Weird War Two

by Peter Taylor

A war as extensive and long-lasting as World War II produces an incalculable number of artifacts. And museums as big and well-stocked as the Imperial War Museums have plenty of the ones you’d expect to find: tanks, jets, helmets, guns, and the like. But there was a whole lot more to the war—and a surprising amount of it is, well, downright weird.

​Weird War Two pulls the strangest items from deep within the IWM’s archives to offer a surprising new, wildly entertaining angle on the war. From wacky inventions such as flying jeeps and bat bombs to elusive secret agents, from wholly bizarre propaganda posters to a dummy whose role as a decoy enabled a daring escape, and from inflatable tanks to painted cows—really—Weird War Two reminds us that human ingenuity is boundless, yet at the same time that usually means that truth ends up stranger than fiction.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

192 pages, Hardcover

Published August 15, 2017

Reviews

[Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE - there are some amazing photographs in this book and you can find a sampling of them on my blog: https://macsbooks311.wordpress.com/20...

Were you aware of the important role of animals during World War II? Most of us know the incredible story of the War Horses that were used – but how many of you knew that elephants were employed by the Allies to move rubble from the fields? Churchill sent apes to Gibraltar and dogs were airlifted in to search for the missing. These are just a few of the interesting and bizarre facts you will find in the latest publication by the Imperial War Museum in Great Britain.

Until recently, WWII was the longest running war in western civilization and with a war that long, there had to be interesting tales of ingenuity. Who knew so many of them would be this weird!? In a book filled with incredibly photographs taken from the files of the IWM’s artifact collection, Taylor gives us a glimpse into the more interesting, okay whacky, aspects of an otherwise horrific war.

NOTE - there are some amazing photographs in this book and you can find a sampling of them on my blog: https://macsbooks311.wordpress.com/20...

These are just a few, very few, of the great, weird and fun facts included in this book. If you like history even a little bit or even terrific photo books, then you will love this book. I received an e-copy for review but, my gosh, I had to have my own copy to share with others. It’s just too marvelous. Besides, you will need to read it to find out why on earth Churchill sent apes to Gibraltar! Seriously.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #DavidHaviland at #ThistlePublishingCoUK for my copy of this fabulous book!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice photo compilation about WWII trivia. It was nearly all British which meant I hadn't heard of most of it. Highly recommended for trivia or WWII fans.

This was my favorite poster from the book:



Still true today, solo commuters.

But seriously, the amount of lifestyle change people tolerated under wartime conditions was startling to an observer of the Pampered Millenial generation. If we had the same flexibility and tolerance for hardship for the Greater Good, we could probably reverse climate change within a few decades.

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really put my finger on why, but I thought this one was even better than Weird War One: Intriguing Items and Fascinating Feats from the First World War -- a similar range of kinds of items, home-front, front-lines, espionage, and so forth, but even a bit more engaging. Maybe it's that the Second World War is just that bit closer, more familiar. But in any case, I'd recommend both.

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I thought it was super cool. It is full of fun, quirky, and completely random things that people did during World War Two. Chapters subjects include: camouflage, escapes, weapons, animals, and secret agents. There are plenty of images to go with the weird facts. All are taken from the archive of the Imperial War Museum, London, which also published this book.
If you enjoy history, but also like hearing about the little-known, stranger side of it, then this is the book for you. I have also discovered that there is a Weird War One, which I will have to read.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, lots of fun facts, and quirky things that happened during the war.

[Saltonpizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

that was a weird war

i think that was a weird war too

say that again?