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Hitler's wartime picture magazine Signal
200 pages; b/w & color photos & illustrations throughout; contents clean; binding solid; 11.75" tall; red cover; light shelf wear to edges of dj
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2019
"SIGNAL was the most widely circulated magazine in Europe during the Second World War." It was published in twenty languages and circulation reached some three million in 1943. This magazine that was in such demand was not printed in the US, Britain, or the Soviet Union but in Germany, of all places. Sales remained high even in France until the liberation of Paris. The articles in this book are from the English language editions for America and Ireland. Although Goebbel's Ministry of Propaganda oversaw and edited it, the magazine photos and articles were submitted under the direction of the Wehrmacht, that is the German Army.
Having grown up exposed to the remnants of the Allied propaganda of WWII in books, movies, and comic books, I was sort of expecting to find the same sort of holier-than-thou messages buried in the articles. In truth, there was, and that is only naturally. After all, self-fault finding is the first step in brainwashing techniques, and is best left to those trying to destroy your own self esteem for their own nefarious reasons. The thing was, if you read the articles and study the pictures closely, the tone is quite different than the usual Nazi propaganda. There is very little Jew baiting, at least not like Julius Streicher's 'Der Sturmer.' This tone I attribute to the German Army which when marching into Poland in 1939 still abided by the rules of the Geneva Convention. True, there were fanatical Nazis in the ranks at all levels, but not everyone was like that. For instance, there was a world of difference between the SS guards at the concentration camps and the Luftwaffe guards watching over captured Allied airmen.
That said, if one reads certain articles one can't help but feel ones guard being lowered a little when reading about Sherman's grand march to the sea during the American Civil War. The book and movie 'Gone with the Wind' had just come out and there were still a lot of people, black and white, who held resentment for that scourged earth policy. In all honesty, that wasn't the first time in history that tactic was employed, and the Nazis often did the same thing. Of course they didn't mention that in SIGNAL when they did it.
On occasion they did have a good piece of truthful propaganda. When the mass graves were uncovered in Katyn Woods were the Soviets had executed thousands of captured Polish Army officers, chaplains, and civilians the Germans brought in specialists from neutral counties to exhume the corpses. What did the Allies do? They simply blew it off as German propaganda than face the facts.
On the last page of this book was a prediction that WWIII would be fought with Germany allied to Russia. Interesting in view of current events.
This is an interesting book but don't let yourself be fooled by the subtle propaganda. Due to their Nazi overlords, the Germans were the bad guys during WWII!
Having grown up exposed to the remnants of the Allied propaganda of WWII in books, movies, and comic books, I was sort of expecting to find the same sort of holier-than-thou messages buried in the articles. In truth, there was, and that is only naturally. After all, self-fault finding is the first step in brainwashing techniques, and is best left to those trying to destroy your own self esteem for their own nefarious reasons. The thing was, if you read the articles and study the pictures closely, the tone is quite different than the usual Nazi propaganda. There is very little Jew baiting, at least not like Julius Streicher's 'Der Sturmer.' This tone I attribute to the German Army which when marching into Poland in 1939 still abided by the rules of the Geneva Convention. True, there were fanatical Nazis in the ranks at all levels, but not everyone was like that. For instance, there was a world of difference between the SS guards at the concentration camps and the Luftwaffe guards watching over captured Allied airmen.
That said, if one reads certain articles one can't help but feel ones guard being lowered a little when reading about Sherman's grand march to the sea during the American Civil War. The book and movie 'Gone with the Wind' had just come out and there were still a lot of people, black and white, who held resentment for that scourged earth policy. In all honesty, that wasn't the first time in history that tactic was employed, and the Nazis often did the same thing. Of course they didn't mention that in SIGNAL when they did it.
On occasion they did have a good piece of truthful propaganda. When the mass graves were uncovered in Katyn Woods were the Soviets had executed thousands of captured Polish Army officers, chaplains, and civilians the Germans brought in specialists from neutral counties to exhume the corpses. What did the Allies do? They simply blew it off as German propaganda than face the facts.
On the last page of this book was a prediction that WWIII would be fought with Germany allied to Russia. Interesting in view of current events.
This is an interesting book but don't let yourself be fooled by the subtle propaganda. Due to their Nazi overlords, the Germans were the bad guys during WWII!
