Entering Germany : 1944-1949

We cite from the cover: /-
"Born in Greensburg (PA) in 1922, TONY VACCARO was educated in both Italy and America. He bought his first 35mm camera in 1942 and one year later was drafted into the U.S. Army. G.I. Vaccaro was sent to Europe to join the Allied Invasion of Normandy and soon found he preferred shooting with his camera rather than his rifle. His goal was to make a record of the war's ugly brutality so future generations would know what it had really been like. His dedication, even in the midst of dangerous clashes with Hitler's army, never faltered. When he returned to America in 1949, Vaccaro brought with him an outstanding portrayal of World War II and its aftermath—one of the most comprehensive photographic diaries by a serviceman in any war. Entering Germany traces Vaccaro's wartime journey from Germany's western border, east through battlefields, and across the Elbe river. It continues through the aftermath of the war in the European theater, and documents the Occupation of Germany until 1949. Gathered together for the first time, the remarkable pictures in Entering Germany tell the tale of one man's first-hand experience of the disastrous effects of war, and how Germany and America, two former enemies, became friends in peacetime. Entering Germany shows images, from the gruesome to the beautiful, of war and its consequences. Upon his return to New York, Vaccaro became chief photographer for FLAIR magazine and worked extensively for LOOK, LIFE and VENTURE. His work has been exhibited worldwide and he has received prestigious awards, including the Légion d'Honneur and the Chevalier of Arts and Letters from the French government. He lives and works in New York City."