While Remy Spezzano, Publisher and President of RZM Imports, Inc. was gathering materials for his latest military book project 'KURSK 1943', it became increasingly clear that the project was going to require a unique approach.   "As a specialty book publisher, it is my goal to make sure I am offering something new to the marketplace. Something that I would personally like to look at again and again, whether it be the untold stories of a particular division, a project that offers new insight into an old topic, or as in 'KURSK 1943', the first in our new "Archive Series," presenting photos in a way that will bring history to life."   As students of the subject are aware, the 'Battle of Kursk', which took place in July of 1943 on the Eastern Front, is the largest conflict of man and mechanization that has ever taken place. What has also been apparent is the sheer lack of visual documentation of this historical event.   "When I began to look into the possibilities for this project, I have to admit that what I found wasn't too promising. I already knew from experience that much of the photographic material on the Waffen-SS had been destroyed."   Mr. Spezzano knew that in 1945, several months before the end of the war, an order issued by the Reichssicherheitshauptamp (National Security Service Main Office) required that all photographic material on the Waffen-SS was to be destroyed. This order was quickly carried out, resulting in the burning of all the film negatives in the office of the Propaganda Company Head Quarters in Berlin.   "During the development of the books 'God, Honor, Fatherland' and 'Platz der Leibstandarte', we became quite adept in our detective work, traveling around the globe following the trail of source material that may or may not exist. Often times you hit a dead end, but sometimes you find the Holy Grail."   The Holy Grail this time was found buried in the U.S. National Archives. Originally captured by the American Army at the end of the war and now stored in the National Archives were 28 contact sheets, representing 28 original rolls of film, shot by 6 Waffen-SS propaganda photographers. Over 500 photographs from the Battle of Kursk, hidden away from the world for almost 60 years!   "But that was just the beginning" says Mr. Spezzano. "Here we are, with 28 poorly stored contact sheets - scratches, artifacts, you name it. Had we come across these photos a decade ago, we would have just turned and walked out right there."   Fortunately for those passionate about this battle, this was not 10 years ago. With recent advancements in digital technology and the skills mastered during the development of the previously mentioned books, Mr. Spezzano and his team were well aware of what could be done.   "Technology made the resurrection of these images possible, but I don't want to mislead you into thinking it was easy! We spent an enormous amount of time in the restoration of these photos. Each one needed work of some kind. It was not unusual for us to spend hours on a single image to reach a result that met RZM standards."   As the amount of usable photographs grew, Mr. Spezzano had a decision to make. "Traditionally, photo books have a tendency to pack as many photographs as possible onto the pages between the covers. I was not willing to compromise the esthetic of these remarkable photographs in that way. It would have been disrespectful to the men in the photos, the photographers, and a disservice to my readers who expect a certain standard when purchasing from RZM. After laboring over the options, I decided the optimal presentation for these photographs would be in a 6 volume series."   This approach allowed the publisher the flexibility he needed to deliver the best results. Much attention was paid to the cover design and format, allowing the final set to display very handsomely on the shelf. The pages in between present each photo, in the order it was taken, displayed in a way that invites the eye to linger on each detail. Short individual captions provided by George Nipe accompany each image, with a more detailed description indexed in the back of each book.   The selection of George Nipe to caption each photo was an easy one. Having already teamed with Mr. Spezzano on 'Platz der Leibstandarte' and currently researching captured German records for a new ground breaking book on the Battle of Kursk, he is an authority on the subject.   "I am very pleased with the end result. The presentation pulls you into the page, making you feel as if you are there with the photographer. Combined with George Nipes captions, the series is the perfect set for the intermediate and expert enthusiast" says Mr.Spezzano.   The first volume contains extraordinary images of the men and armored vehicles of the 1st SS-Panzer-Grenadler Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" and the 3rd SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Totenkopf" in action and at rest.   "Until now, visualizing this great battle has been left to the imagination. To help fill that gap is a great source of pride for myself and everyone at RZM who helped with the 'KURSK 1943' series. It has been the perfect project for the launch our new archive series."   KURSK 1943 Volume One contains 88 photos on 115 pages and is now available from RZM Imports Inc. for $34.95.   Written by Glenn McCabe

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