Military Model Scene

Title: The Second World War Illustrated - The Final Year
Author: Jack Holroyd
Publisher: Pen & Sword
ISBN: 978-1-39906-308-1

The 6th and final book in this series from author Jack Holroyd and publisher Pen & Sword. A 320-page soft-cover book.
This one starts in September 1944, with some good coverage of Operation Market Garden. That is just the start of 12 chapters which has some useful focus on a series of the most significant actions between then and the end of the war, with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan and their subsequent surrender, bringing an end to the war. Other significant topics include the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, the fighting for Walcheren and the Battle of the Scheldt in an effort to bring the port of Antwerp back into service. Then of course there is the fighting for the Westwall, around Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest. That is followed up with the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes as well as Operation Varsity, the assault for the Rhine crossing. With the end in sight for Germany, the Soviet assault on Berlin along with Hitler's suicide is also covered. With the war in Europe over, it moves on to the Far East, with Commonwealth forces in Burma as well as the US liberation of the Philippines and the assault on Iwo Jima, before getting to the story of the 2 atomic bombs and the end of the war.
The book is another hug collection of over 900 archive images, all with informative captions. While the bulk of the story is told through the photos and their captions, there are also sections of text spread throughout the book, rather than a continual text narrative. While some of the photos are very well known indeed, the greatest bulk are not, and hence this provides a fantastic reference collection of photos, even more so if you combine it with the earlier 5 volumes. Add the many maps and diagrams which help illustrate the story of this final year I have no doubt that this will be popular.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy.

Robin