Zenith Press will release two new graphic novels by Wayne Vansant this fall, BOMBING NAZI GERMANY and GRANT VS LEE. The two books are part of the Zenith Graphic History collection, which already includes two volumes by Vansant, NORMANDY and GETTYSBURG. Vansant is represented by David Bernstein of Grand Design Communications.
In BOMBING NAZI GERMANY, renowned graphic novel author and artist Wayne Vansant profiles the dramatic joint American-British Allied air war against Nazi Germany throughout Europe during World War II. Meticulously researched, illustrated, and written with the same unmatched quality of Vansant’s NORMANDY and GETTYSBURG, BOMBING NAZI GERMANY tells the story of the first and second generations of airmen, soldiers, and politicians from both sides who sought to bomb the enemy into submission. Vansant traces the development of the wildly controversial Strategic Bombing doctrine in the 1920s and 1930s, the early stages of WWII and the dominance of the German Luftwaffe, and the eventual 1942 involvement of the United States’ 8th Air Force and its vast fleet of B-17 and B-24 bombers. Beautifully detailed with maps, schematics, and charts, BOMBING NAZI GERMANY also explores how industry and science aided the Allied air forces in these violent fights, as both the Americans and British made crucial advancements in air detection and evasion methods. Finally, Vansant illustrates the lesser-known perspective of the brave German pilots five miles above the earth who fought not to protect Hitler’s Reich, but their homes and families. As entertaining as it is educational, BOMBING NAZI GERMANY continues Wayne Vansant’s tradition of brilliant nonfiction graphic history.
GRANT VS. LEE tells the dramatic story of the final year of the Civil War in Virginia—a bloody and unyielding fight for both sides—through the eyes of the two greatest Civil War generals: the North’s Ulysses S. Grant and the South’s Robert E. Lee. The long and violent campaigns that took place from 1864–1865 (the Overland Campaign, Petersburg Campaign, and Appomattox Campaign) represent the beginning of modern warfare. By this point of the war, both sides employed seasoned and hardened soldiers who looked past the Victorian sensibilities of the gentleman soldier and understood that there would be no falling back. By the end of 1864, both sides built trenches and mounted attacks to break each other’s lines. There was a stalemate that winter. Grant’s forces had superior numbers and supplies and by March 1865 they pushed Lee’s army out of the trenches at Petersburg and took Richmond, the Confederate capital. Lee’s dwindling forces retreated west, looking for food and other Southern forces to help continue the fight. After a bitter final battle at Sailor’s Creek, Lee’s army was surrounded by Union forces at Appomattox Court House. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant and the Civil War was over. Beautifully illustrated and vastly researched, GRANT VS LEE is a dramatic, illustrated introduction to one of the most pivotal years in American history.
“The air war over Europe in World War II was a long conflict of conviction, innovation and terror fought in a hostel environment,” says Vansant. “The last year of the Civil War in Virginia shows how a professional veteran army with limited numbers and resources could hold off a much larger and well supplied force for an extended period of time — but not forever. In both cases, the visual technology of the time could not provide evidence of what it was like at the sharp end of the struggle. Hopefully, I have been able to picture what that struggle may have been like. I am very pleased that Zenith is featuring these two books along with their extensive line of military histories.”
Vansant’s previous work for Zenith have received considerable praise. A March 23 review of NORMANDY in Wired stated, “The series is aimed at teen readers, but I find it’s great for adults interested in experiencing history through the graphic novel medium. I recommend this book and the forthcoming books in the series to anyone who enjoys graphic novels and/or history, and for those older kids in your life who are having a hard time getting into history.”
On GETTYSBURG, website Armchairgeneral.com wrote, “In short, Vansant did his homework. The Graphic History of Gettysburg is an excellent choice for introducing younger readers to the battle, with information presented in an exciting manner within a format they are more likely to accept. It is a worthwhile read for anyone wanting an overview of the crisis at the crossroads.”
Vansant has chronicled history in comics format since 1986. He was the primary artist for Marvel’s acclaimed Vietnam War title, THE ‘NAM, and he has recently returned to historical fiction with his three-volume series KATUSHA, an epic of the eastern front of World War II, currently available in digital format from www.comicsplusapp.com. He has researched, written, and illustrated many non-fiction graphic novels on subjects including the Korean War, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, and the Battle of Antietam. Vansant is a native of Georgia and served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.
BOMBING NAZI GERMANY and GRANT VS LEE will both be priced at $19.99 and will be available September 6 from online retailers and book stores everywhere.