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Images of War
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler's desperate last throw during the depths of winter 1944/45 came perilously close to being a major disaster for the Allies. Their offensive through the Ardennes fell on the Americans and caught them totally by surprise. Unaccustomed to setbacks, the situation was for a time extremely serious and in some areas panic set in and events went out of control. It was only after the most bitter fighting and massive reinforcement that the rot was stopped. In this book the drama of those worrying weeks is captured in superb photographs.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 27, 2024
Was really psyched to come across a copy of this book at a Thrift Store (Charity Shop) recently- and enjoyed reading it. In my excitement about finding the book- I even got to chat with the author , Andy Rawson, a writer and photo curator on WWII and other Military History topics, on Twitter/X and get some insight into when and how it was written. I was introduced to the "Images Of War" series after 2016- but this book dates back to 2004- near the birth of the series. As such it has fewer narrative passages to more recent editions - and few picture - but the pictures are still very compelling. The shots come from every phase of the battle- the rapid german advance- the retreating Americans- Bastogne and Malmedy battles and the counterattack of all Allied forces that made the battle so costly for the Nazis. Everyone in just about every pic is cold and wet- but the war was hot and makes for an enlightening curation of images.
Lacking the heft of the modern books in the series- the book still helps any reader get to grips with the Battle of the Bulge. Some pics are brand new to any reader- many are other shots from more famous rolls (back when rolls of film were a thing)- and some have been seen before, but the overall effect is still there. The Allied General had really been correct- Germany did not have the real power for Panzer offensives- they could not sustain any move without the Allies making a real mistake. Once the Allied Armies, and especially their Air Forces could respond- the Battle was decided. Many Nazi soldiers who might have started the battle in or on a vehicle- finished the battle Walking- either back to the Fatherland- or into Allied POW compounds. Rawson tells the tale- and show us the evidence.
There are some adult themes, and some shots of corpses, so this is a book for the Junior Reader over abouty 13/14 years with a historical interest. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is a very interesting book- although some colour sources will probably be called for too. The Gamer gets to see what the Ardennes look like in winter- and how American and German troops responded to the inclement weather. For the Modeler- good shots of how soldiers draped their Vehicles with both camouflage and their life's possesions- and little personal touches that made them home. The Military Enthusiast gets another resource for photos of a famous battle at the end of WWII. A nice package that a more general reader can appreciate as well.
Lacking the heft of the modern books in the series- the book still helps any reader get to grips with the Battle of the Bulge. Some pics are brand new to any reader- many are other shots from more famous rolls (back when rolls of film were a thing)- and some have been seen before, but the overall effect is still there. The Allied General had really been correct- Germany did not have the real power for Panzer offensives- they could not sustain any move without the Allies making a real mistake. Once the Allied Armies, and especially their Air Forces could respond- the Battle was decided. Many Nazi soldiers who might have started the battle in or on a vehicle- finished the battle Walking- either back to the Fatherland- or into Allied POW compounds. Rawson tells the tale- and show us the evidence.
There are some adult themes, and some shots of corpses, so this is a book for the Junior Reader over abouty 13/14 years with a historical interest. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is a very interesting book- although some colour sources will probably be called for too. The Gamer gets to see what the Ardennes look like in winter- and how American and German troops responded to the inclement weather. For the Modeler- good shots of how soldiers draped their Vehicles with both camouflage and their life's possesions- and little personal touches that made them home. The Military Enthusiast gets another resource for photos of a famous battle at the end of WWII. A nice package that a more general reader can appreciate as well.
December 16, 2018
Good book in the Ardennes sector
March 3, 2020
. Bulge book by Rawson
Top notch book. A goldmine for history buffs and modellers, thoroughly recommend this volume to all. Well worth the asking price.
Top notch book. A goldmine for history buffs and modellers, thoroughly recommend this volume to all. Well worth the asking price.
April 30, 2020
A good read with many photos from this battle.
March 27, 2017
Excellent and unusual photo study, with some rather real photos (Ones not cleaned up by censors, real post combat photos). Does lose a star though for some rather obvious caption mistakes (Misnamed weapons/tanks etc).
December 23, 2024
This book provides an interesting and insightful photographic presentation of the Battle of the Bulge. The presentation brings the battle to life for those who who were not there. This was my second read of the book and I saw and read even more.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews