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355 reviews for:
When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II
Molly Guptill Manning
3.96 AVERAGE
355 reviews for:
When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II
Molly Guptill Manning
3.96 AVERAGE
No army was better read than the US Army in WWII. Why? Across Europe books were being burned by the Nazis, horrifying the world. Reading became a patriotic activity as a result. A celebration of freedom. "Books are weapons in the war of ideas" was the slogan of the Council of Books in Wartime. And as FDR said, “Books cannot be destroyed by fire…No man and no force can take from the world the books that embody man's eternal fight against tyranny.” Books were considered critical equipment for American soldiers despite severe paper rationing. Book collection drives garnered mostly heavy hardbacks which were unsuitable for traveling soldiers, so publishers joined together and created the ASE book program, or Armed Services Editions. As you learn about how these extremely light paperback copies were treasured and devoured by soldiers on all fronts you can’t help but be inspired by the power of books. Their importance and their value to the individual and to society as a whole is proven a million times over by the author. This is an absolute must read for any book lover.
An interesting analysis of how books and literature helped the military morale during WWII. Narrative was a bit disjointed,as if the author didn't have enough material to fully explore the topic. But a fresh approach to WWII.
This was a great book to read right now, a meditation on freedom of speech and the way that books can entertain, educate, and heal us.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This was interesting and a good listen on audio book. I found the publishing industry history interesting and liked hearing about the books that were well-loved and most requested by the soldiers fighting overseas (I LOL'ed that they were clamoring for Forever Amber! It's nice to know that times may change, but people tend to stay the same. If it's scandalous and sexy, people want to read it!). Also a nice snapshot of World War II and how things really were for the troops (besides being cold, hungry and far away from home - there was also a fair amount of tedium). A solid read.
informative
medium-paced
Immensely enjoyable, a window into America's best self. Manning falls a little short of other narrative non-fiction like Devil in the White City, skirting rather than digging into moments of conflict, but the topic and source material are engrossing.
informative
slow-paced
This would have made an excellent long-form magazine article. As it is, it was a bit too long with lots of details about paper size and weight, book size, logistics. Kind of like a text book.
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: Microhistory
book was interesting. sometimes i wished that it was less about the war in general than the books part...but, there was a lot of information in here that i didn't know before so i feel smarter.
book was interesting. sometimes i wished that it was less about the war in general than the books part...but, there was a lot of information in here that i didn't know before so i feel smarter.