By Brooke S. Blades – Images of War series
This particular book in the Images of War series is by Brooke S. Blades and like all others in the series filled with photographs from wartime archives. I love the books for three reasons…. First of all for the photographs of course. They add so much to ‘imagining’ what things were like more than 75 years ago on the battlefields. Secondly because they provide ideas for scale model dioramas, one of my many hobbies. And last but not least they invariably add new information to the treasure chest that my WW2 books collection already is.
This particular book has interesting chapters like Preparations in England, Soldiers, Prisoners and Civilians, The Wounded, Then Now and Then, to name but a few. For dioramas especially Chapter 8 ‘ Advance to Cherbourg and Interior to St. Lo’ has some very interesting photos.
There are some good maps pictures in the book and I also like the ‘Google Earth’ aerial photos with the current situation and the old map info portrayed on them.
By reading the book one gets a good impression of the entire (American part) Overlord Operation (initial phases). The book takes the reader from the embarking in the UK to the actual attack on the Omaha and Utah beaches, followed by the struggle to deepen the bridgehead and finally break out to attack Cherbourg and move south towards St. Lo.
I should not forget to mention Chapter 4, The Photographs of Sergeant Richard Taylor, one of the army photographers landing with the first waves at the eastern end of Omaha. His pictures are very moving, showing the beating the poor soldiers got on the open Omaha beach, covered by the German defenders.
Another excellent and worthy book in this series !
The Americans on D-Day and in Normandy (Paperback)
Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives
By Dr Brooke S Blades
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Series: Images of War
Pages: 252
ISBN: 9781526743961
Published: 21st January 2019
