Collection of Tom Lea's firsthand accounts of his assignments for Life Magazine, his sketches and unforgettable paintings during World War II. Using Tom Lea's diary, research focusing on the people, places, and wartime events Lea encountered, archival materials, letters, and oral interviews, the editor, Brendan M. Greeley Jr. presents a uniquely comprehensive and sustained treatment of Lea's creative accomplishments during the war. This well-documented and astonishingly illustrated volume will fascinate those interested in the realistic depiction of war, in both images and words.

Prelude to War -- North Atlantic Patrol -- 1942 -- The Wasp, the Hornet, and the Campaign for Guadalcanal -- 1943 -- Diary of a Hitchhiker on the Back Roads of War -- 1944 -- Peleliu Landing -- 1945 -- Afterword.