World War Two - A History in 50 Photographs

Released to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day from the Daily Mirror

As millions across the world prepare to commemorate VE Day this May, the reality of war is something most will never have experienced first-hand.

The survivors of the Second World War are fewer every year and, as memories fade, the risk rises that the haunting reality of the events and moments of 1939-45 may too.

But while recollections dwindle, the iconic photographs from those seismic years remain. And now, in recognition of the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe, Mirror Collection presents a definitive pictorial account of the war.

Carefully chosen from hundreds of thousands of images, this commemorative magazine shares 50 exceptional photographs - including many rarely seen shots - that capture the devastating moments, horror, hope and eventual triumph of World War Two.

From the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Reich it follows the outbreak of war and the invasions across the continent. Images of conflict from Dunkirk to the Battle oF Britain are interspersed with the reality of life for so many - young children being evacuated, those huddled inside London’s underground during The Blitz, Land Girls trying to keep the nation fed or a couple simply sharing a kiss as war rages through their lives.

The unimaginable horror of Auschwitz and the blood-soaked beaches of Normandy lead, via a devastating path, to surrender and the unbridled joy shown on VE Day and eventually, to VJ Day and the end of the conflict.

With rare and incredible photographs taken from an unrivalled archive, this magazine will be a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives in WWII as well as the millions who survived to build the Britain we know today.