Hitler's War of Extinction: Rare German Colour Photographs from the Eastern Front

by Simon Forty, Ian Spring

The Eastern Front was where the war against Nazi Germany was lost and won. More people died there in the battles and destruction than all the other theatres put together. From the Arctic snows of Finland to the vast steppes of the Ukraine, the fighting took place in every sort of landscape and every weather sub-zero temperatures that froze engines and weapons, mosquito-infested swamps, the raputitsa mud that brought mechanised armies to a halt, and the huge industrial cities that were fought over street by street and house by house.

What was it like to fight there? Hitler's War of Extinction from the Eastern Fronttakes the reader into the thick of the battle lines in vivid colour. First-hand accounts from reports and diaries provide soldiers' insights to accompany the candid photos of life and death to provide an evocation of what it was like to fight for survival on the Eastern Front.

Boasting more 250 original colour photographs, Hitler's War of  Rare German Colour Photographs shows the visceral nature of the battle between two intolerant ideologies that would leave upwards of 25 million servicemen and civilians dead.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 30, 2025

About the author

Simon Forty was educated in Dorset and the north of England before reading history at London University’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has been involved in publishing since the mid-1970s, first as editor and latterly as author. Son of author and RAC Tank Museum curator George Forty, he has continued in the family tradition writing mainly on historical and military subjects including books on the Napoleonic Wars and the two world wars. Recently he has produced a range of highly illustrated books on the Normandy battlefields, the Atlantic Wall and the liberation of the Low Countries with co-author Leo Marriott.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely hate colourisation. i don't EVER want to get some "artist"'s idea of what a black and white photo looked like in colour. Conversely, I LOVE actual colour resources from the World War and between. Here- two historian/curators have gone over Nazi Colour photos of the period - usually for Signal- Nazi Germany's "Look/Life" magazine equivalent- and given us those with the most power. Colour film was too rare and hard to process then , so these are all staged or candid behind the lines scenes, no combat shots. Still, we get to see the Nazi approach to war- supermen and victims as well as a Wehrmacht logistical trail strained by the size of the theatre. There are photos that chill you as you realize they are probably right before a war crime- and those that make you smile at the apparent domestication.. Even those readers not steeped in WWII will find this an interesting read..

You get to see how much the German relied on horses for rear area logistics. It was an enormous resource hog- what with constant feeding and smithing requirements- that Western Armies simply did not have any more. The countryside is littered with destroyed or abandoned Russian gear as one is pretty sure the Germans repaired both their own tanks as fast as possible or Russian gear to be used if needed. "Supply Dumps" look anemic compared to American or even British ones. The empty steppe rolls away into the distance of so many images, making all efforts look small - but compared to the American and British crowded read areas- one is aware from the start of what a shoestring operation Barbarossa really was. It is a interesting story to see in photos so like our own phones produce.

There are some adult themes, as well as cadaver shots, so this is best for the Junior Reader over about 10/11 years, possibly with some adult guidance as the Nazis can be captivating. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military enthusiast this is a great palette adjuster- without being a good scenario or build resource, Gamer and Modeler alike will love getting a good look at the real colours of the Great Patriotic war, as well as gear in all levels or repair. Getting to l0ok at the rear areas of the Nazi War Machine can't but help you design scenarios better and or build better dioramas or models. I think the Military Enthusiast is also a big winner with a better sense of what Nazi propaganda wanted to shoot- and what the propagandists themselves found interesting, A strong addition to the OstFront bookshelf...