One tends to focus on key figures with regards to World War II - most notably the German National Socialist (Nazi) leader Adolf Hitler, who came into power after January 30, 1933. His radical policies, which essentially opposed the concepts of cultural equality and were centered on the establishment of an Aryan Master Race, quickly became the cynosure of the ‘war to end all wars’. His rise was viewed with alarm, and but there were others like Benito Mussolini of Italy and Japanese Emperor Hirohito who quickly escalated the stakes in terms of human and material decimation. The ‘good guys’ front is equally well defined, and American President Theodore Roosevelt stands out prominently. Pearl Harbor is recalled with second-hand indignation, while an interesting package of innovative technology dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is swept under the carpet of our conscience.

This seems to indicate that World War II is remembered in absolutes, and we tend to ignore the less obvious aspects. This greatly reduces our understanding of a protracted event that shook the world to its foundations. It is necessary to click the ‘refresh’ button for the generations that know WWII only as a quaint piece of bloody history.

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection. Click on image to view larger picture.

Never before has World War II been so exhaustively covered as in this innovative 3 CD set from A2ZCDS. The photographic section of this collection is a fascinating mélange of WWII images that covers every front. The Holocaust is graphically depicted, as are the Japanese Internment Camps in the U.S. Hitler’s Nazi Wehrmacht comes to disturbing life, as does the cornerstone Normandy invasion. Living, breathing photographs will take you back to the trenches, the U-boats, the political staterooms, the speech podiums and the people who lived through this war. Also included are postcards and stamps issued during this epoch of human history.

Amongst the available texts are the historic American Military History, The German Campaigns in the Balkans (Spring 1941) and various other landmark texts and documents that will fill in the blanks and give a clear picture of events throughout the six years of the war.

The political climate during World War II across the globe is effectively conveyed by a fascinating collection of wartime posterns from every involved nation, and the video section includes three pertinent film clips that were made during the worst of the hostilities. This enchanting collection also features audio tracks from WWII, including some of the most loved songs of the time.

All in all, you have a complete audiovisual overview of the events, battles and people associated with World War II, bringing it to life in a way that will leave a lasting impression.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

The sights and sounds of World War II seem to have grown hazy and indistinct in human memory. The issues that caused it and the ones it generated seem to have lost their relevance as men find newer and more contemporary reasons to kill each other. This is rather strange, since we still have people alive today who survived this blood-soaked war that lasted six years and took a huge bite out of the world’s population. Many argue that WWII could be seen as a necessary step ion the evolutionary ladder of progress - that the technology and inventions it spawned have contributed to a higher standard of living today.

Being a WWII veteran myself, I can safely state that we did not have these altruistic considerations in mind as we dodged bullets in Italy or pulled the blasted remains of our fellow soldiers out of shelled buildings. The armchair philosopher’s mentality of positive hindsight is a luxury people can only afford today. In fact, my only priority was to get back home to Alabama in one piece. But I fought the war because I believed in the hoped-for results, and had understood that there are times in human existence when some people have to die violently so that others can live in peace.

I can never think of World War II without recalling what it felt like in the foxholes. I cannot say that the contents of the amazing Remembering World War II 3CD Set from A2ZCDS gave me fond memories, but they certainly accurately bring out the essence of man’s ultimate conflict against himself. It is my hope and prayer that many people who know nothing of WWII outside of M.A.S.H. and cheap Schwarzenegger movies will browse through these CDs and understand that the freedom and peace we enjoy today came at a rather steep price.