Shadows of War: A German Soldier's Lost Photographs of World War II

by Petra Bopp, Willi Rose, Thomas Eller

"Shadows of War presents an astonishing collection of previously unpublished, unknown photographs of life at the front lines in the German war machine during World War II, taken by a common foot soldier. The work of a gifted amateur, Willi Rose's images present a powerful vision of a largely suppressed aspect of the war. These fractured glimpses of the world at war, from quotidian tasks and moments of leisure to scenes of death and destruction, reveal one man's experience of the epic flow of history.
A miller in the years before World War II, Rose was drafted into the German army in October 1939 and served as a motorbike messenger on the front, first in France and then in Russia. He was wounded twice and was later captured by the Polish army, eventually returning home in June 1946. Throughout his military service, Rose sent home photographs that he took of the action, mostly along the Eastern Front. Discovered by his widow after his death, these images form a unique photographic document of one soldier's war.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2005

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was such an eye-opener for me to put the photos into perspective

[Lew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection photographs taken by Willi Rose, a German soldier during WWII. Most of the photos were taken in Russia. It would have been nice if all the photos had been enlarged and converted to a true gray scale but I'm sure the decision was made to keep the photos to their true condition which have yellowed over time.

[Myk Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some photos had descriptions from Willi, others were without description and would have been more meaningful with researched best guesses as to what is happening, but keeping it as it was is also an interesting take. Certainly a new insight into the everyday lives and the horrendous nature of war.