WINDOW IN TIME
Rare Warbird Photography in a New Book
It can be said that the 20th century was the golden age of photography, when for the first time almost every world event was recorded in one form or another on celluloid film. Certainly, in the seven decades since the end of the Second World War, there has been no shortage of photographic books, not least of aviation during the conflict. So what sets Osprey Publishing’s Storm of Eagles, a fully illustrated coffee-table book, apart?
The book’s prime value is that it contains images researched, restored, and described by three of the most respected names in the business. John Dibbs, originally from London and now based in Seattle, is described as the world’s premier aerial photographer, having flown almost 1,200 aerial sorties in 125 different aircraft types. Some of his works can be seen on his website, www. planepicture.com. Many of his photos have been seen on magazine covers; others are presented in 19 books of his own. While his publications have been prized for their quality, Storm of Eagles has taken his skills in a completely new direction.
This time, Dibbs worked with historian and curator Kent Ramsay to identify over 250 of the most iconic images taken by his predecessors during the conflict itself. The pair sought out original negatives, glass plates, and transparencies from World War II, then applied modern conservation techniques to render them as new. The result is a stunning collection of black-and-white and colour photographs – some never before seen in print – from every theatre of the war and from all the Allied and Axis powers.
A vital third element of the book is the carefully researched text that accompanies every picture. The work of former USAF F-16 fighter pilot Lt. Col. Robert “Cricket” Renner, who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his combat flying in Iraq, the captions are as might be expected of a fighter pilot – short, crisp and accurate. What is surprising, however, is that the text accompanying the pictures is equally poignant. Renner’s words point to the humility of those involved on all sides of the conflict.
In the introduction to Storm of Eagles, Dibbs writes that “this is not an encyclopedia or history on World War II aviation, but rather a time machine”. One can see this in the images, which are no mere ‘stock’ pictures of aircraft. These are of aircraft in the environment that they operated, along with the people who flew in them, worked on them, or simply lived adjacent to the airfields from which they flew. Through the photos, the book creates a window in time, without scratches, dust specks or blurring. It also acts as a memorial to the many who did not return.
They sought out original negatives, glass plates, and transparencies from World War II