TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY

A hybrid history and photographic gallery of 20th-century war machines.

After more than three decades as a research physicist with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, author Miller retired in 2003and focused his attention on photography. In this book, the third and final volume in a trilogy of history and photography books centered on 20th-century weaponry, he blends his knowledge of modern warfare with his keen eye for composition. Its first half provides a narrative overview of the last century’s “unprecedented calamity” of destructiveness, as humanity’s inclination toward violence combined with technological advancements. In the long view of world history, Miller notes, “one cannot help but be struck by the extreme spasms of violence and destruction.” The author expertly traces the development of war machines from the Industrial Revolution through two world wars and a string of Cold War conflicts, adding photos, timelines, and text-box vignettes along the way. Although the work is centered on technology, it also pays ample attention to the imperialism, racism, and ideological divisions that drove the century’s wars. The book’s second half features more than 100 original photographs of war machines taken at museums, historic sites, and parks around the United States and Canada. The well-lit and artfully framed black-and-white images, accompanied by informative text, provide stark commentary on the relationship between technological advancement and a sense of ambivalence toward human life. Miller’s extraordinary photos, which show such items as early Maxim machine guns, World War I–era tanks, massive battleships from World War II, and 1970s Pave Low helicopters, provide tragic reminders of humanity’s investment in deadly machines. Readers who are already familiar with this subject matter won’t find very much that’s new in the narrative portions, although the author’s research is solid and he presents it in an approachable yet learned style. However, the photographic second half is a frankly stunning commentary on the last century’s technological priorities.

A thoughtful and visually striking military survey.