Capturing the immediacy of fighting and the writhing bodies of soldiers, as well as keeping narrative clarity, proved enormously difficult for painters depicting battles before the advent of photography. Michael Hall reveals how they rose to the challenge

ORTONA, ITALY 20-27 DECEMBER 1943

In 1945, the Allies were ready with a daring amphibious operation to liberate Jersey and Guernsey by force

A prolonged conflict, a modified Treaty of Versailles and no League of Nations may have transpired without direct American involvement

Britain’s neglect of its maritime heritage has led to shuttered shipyards, ailing fishing fleets and impoverished coastal towns

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