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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
I'm gonna give this a 3.5. I am not at the point yet where I love nonfiction as much as I love fiction, so it's difficult to rate them in the same manner. Overall, a very interesting account of the effort to wage a war of ideas. Initially a direct attack against banned and burned books in Nazi Europe, these massive projects soon collected, published and distributed millions of books to the soldiers of WWII (among others). I only have a couple complaints. One is that that some parts seemed to drag, but that could just be my fight with nonfiction... Another complaint: very often the diction seemed flowery and dramatic. Almost too righteous and monumental. In some ways, this seems to correspond well to the diction used during the days this book refers to, but I hesitate to love and admire something that toots its own horn in this way. Reading through this book of course reminded me of all the WWII movies and shows I've seen, and maybe I just never noticed it before now, but I don't feel like this story of books at war has ever been accurately expressed in the entertainment that I've seen. Last thing - I did like how well the author kept the reader engaged and informed about the history as she went through the events surrounded the Armed Forces Editions. It helped to be reminded of the what and why of WWII as she talked about one of the ways America explored the how to solve it.
Liked this a bit less than I did when I read it about a decade ago. Still worth checking out, though!
Fantastic historical research done here. I learned so much about WWII, military history, publishing history, library history, etc. Docking 1 star because I wanted to learn more about how women and minorities were impacted by the books (or not), I would have liked to have read more about how books reached the Pacific Theater, and I did not appreciate the author’s atomic bomb puns in the limited content dedicated to the Pacific front.
This is not easy reading, but it's very interesting.
Excellent book! Full of awesome facts and enjoyable. Felt like it got a bit repetitive towards the end
Quite frankly, this is one of the best books I've ever read.
Excellent, readable nonfiction can be hard to find, especially nonfiction that doesn’t necessarily follow a single narrative thread, like biography. This book, however, is exactly what I wanted.
This book is so thoroughly and lovingly researched, and the personal stories and excerpts of letters are so well chosen, I actually teared up reading at a couple of moments. I just can’t praise enough what an excellent addition to WWII nonfiction this book is. A must read.
This book is so thoroughly and lovingly researched, and the personal stories and excerpts of letters are so well chosen, I actually teared up reading at a couple of moments. I just can’t praise enough what an excellent addition to WWII nonfiction this book is. A must read.
I was really into this book! Molly Manning did a great job in telling the history of really how the Armed Service edition books came to be. Books served a great purpose for the American Soldiers stationed throughout the world during World War II. In the trenches it provided a escape; Laying in a hospital bed it was therapeutic; on the long sea voyages it provided entertainment; and toward the end of the War it provided a trade. This book is a must read, you'll be glued.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
An exceptionally written non-fiction history book that feels like pure story and makes you empathize with the soldiers in a very real way. The chapter on VE-Day brought me to tears. It's amazing, unsurprising, and absolutely wonderful that books had such an impact on the war. Just knowing how much books can affect people and bring them hope has inspired me even more as a writer.