Imperial War Museums – The Bell Bookshop

Nuremberg

Emma — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The devastation caused by the Nazi regime during the Second World War was vast and multifaceted, leaving a profound and lasting impact on the world. In response, the Allies brought the leading civilian and military representatives of wartime Germany and Japan to trial on charges of war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. The Nuremberg trials went on to become arguably the most famous trials in history, bringing some measure of justice to the millions persecuted and devasted by the Nazi regime. Drawing on documents, witness testimony and visual material from IWM’s collections, this publication captures the importance and complexity of the trials that attempted to bring the Nazi war criminals to justice. It examines the events as they unfolded, from the creation of a new ‘system’ of justice, to the selection of defendants and evidence, to the frameworks and legacies that laid the foundation for modern international law and human rights as we know it.

The Poppy

Emma — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

During the First World War, millions of soldiers saw the poppies in Flanders fields on the Western Front. Some even sent pressed poppies home in letters. Over 100 years later, the poppy is still a world-recognised symbol of remembrance of the First World War, and many of us choose to wear a red poppy in November. The poppy continues to capture our imaginations, reminding us to remember the human cost of war. Through archival photographs, objects and artworks from IWM’s collections, this beautifully illustrated giftbook tells the poignant story of the remembrance poppy, from its origins on the battlefields of Flanders during the First World War to its enduring role as a symbol of remembrance today.

1945

Emma — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

1945 – one of the most important years in modern history. Encompassing not only the celebration of peace and an end to the Second World War, but also the devastating fi rst use of nuclear weapons and the long shadow cast by both this and the legacy of the worldwide confl agration. In this landmark publication, Anthony Richards tells the story of this momentous year through the unique collections of the Imperial War Museum, using personal testimony and rarely seen imagery to consider the wide-ranging experiences of that twelvemonth period. From continued fi ghting through north-west Europe, South East Asia and the Pacifi c to the liberation of the concentration camps, while encompassing the post-war desire for reconstruction, repatriation and justice, 1945: A Visual History guides readers through this year of unprecedented change, which laid the foundations for the modern world.

The air war in paintings

Emma — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

At the height of the Second World War, Britain’s skies were alight with dogfights, and its towns and cities bustling with the manufacturing of aircraft. The distant thunder of Spitfires, Hurricanes and bombers became a recurring sound, and rolling landscapes littered with airfields a familiar sight. As the air war transformed Britain’s towns and countryside, it also ignited the imaginations of artists.

The Air War in Paintings reveals how the artists of the 1940s responded to the unfolding air war in Britain, illuminating their private anxieties, their ambitions and their experiences. Drawing on the Imperial War Museum’s unrivalled collection, this richly illustrated book explores how war artists recorded and documented all aspects of the vast efforts to build Britain’s air capacity at a crucial time in its history

Paid to be safe

Emma — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

As the Second World War rages on for another year, thelife that Susan Sandyman has lovingly created is shatteredwhen Singapore falls to Japan. Forced to flee home to thehamlets of southern England, she can either succumbto grief or find solace in war work. When a chanceencounter with the elusive Air Transport Auxiliary pilotsstirs a spark of excitement, Susan’s decision is made.Based on the authors’ personal experiences as a medicalofficer and ferry pilot in the ATA, Paid to Be Safe vividlycaptures the gruelling training and daytoday life of femalepilots. To these women, the allure of the Spitfire is more thanjust the freedom to fly, but an invitation to start anew. Detailingtheir camaraderie, bravery and romantic endeavours, thisclassic novel explores the depths of personal loss duringconflict and the healing powers of love, family and friendship

The Blitz

Emma — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Blitz showcases 50 images from the Imperial War Museum’s unique collection ofphotographs. During the Second World War, on 7 September 1940, the German air forceunleashed a devastating bombing campaign. Seeking to force Britain into surrender,the Blitz saw towns and cities across the United Kingdom blasted with high explosivesand set ablaze by fi rebombs. Yet even as the bombs rained down, a civilian army of airraid wardens, fi remen, first aiders and rescue parties mobilised for battle. These strikingphotographs tell the stories of those who experienced the Blitz and highlight the braveryand determination of civilians in wartime Britain

Bomber Command

Emma — Thu, 04 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Imperial War Museum holds approximately 11 million photographs in its archives,covering the causes, course and consequences of modern conflict from the First World Warto the present day. Off ering a snapshot into this unique collection, Bomber Commandshowcases 50 iconic photographs of the aircraft and crew that lead Britain and its Allies tovictory during one of the longest, most expensive and controversial of the Allied campaignsduring the Second World War. This vivid collection of photographs traces BomberCommand through each stage of its development and brings to life the experiences ofthose both in the air and on the ground.

Animals

Emma — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

IWM holds approximately 11 million photographs in its archives, covering the causes, course and consequences of modern conflict from the First World War to the present day.This selection of images from IWM’s vast collection illustrates the many and varied ways that animals have played their part in wartime over the past century. Vital in moving supplies, sending messages and in many cases for the morale boost they gave, animals have often been subject to the same dangers faced by their owners during conflict. This selection of images therefore depicts both incredible animal bravery, and some of the more heart-warming stories found within IWM’s photograph archive – including the use of animals as mascots to distract people from the grim realities of war.

Britain At War in Colour

Emma — Thu, 13 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Reproductions of one hundred rare, full-color images from the archives of the Imperial War Museums bring new life to World War II Britain

Britain at War in Colour showcases one hundred of the best rare and original color images from the Imperial War Museums’ unparalleled collection. Bringing together the most striking photographs from Ian Carter’s bestselling War in the Air and The Second World War in Colour, alongside new and never-before-published images, this powerful visual collection shows us a new-or at least long-forgotten-World War II.