The World Aflame

May 15, 2020
An image-driven history of the tumultuous period between and including the world wars. Jones, an accomplished popular historian of the medieval era, turns to the recent past in this collaboration with Brazilian artist Amaral, who--following the lead of film director Peter Jackson and the World War I footage he restored in They Shall Not Grow Old--colorizes images from the years 1914 to 1945. That colorization, which Jones calls "an emotional enhancing agent," serves to underscore just how recent this past is: When we look into the unblinking eyes of a dead German machine-gunner from 100 years ago, we could be looking at a neighbor. Jones rejects the idea of considering the period a "second Thirty Years War" even though many historians have traced the causes of both wars to antecedent events much like those of the past, including failed efforts at peace and imperial rivalries, marked here by an affecting portrait of the Archduke Ferdinand and Archduchess Sophie lying in state side by side after having been assassinated in Sarajevo. The text amounts to mostly a series of extended captions, but Jones capably limns some of the big-picture elements, including the Russian defeat at the Battle of Tannenberg, which helped precipitate the Russian Revolution and the rise of Hindenburg to power in Germany; and the Battle of the Marne, which halted a German offensive and caused the invaders to dig themselves into trench fortifications: "Little did they know what a trend they were setting." Many of the photos are unsettling, even horrific, such as an image of a Japanese soldier's skull that emblazoned the February 1943 issue of Life. Others, such as that of Brazilian singer and actor Carmen Miranda dancing on a Hollywood street on VJ-Day, are little known. Fans of the companion volumes to Ken Burns' film series will find this a familiar, and worthy, approach. (200 color photos)

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July 1, 2020

In this poignant work, Jones and Amaral (The Color of Time) collaborate on their second work, this visual history of the global conflicts of the first half of the 20th century. The world wars take up a significant portion of this work, but the authors examine other violent conflicts from that era, including revolutions in Russian, civil wars in Spain and Ireland, and colonial wars. Jones, a historian and best-selling author, provides the narrative and examines the causes that made this era the most destructive in human history. Amaral, a Brazilian artist, contributes the most moving part of this work with her brilliant, colorized images of historical photographs. Despite its limitations, colorization works effectively in this book: the photos are more powerful and graphic in a way not revealed in the original black-and-white versions. Beyond presenting history, the authors state that this work is meant as a tribute to veterans and those who lived through those difficult times. Furthermore, it is meant to serve as a warning about the current state of the world and the result of the rise of racism, fascism, and nationalism. VERDICT Those who relish history and photography will appreciate this eloquent and artistic work.--Dave Pugl, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

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