Vuksic, Velimir. SS Armor on the Eastern Front, 1943-1945. Winnipeg: J. J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc, 2005

ISBN 092199186X
viii + 296 pages

Publishers' Acknowledgements; Editors' Remarks; About the Author; Acknowledgement; Foreword; Introduction; photos; color plates; maps

   When it comes to pictorial collections, we don't pretend to be the ultimate arbiters of taste and quality. In fact, although we receive a large number of photographic volumes for review purposes, our otherwise robust library of WWII books is conspicuously lacking in pictorial tomes. Furthermore, it must be admitted that we were a bit skeptical of Fedorowicz's promotional claims that SS Armor on the Eastern Front would be their best photo book ever.
   Well, surprise, surprise, surprise.
   These really are quite interesting photos and the book transcends the stereotypical photo albums churned out by some publishers. Although Vuksic offers little enlightenment about the sources of the images, these seem to be neither the work of gifted professional photographers nor artificial, posed shots. Instead, they seem to be ordinary snapshots, but mostly of high quality and generally devoid of the kind of fuzziness and poor composition found in many quick clicks. In addition, while there is otherwise no text beyond the usual introductory material, the captions offer important detail about where the pictures were taken, the circumstances, and any unusual or notable elements.
   The photos are grouped into several chapters according to campaign, and the captions also provide basic commentary on the course of the action: Zhitomir-Berdichev, Cherkassy Pocket, Tarnopol-Kamenets/Podolsk, Kovel, Warsaw, and Budapest. Vuksic further provides maps and OB/TOE organigrams to give the photos some context. While all the photos are black and white, a color section adds sixteen pages of side, front, and top illustrations of German AFVs.
   For fans of photographic volumes, this is definitely the pick of the litter.

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Spezzano, Remy. Waffen-SS Kursk 1943 Waffen-SS Kursk 1943, volume 6. Southbury, CT: RZM, 2005

ISBN 0-9748389-1-8
114 pages

Introduction; photos; captions

   Spezzano's volume is the sixth and final in his photographic series covering the Battle of Kursk in 1943. As a collection of black and white front line shots covering SS units on the Russian Front, in many ways it resembles the book from Vuksic. In this case, however, as Spezzano explains in his introduction, the pictures were snapped by professional photo-journalists.
   That professional distinction is immediately apparent. While the Vuksic photos are fairly clear and focused, they can't compare in that regard to the shots in Spezzano's book. These are exceedingly crisp, tightly composed images by photographers who knew what they were doing.
   The subject matter is also very similar, but some subtle differences creep in. For the most part, Vuksic's photos don't seem posed, but some of these are definitely arranged for the camera (including the portraits, especially the Soviet POWs) and others have the look of being thoughtfully chosen. While not overdone, there's a certain tinge of propaganda in the Spezzano photos that's more difficult to detect in the Vuksic images, which is to be expected given that the Kursk shots were taken by photographers working for the Waffen-SS Propaganda Company. Spezzano's individual photos—and the book as a whole—also have a much more artful appearance.
   Spezzano provides no maps or organigrams and his captions are not as detailed as Vusik's. However, at the back of the book a section of additional notes offers further details about individual images and more context for the action.
   This has been a well-received series of books with very strong, professional photos. Some will prefer its professional, artistic approach to battle images while others will prefer the slightly more amateurish, less polished view through the lens of the Vuksic volume.

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Smith, J. Richard and Eddie J. Creek. Luftwaffe Colours: Jagdwaffe, Volume Five, Section 4: Jet Fighters and Rocket Interceptors, 1944-1945. Crowborough, UK: Classic Publications, 2005

ISBN 1-903223-52-0
96 pages

Photos; color profiles; sidebars; emblems

   Also part of a series, but not otherwise closely related to Spezzano's book (or Vuksic's), Smith and Creek have produced the latest Luftwaffe Colours volume from Classic. Since 1999 Classic (currently an imprint of Ian Allan) has been publishing the series which should by now be familiar to just about anyone paying attention to WWII-related books.
   Although the layout, artwork, and overall style might not be quite as fresh, crisp, and original as when the series began, this is still an attractive book packed with detailed information about Luftwaffe jets and rockets, much of it presented in photos. As always, text takes a backseat to the images which focus on aircraft colors, markings, and insignia. Besides the photos (usually several per page), Smith and Creek utilize color plates, a few sidebars about specific topics, and a two-page list of "Commanders of Luftwaffe Jet and Rocket-Propelled Fighter Units" to round out their book.
   With its emphasis on visual aspects of the aircraft, in many ways the book (and the entire series) is aimed at modelers. Nevertheless, the authors include ample information about the development and employment of the aircraft. That's especially true when considering the series as a whole. In that regard, it looks like this might be the last volume of the Jagdwaffe set of books (while the larger Luftwaffe Colours series continues to run its course). The twenty Jagdwaffe titles are unsurpassed when it comes to camouflage and markings of German fighters, and they also provide a very strong foundation for a wider understanding of the Luftwaffe along with some great details on particular pilots, units, and events.

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Green, Michael and Gladys Green. Panzers at War. Osceola, WI: Zenith Press, 2005

ISBN 0-7603-2152-3
127 pages

Acknowledgments; Introduction; photos; line drawings; Index

   Getting back to the ground war in general and panzers in particular, Michael and Gladys Green (co-authors of at least two previous WWII titles) have collaborated on a photo-laden but not strictly pictorial review of German tanks. This is not, as you might suspect, the first book on that subject nor is it likely to be the last. Neither is it the best or worst work on the panzers.
   The authors include the main German AFVs in their survey—Panzer I, Panzer II, Panzer III, Panzer IV, Panther, and Tigers—grouped in chapters as Light Tanks, Medium Tanks, Panther, and Heavy Tanks. The text, which is quite substantial in comparison to the other three books discussed here, briefly describes the development of each tank but devotes the bulk of its paragraphs to describing the specifications of each. The chapters are heavily illustrated with black and white wartime photographs, color photos of surviving examples (notably from Bovington, the German Tank Museum, Aberdeen, and so on), close-up photos of interior details, and line drawings.
   Green and Green also offer a number of sidebars, including an interview with a German tank veteran ("Did you lose any tanks in battle? Yes, in all my tank life, I lost three tanks by burning out....") and notes about comparable Allied tanks.
   While the photos are interesting enough (and will probably leave most readers wondering why the authors failed to include a comprehensive listing of where all the surviving examples of each model can be found), in sum this is a fairly superficial overview. It can serve as a good introduction to the subject, especially for novice modelers, but it can't compete with the far more detailed and precise kinds of information already in print about specific types of tanks. For example Thomas Jentz's books about Tigers are nearly comprehensive enough to make it possible to open an assembly line, and R.P. Hunnicutt has already done the same sort of thing for American AFVs.

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   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from the publishers.
   Thanks to the publishers and their importers/distributors for providing these review copies.