Memoirs of War
Sealed in a real WWII .50 cal ammo box this collection of autobiographies is as if it came straight from the late 1940’s, The .50cal round a symbol of second world war as it was a crucial weapon against, boats, airplanes, and most importantly, the new nearly unstoppable tank.
No detail was overlooked. Every part of these books were made by hand using techniques and materials that existed in the 30’s with few exceptions. While the blurb on the back of the book was initially set with metal type and letterpressed I was unable to secure access to the press long enough to make all the final pieces. The wood and rubber stamps used to imprint the titles and insignia were made with a laser cutter for efficiency and accuracy.
The Forgotten Soldier | Born Russian, Sajer was captured and forced to fight for the nazis as a sniper. At the crux of the story Sajer was trapped in a burning building surrounded by a few lingering enemies and had to fight his way out.
Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt recounts the harrow story of one of the most decorated U.S. fighter pilots, Robert S. Johnson, who’s plane was shot down above Nazi controlled Belgium.
The Zero Fighter | Shortly before war was declared with America a riot in Japan’s Gunma prefecture broke out. Upon returning from working at the fighter plane factory Horikoshi found his house broken into and his wife dead, shot in the stomach.
Life and Fate | At the outbreak of WWII Grossman became a correspondent for the Red Army newspaper, during his time reporting he wrote a number of novels including this one, recounting the horrors he saw. While he was never officially arrested his home was raided and all his work burned, all of his previous publications became censored. It wasn’t until after his death and the fall of the U.S.S.R. that his work was smuggled out and released to the world.
Into the War | Italo was a young teen when WWII began, his family initially fleeing the violence. However, to withhold “family virtues” he later joined the Italian Resistance under the battle name “Santiago” which he would often carve into the beams of a raided building. As a result of their resistance his mother was taken by the Nazi’s. Years after the war ended they were finally reunited.
