They Drew Fire: The Soldier Artists of World War II

In 1943, the U.S. War Department selected a number of Americans to record World War II using any and all artistic media. The War Department historians argued that fine artists would capture the war for the American people better than photographers could. Renowned artists had painted heroic scenes of battle for as long as men and women had been waging war. But in this effort, the U.S. government decided to finance the entire operation. The department memorandum creating the new unit read: "Any subject is in order...the nobility, courage, cowardice, cruelty, boredom of war....Omit nothing....You may be guided by Blake's mysticism, by Goya's cynicism and savagery, by Delacroix's romanticism, by Daumier's humanity and tenderness; or ? better still ? follow your own inevitable star." Forty-two Americans were selected ? 19 civilians and 23 soldiers ? to chronicle the war. They included Edward Reep, who was awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry at Anzio beachhead; Howard Brodie, who won the Bronze Star at the Battle of the Bulge; and Olin Dows, with his fine arts degrees from Harvard and Yale, who was present when American and Soviet forces came together at the Elbe. All told, some 20,000 paintings, drawings, sketches, and sculptures were produced in the war art program. Most of it has never been seen. It is hidden in military collections ? much of it is in the Pentagon. Pulitzer-prize winning photographer Brian Lanker and veteran Life Magazine correspondent and Parade Magazine editor John Frook bring the art and the artists then and now to a broad readership in this unique, full-color volume of art, interviews, and modern portraits of these military and artistic heroes. They Drew Fire celebrates their achievement, showing the work of fourteen artists through more than 200 pieces of their art. War movies such as Saving Private Ryan are of perennial interest. They Drew Fire is the true and heartfelt expression behind this film and all the great film and textual representations of the war, by men who were on the spot.

"Emotional extremes fuel the most vivid art; some of it is hard to take, leaving haunting images that linger for a lifetime." Library Journal

Coinciding with the Memorial Day showing of a PBS documentary of the same name, this volume of art, interviews, and photos showcases the collection of official World War II military artwork hidden deep within the walls of the Pentagon for the past 50 years. Color illustrations throughout.

Frook and Lanker offer a tribute to the soldier artists of World War II, including Edward Reep, Howard Brodie, and Olin Dows, in a fascinating look at a lost chapter in American history and the history of art.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor shocked the United States out of its comfortable isolationism, many artists, like most citizens, sought ways to contribute to the war effort. Some of America's best young artists had already been drafted into the Army while others were mobilized to enlist, and small soldier art programs soon flourished in boot camps around the country. Inspired by the success of a small team of civilian artists sent to observe and paint in World War I, the Army began sending artists into active theaters of war to record their experiences. Throughout the war, more than one hundred combat artists from all branches of the Armed Services chronicled the war using all mediums of art. The result of their efforts is a rich, compelling collection of more than 12,000 paintings, drawings, and sketches. Hidden in collections deep within the walls of military archives, much of this art created during WWII was never seen by the public.

In this groundbreaking book, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker and documentary producer Nicole Newnham lift the veil on this forgotten chapter in American history. Based on the work developed for a public television documentary, They Drew Fire: The Combat Artists of World War II examines the art programs sponsored by the Army, Navy, and Marines, as well as civilian art programs sponsored by organizations such as Abbott Laboratories and Life magazine. With magnificent color and black-and-white art throughout, the book showcases the lives and work of seven artists in the various programs, and through pictorial essays highlight the work of over forty more. The varieties of experience they chronicled provide a stunning record of life in the trenches, on the front lines, and behind the scenes.

This unforgettable volume is a powerful expression of life during wartime and a lasting testament to a group of true American heroes.