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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
Hands down, this is the best nonfiction I have ever read. Well-researched and thoughtfully organized, it was a pleasure to read and taught me some very interesting new things. I will be watching out for what she publishes next.
Great book that gave me ideas of other things to read. An aspect of World War II that I wasn't familiar with. Plan to go back and look at uncle Bud's letters from the war and the books that he read. Will be interested to see if he read ASE books.
This was a fascinating read. I had no idea programs such as the ASE (Armed Services Editions) existed, let alone the impact they had on soldier morale during WWII. Highly recommended!
Interesting story, I didn't know anything about this aspect of WWII before. The book was a little dull at times, but I've also been reading a lot of fast paced fiction, so that may have influenced how I felt.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Incredible read! I had no idea about this history-altering movement by the US during WWII. Highly recommend.
Books are a repository of knowledge and ideas.
This book offers the American counter assault on the Nazi book burnings of the 30s and 40s in their commitment to WWII Total War. Typically, I like more sex and lust in the books I read. That said, this book is a must read for any conflict buff and anyone who is interested in 20th century history. The prose is smooth. The facts sound (as far as I can determine), and the fluidity of the story - seamless. If you are in the military, or care about the military. I recommend this book to you.
This book offers the American counter assault on the Nazi book burnings of the 30s and 40s in their commitment to WWII Total War. Typically, I like more sex and lust in the books I read. That said, this book is a must read for any conflict buff and anyone who is interested in 20th century history. The prose is smooth. The facts sound (as far as I can determine), and the fluidity of the story - seamless. If you are in the military, or care about the military. I recommend this book to you.
During WWII an effort was spun up to provide books to the troops fighting on the European and Asian fronts. The goal was two-fold: on the practical side, to provide easy, inexpensive entertainment for the troops; and ideologically, it was a fitting response to Nazi propaganda and book burning.
Initially this effort took the form of donated books, but after a period of time the quality and variety of books became a hindrance, not to mention the volume of books and the fact that they were predominantly hardcover (paperbacks not yet being common). After the initial donation drives, managed by Librarians, the decision was made to publish smaller paperbacks, covering a variety of subjects, that would fit comfortably in a soldier's pocket and could be easily held for hours in a hospital bed. From this the ASE (Armed Services Edition) was born.
I knew nothing about this effort before reading an article on NPR, and I'm so glad to have picked up this book. Guptill Manning's account of the effort - including letters from servicemen to the authors (there is an incredibly moving letter from an infantryman to Betty Smith at the outset of the book, after he had read the ASE edition of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", that is worth reading) - does an excellent job of showing the good and the bad. On the positive side, a country that pulled together in support of its servicemen, and was mobilized in bipartisan effort to keep censorship and politics out of the effort. On the negative side, our own struggles internally with book banning in Boston, political shenanigans meant to discount the votes of the men in uniform (the Soldier Voting Act), etc.
Fascinating and inspiring, this book drove home for me the sense of what we are capable of when we work together... as well as how far from that we have strayed. My reading list grew as I learned about some of the most controversial or requested titles, and moved me with the peace and change that can take place when reading is an activity undertaken by the many.
Initially this effort took the form of donated books, but after a period of time the quality and variety of books became a hindrance, not to mention the volume of books and the fact that they were predominantly hardcover (paperbacks not yet being common). After the initial donation drives, managed by Librarians, the decision was made to publish smaller paperbacks, covering a variety of subjects, that would fit comfortably in a soldier's pocket and could be easily held for hours in a hospital bed. From this the ASE (Armed Services Edition) was born.
I knew nothing about this effort before reading an article on NPR, and I'm so glad to have picked up this book. Guptill Manning's account of the effort - including letters from servicemen to the authors (there is an incredibly moving letter from an infantryman to Betty Smith at the outset of the book, after he had read the ASE edition of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", that is worth reading) - does an excellent job of showing the good and the bad. On the positive side, a country that pulled together in support of its servicemen, and was mobilized in bipartisan effort to keep censorship and politics out of the effort. On the negative side, our own struggles internally with book banning in Boston, political shenanigans meant to discount the votes of the men in uniform (the Soldier Voting Act), etc.
Fascinating and inspiring, this book drove home for me the sense of what we are capable of when we work together... as well as how far from that we have strayed. My reading list grew as I learned about some of the most controversial or requested titles, and moved me with the peace and change that can take place when reading is an activity undertaken by the many.
I stopped reading after 125 pages. It got really repetitive! There are only so many times to read how important books were to the troops, or how grateful the soldiers were. This would have been a great series of articles but not a full-length book.