Woodadge, Paul World War II Battlefields. Battle Sites Today

World War II is one of the first conflicts to be extensively recorded in detail by both combatants and journalists, and many iconic photos of the fighting and battlefields have been passed down to us today. But how do these battlefields look now, following the extensive rebuilding of the postwar era? Featuring 75 battlefield sites divided by wartime theatre, "World War II Battlefields" allows the reader to explore well-known battle locations today. Examine the huge concrete bunker at Fort Eben Emael, Belgium, captured by German glider troops in May 1940 and still intact today; see the beaches at Tarawa atoll, a scene of fierce fighting between the US Marines and the Japanese defenders in 1943; or the streets of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the centre of a bloody battle between the II SS Panzer Korps and the Red Army; explore the Norman village of Villers-Bocage, where a few German Tiger tanks halted the advance of the British 7th Armoured Division a week after the D-Day landings; see the twin-medieval towers of the bridge at Remagen on the Rhine river, made famous in photos and movies; see the dozens of Japanese ships sunk in Truk Lagoon following comprehensive American air attacks, and today a popular dive site; and examine Monte Cassino monastery in Italy, destroyed by Allied aerial bombing and since completely rebuilt as a place of pilgrimage.

See the huge concrete bunker at Belgium's Fort Eben Emael, captured by German glider troops in May 1940 and still intact today; see the beaches of Tarawa Atoll, scene of fierce fighting between US Marines and Japanese defenders in 1943; or the streets of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, centre of a bloody battle between the II SS Panzer Corps and the Red Army; explore the Norman village of Villers-Bocage, where some German 'Tiger' tanks fought a week after the D-Day landings. SS Panzer Corps and the Red Army; explore the Norman village of Villers-Bocage, where a few German 'Tiger' tanks halted the advance of the British 7th Armoured Division a week after the D-Day landings. See the mighty twin towers of the Remagen bridge on the Rhine, made famous in photographs and films; see the dozens of Japanese ships sunk in the Truk lagoon after extensive American air raids, now a favourite spot for divers; and visit the Monte Cassino monastery in Italy, destroyed by Allied air raids and now rebuilt as a place of pilgrimage. A volume in the "Modern Photographic Explorer" series.