Book 'Shots of War'

Pvt. Michael A. 'Tony' Vaccaro - Hq Company, 2nd Batallion, 331st Inf. Regiment

The book was published primarly as a catalog of the exhibition "Shots of War 1944-1945", which was held at the Musee d'Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg on the dates of December 20, 2002 through February 28, 2003. The volume, 160 pages, contains many of Tony's best known photos. The exhibit consisted of 250 photos that show the war and post-war images from France, Belgium, and Germany. It includes many photos of the 331st Infantry. Curator and production, Reinhard Schultz, GALERIE BILDERWELT, printing, IMPRIMERIE CENTRALE S. A., Luxembourg. The volume is becoming rare and difficult to obtain.

Tony's relationship with photography was never casual. It was with great vigor that he studied photography during high school (the techniques he carefully memorized would later help him to mix chemicals on the battlefield and develop film in army helmets) and his early enthusiasm continued even when he was in danger of losing his life to Hitler's army.

This book presents Tony Vaccaro's most impressive images (including the famous "White Death" depicting a dead soldier nearly covered with snow), tracing his journey from the invasion in Normandy to the battles eastward past the Elbe river in Germany, through the aftermath of the war up until 1949. Vaccaro's fascinating autobiographical text, written specifically for this publication, gives important clues to his point of view as a photographer. His goal was to make a record of the war and the subsequent rebuilding of war-torn Germany so that future generations could see what it had been like, but his images are more than documentary photographs; they are a stunning visual diary of one man's experience of war and its disastrous effects

I got this book from Tom Hury, this copy belongs to his father Leo Hury, Company M, 330th Infatry Regiment, who became a good friend.

click on the book to enlarge, click on the image for more about Tony Vaccaro