May 27, 2013
This book doesn't manage any impressive theoretical understanding of National Socialism, but it works fairly well as a flashy coffee table book for history buffs and does offer insight into visual primary sources that are relatively unknown. “Signal” was a “Life”-magazine style photomagazine of the 1940s, published by the German propaganda corps specifically for distribution outside Germany – in allied countries or in those occupied by the Wehrmacht. Its purpose was strictly to demonstrate to non-Germans the power and success of the new masters of Europe, and it emphasized military victories, wherever they might be found (and they were hard to find, towards the end). The reason it exists in English at all is due to the occupation of the Channel Islands for much of the Second World War, and evidently it did sell well there, no doubt because the residents were eager for any news they could get, even when they knew it to be partisan.
The editor provides some contextual information and observations about the changes in the text over time, but it is better to get the basics and experience it directly. Some of the longer articles seemed to want better translation – but they are presented here just and the Propaganda Korps submitted them to English-speaking residents. There are some fairly vicious pieces about the evils of the British Empire and the decadent United States, but relatively little in the way of race hatred. Germany is portrayed not so much as an ethno-state as a bringer of order to Europe. Allied soldiers are interviewed after capture and demonstrate a lack of determination and belief in their goals, while the German drive to save civilization is clear from the look in the eyes of Luftwaffe fighter pilots.
Today, much of it is laughable, and that entertainment-value may be the reason it sold in the first place. But, it also serves as a visual document of what German propaganda looked like that is readily understandable by English-speakers, and that gives it some value even as the “1000 year Reich” fades into the mists of history.
The editor provides some contextual information and observations about the changes in the text over time, but it is better to get the basics and experience it directly. Some of the longer articles seemed to want better translation – but they are presented here just and the Propaganda Korps submitted them to English-speaking residents. There are some fairly vicious pieces about the evils of the British Empire and the decadent United States, but relatively little in the way of race hatred. Germany is portrayed not so much as an ethno-state as a bringer of order to Europe. Allied soldiers are interviewed after capture and demonstrate a lack of determination and belief in their goals, while the German drive to save civilization is clear from the look in the eyes of Luftwaffe fighter pilots.
Today, much of it is laughable, and that entertainment-value may be the reason it sold in the first place. But, it also serves as a visual document of what German propaganda looked like that is readily understandable by English-speakers, and that gives it some value even as the “1000 year Reich” fades into the mists of history.
August 29, 2016
Containing original articles and pictures from Hitler's propaganda magazine, Signal, this book is interesting for the student of history. It gives the reader a chance to see how Germany sought to portray itself to occupied peoples.
Don't expect anything approaching honesty. Victories are embellished, failures ignored and facts at times created out of whole clothe. Yet to read first hand the spin, the rationale put forth at the time is quite interesting.
The editor included occasional brief introductions that are helpful in establishing the setting of groups of articles. The pictures are very interesting--not just war photos, but pictures of life on the "home front." Some the articles can be very specialized or convoluted.
Don't expect anything approaching honesty. Victories are embellished, failures ignored and facts at times created out of whole clothe. Yet to read first hand the spin, the rationale put forth at the time is quite interesting.
The editor included occasional brief introductions that are helpful in establishing the setting of groups of articles. The pictures are very interesting--not just war photos, but pictures of life on the "home front." Some the articles can be very specialized or convoluted.
August 20, 2026
First published in 1976, 'Signal - Hitler's Wartime Picture Magazine' is a collection of photos and articles that appeared in a Nazi propaganda magazine during the early years of the WW2 conflict. Thic pics are quite familiar, as many have appeared in other publications over the years as they often represent a rare source of colour photos of wartime Germany. The articles are of interest mainly as evidence of just how twisted the facts were, and it seems in retrospect difficult to believe that anyone could be quite that gullible. If you are looking for reading that will give any sort of in depth understanding of the spread of fascism in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, this is only of use in conjunction with other more detailed works - otherwise it makes for an interesting read.
July 17, 2019
The Nazi Regime in Germany were masters at propaganda and one of their major tools was a picture magazine called Signal. This is a kind of best of "Signal." I had a history minor in college and was particularly interested in the WWII era. When I went to graduate school in psychology, I still continued to read about WWII and this book was available at my university library, where I worked part time as a grad student. Studying something like this can help us understand why some folks were, and are, attracted to the trappings of fascism. This is a weakness of humanity that we must always be on guard against.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews