The first comprehensive study in English of the Soviet propaganda artist Aleksandr Zhitomirsky; who conceived and deployed his striking photomontages as a political weapon The leading Russian propaganda artist Aleksandr Zhitomirsky (1907–1993) made photomontages that were airdropped on German troops during World War II. He later worked for Pravda and other leading publications; satirizing American politics and finance from the Truman through the Reagan eras and educating his public about Egypt; South Africa; Vietnam; and Nicaragua as well. Zhitomirsky favored the grotesque and the eye-catching. His villainous menagerie included Reichsminister Joseph Goebbels as a distorted simian and an airborne scorpion outfitted with an Uncle Sam hat. In this comprehensive; image-driven account of Zhitomirsky’s long career; Erika Wolf explores his connections to and long friendship with the German artist John Heartfield; whose work inspired his own. Wolf also examines more than 100 of Zhitomirsky’s photomontages and translates excerpts from his one published book; The Art of Political Photomontage: Advice for the Artist (1983). In an era when satirical photomontage thrives on the Internet and propaganda has reasserted itself in America and Russia alike; this study of a once-prominent yet internationally undiscovered artist is more than timely.
#832149 in Books Stewart Andrew 2016-11-22Original language:English 9.40 x 1.10 x 6.40l; .0 #File Name: 0300208553328 pagesThe First Victory The Second World War and the East Africa Campaign
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A victory that was forgotten - now read thisBy davidbfpoA good; well written book on the forgotten campaign to end Italian occupation of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia); Eritrea and Somaliland (a British colony held for a short time). The victory; with Italian surrender was over-shadowed by the defeats in Greece and Crete. Interesting to note 'Bill' Slim was an Indian Infantry Brigadier; who was to learn about being forgotten again in Burma.The immense logistical aspects are included and the strategic to operational issues.The lack of theatre maps is annoying; unless you are familiar with the regional geography. For example 18k trucks came overland from Broken Hill; now Kabwe in Zambia; the half-way point from the factory in South Africa; in the 2;900 mile journey to Nairobi.It was not an easy victory; notably with the bitter fighting @ Keren; a mountainous fortified position (a problem to be faced again in Italy itself). Enigma helped; but the Italians consistently located Allied formations using SIGINT; not that it appeared to help in their retreat!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Neglected CampaignBy PAUL V. WALSHThe East African Campaign is certainly a neglected chapter in the global conflict that was World War II. Therefore; any book covering this subject is welcome. Andrew Stewart's study provides a detailed account of; first; the Italian conquest of British Somaliland; second; the initial skirmishes on the borders between British colonies and Italian occupied Ethiopia; and; last; the Commonwealth-Ethiopian campaign to liberate Ethiopia. The author explains that his focus on the British Imperial forces was due to a combination of the lack of surviving Italian documents and his inability to utilize works written in Italian. As such; the perspective from one of the two sides in this conflict is only lightly covered. Given its limitations; this is still a worthwhile book on an under studied corner of the Second World War.
