Life: World War 2: History's Greatest Conflict in Pictures (Hardcover)

by Richard B. Stolley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
This oversize album of 665 photographs taken from the archives of Life magazine and other collections begins with the years 1919 to 1939, the two decades leading up to World War II. Editor Stolley then proceeds to chronicle the war, year by year through 1945, and ends with what he calls "the war's aftermath," 1946 to 2001. These photographs document such momentous events as the civil war in Spain; Hitler's rise to power; Germany's conquest of France, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands; the Nazis' bombing of Britain; Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union and the siege of Stalingrad; the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific; the war in North Africa; the Holocaust; and the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. For World War II buffs, the book is a natural treasure. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
Mining the extensive LIFE archives and the finest photo collections, this is a picture history of unparalleled depth and power. Included are remarkable unpublished images, like photos of Hitler taken by his personal photographer, alongside the classic LIFE coverage that brought the war home. From the escalating tensions of the pre-war world to the German blitzkrieg, the shock of Pearl Harbor, the fighting on land, sea, and air, D-Day, the atom bombs, and the wars historic aftermath, legendary journalist Richard B. Stolley takes a fresh look at the most important global event of the 20th century.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Time Warner (October 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821227718
• ISBN-13: 978-0821227718
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,552 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating yet Frightening, November 6, 2001

By	David E. Levine (Peekskill , NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Beware, this picture book of World war 2 is unsanitized. If you can stand to look at frightening pictures, this book may be for you. It reproduces pictures such as a full color photo of a German soldier being comforted by his comrades after his arm was shot off, showing his arm laying on the ground next to him and showing the dazed expression on his face. If you are not too squeamish to look at that, then you may have the stomach for this book. Many pictures of Nazi atrocities are included as well as pictures of amputee refugee children. There are many other types of photos too, such as typical battle scene shots and pictures of the homefront. However, for the most part, this book is unvarnished.

We have seen many war pictures showing battle scenes. We have also seen pictures of the wounded in a somewhat unrevealing manner. This book does not hold back. If you want to see the horrors of war, buy this book but be prepared to be troubled after looking through it and if you have nightmares afterwards, don't say you were not forwarned.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BREATHTAKING TRIBUTE TO A HORRIFIC TIME, November 20, 2001

By	Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Images of World War II are portrayed here with all the intense emotion that the memories evoke. The book was of particular interest to me since both my parents, now deceased, served in the armed forces overseas in various countries during this period of time. In addition, any publication by Life Magazine is worth its weight in gold and of extreme quality, clarity and vivid photography. This book is no exception. I recall quite clearly my mother's descriptions of the German "blitzkrieg" and the book does an excellent job of portraying that. As one turns the pages, stories unfold of a time which many of us do not fully understand or remember because we were so young at the time; however, the dramatic stories passed on to us from a previous generation come to life through the vivid pages of this book. This work is a beautiful tribute to those remaining individuals who fought for our freedom and those who gave their lives. It is a highly recommended book and most deserving of far more than five stars.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Contains some stunning photographs..., December 16, 2001

By	James F. Anderson III (Hudson, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This coffee table sized book contains some stunning and horrific photographs of World War II. Many of the photographs are in color, and many of the pictures are previously unpublished in other works. Accompanying the photos are text captions explaining the event depicted.

I gave this book four stars instead of five simply because I believe two of the most significant events of the war are barely mentioned: the Holocaust, and the dropping of the Atomic bombs. In a book of this size and scope, I felt that more space should have been given to these seminal events. Regardless, this book is captivating and would make a great gift for any history buff.