When Europe went to war in 1939 the expectation was that this war would see a repeat of the scenes of 1914-18. However, the Wehrmacht was to change all that. Learning the lessons of World War I, the Germans unleashed fast, mobile armoured columns at the Allies, who were unprepared for the swift nature of modern war. Blitzkrieg: Hitler’s Lightning War in Photographs is an illustrated record of this awesome new tactic and the success it brought to Nazi Germany in the first few years of the war.

Drawing on previously unpublished photographs, many of which have come from the albums of individuals who experienced and took part in the war, Blitzkrieg: Hitler’s Lightning War in Photographs presents a unique and visually stunning account of one of history’s most infamous wars, telling the story of what happened from the perspective of ordinary soldiers. From Poland in 1939, and France and the Low Countries in 1940, to the North African desert in 1941-2, this is a glimpse into the workings of a highly professional and extremely successful war machine.