Witness: Magnum Photographs from the Front Line of World War II

by Rémy Desquesnes, James A. Fox (Foreword)

A vivid reminder of World War II, this collection attests to the suffering caused by war and the acts of courage that arose from the ashes. Taken from Magnum’s archives, these images—by the greatest photographers of the era—bear witness to the world-changing events of the war, immortalized in moments of daring and honor, and to the devastation it left behind across the conflict zones in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Organized chronologically, each photograph delivers dramatic impact through its powerful aesthetic quality and documentary importance, and is accompanied by a succinct text explaining its historical context. Includes Magnum photographers Werner Bischof, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Erich Hartmann, Erich Lessing, Herbert List, Wayne Miller, George Rodger, David Seymour, W. Eugene Smith, Kryn Taconis, the Soviet Group, and Wu Yinxian.

Genres: History, Photography, War

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Michael Rudzki · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it has some great, little seen photos, the accompanying text has quite a few factual errors and omissions. Some may be a result of translation issues since the author is French, but there's still enough of interest here for even a casual student of World War II in spite of its issues.