The Liberation of Europe showcases the extraordinary and highly significant archive of photographs taken by Times photographers as Europe was liberated from 1944-1945.

The Second World War presented a huge range of challenges to press photography both in terms of its execution and getting the results in print. Life on the home front was the main subject until the invasion of France changed everything in 1944.

Photographers from The Times were part of a talented group who were there to capture the momentous events taking place from the moment the troops stepped ashore, as the Allies fought their way from the D-Day beaches all the way to Berlin. They captured thousands of images of the fighting and its aftermath: bombed out towns, tanks and the inevitable human death toll, but also troops moving through a scarred landscape, the civilian population in joy and fear, and the daily activities of the soldiers themselves. They were on hand to witness the surrender of German commanders and some of their subsequent suicides, and also when King George VI made history when he became the first monarch since Henry V to confer knighthoods on the battlefield.

It is an extraordinary archive, yet very few of the images were published, either at the time or since. Mark Barnes, a librarian at The Times, has painstakingly reconstructed the archive over a period of many years, piecing together the journeys these pioneering photographers, masters of their craft, made across Europe.

The Liberation of Europe, containing over 400 images, not only gives a succinct and expert overview of the North West Europe campaign, but also presents world history on a grand scale and is essential reading for everyone interested in World War II and the history of Europe.

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Changing Times
Overlord
Mixed Fortunes
Winter
Armageddon
Victory

Epilogue
Selected Bibliography

"...provides many, particularly Americans, with the opportunity to appreciate photographs which may not have been as widely published or available in America at the time or subsequently...One gets the opportunity to view the famous and infamous as well as the everyman and woman in the ranks and on the home front as well, many of whom are identified in the accompanying captions. Equipment, weapons, and vehicles also come in for their fair share of exposure as does the face of war in all of its ugliness...Whether or not one prefers to eschew text and actual reading in order to just look at the pictures, this volume is recommended. However, it begs the question of what remains to be seen in the thousands of images that didn’t make the cut. Might additional volumes be forthcoming? "

"... an extraordinary archive, yet very few of the images were published, either at the time or since. Mark Barnes, a librarian at The Times, has painstakingly reconstructed the archive over a period of many years, piecing together the journeys these pioneering photographers, masters of their craft, made across Europe. The Liberation of Europe, containing over 400 images, not only gives a succinct and expert overview of the North West Europe campaign, but also presents world history on a grand scale and is essential reading for everyone interested in World War II and the history of Europe."

"...Mark Barnes, a librarian at The Times, has taken on the mammoth job of compiling these photographs from The Times photo archives to create an incredible photographic history of the campaign from D-Day to Berlin. ...This is simply a must-have for anyone interested in The Second World War. It is already available in the UK and it will be released in the US on November 14, 2016, so it will make a perfect Christmas gift for the historian in your life - or for you!"

"Mark Barnes's excellent book… provides an excellent commentary and illustrates the enormity of war and the burgeoning relief of liberation in a way that mere words cannot achieve. Stunning...is essential reading for everyone interested in World War II and the history of Europe"

"The Liberation of Europe is a considerable volume, containing 400 images, many of which have been rarely seen, but the key strength is the work Mark Barnes has put in to ensure the captions are intelligent, accurate, and interesting - not an easy task when often the information was scant. This is an excellent addition to the photographic history of the Second World War, and if you have an interest in the NW Europe campaign of 1944-45, I would strongly recommend it.”"

‘Each photograph carries a detailed caption, and the author has done a remarkable job gathering together these images. An excellent book in which the pictures tell the story.’

“Barnes’s book is clearly a labour of love, a product of painstaking work trawling though archives...that present a striking pictorial tour of the events of the war’s final year"

"The images in this book may be static but they still have the power to move.”"

“This is a beautifully produced book full of evocative images.”

“This work is authoritative, informative, visually impressive and an important addition to our Second World War literature. As such it should appeal to a wide and diverse readership and is thoroughly recommended.”

“A highly interesting volume.”

“...there are some familiar images from many books, but many more have a freshness and immediacy through being less familiar, especially the fate of civilians.”

"… a step above the normal picture book."