Americans recall World War II in a way distinct from much of the world, as the United States avoided most of its destruction while significantly enhancing the country’s geopolitical reach.

The book isn’t the first attempt to showcase World War II in color. In 2009, a popular documentary series called World War II in HD Colour included both color and colorized film of the war.

LIFE.com presents color photos taken in London during World War II, in tribute to the spirit of Britons who would not be cowed.

An curved arrow pointing right. The US Marines released almost 2,000 hours of rare color film that show what it was like for the soldiers during WWII, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War. The ...

Rare and classic color photos made during World War II's pivotal Italian Campaign.

Though color photography was invented decades before World War II, it was still a rather niche process, more complicated and expensive than black-and-white photography. The scarcity of color film ...

The fact that most people imagine World War II solely in black and white has a solid historical reason: most of the estimated 40 million photos taken between 1939 and 1940 were not in color. The ...

Lillian Yonally was one of the few women with a camera during her WASP service from May 1943 to December 1944. Her color photographs offer a rare glimpse into the short-lived program and the ...

National Geographic will air two new specials this summer that honor the contributions and sacrifices of overlooked Allied soldiers of color.