s title suggests, there are scenes of death, both human and animal.
The book is split into three parts, exploring the conflict on the ground, in the air and behind the lines. Anthony Tucker-Jones’ captions are full and detailed with a huge amount of technical information about armoured vehicles, fighter planes and weapons to satisfy the enthusiast.
This is a beautifully produced book which is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of WWII at a human level.
