World War II (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series: American Soldiers' Lives) - Hardcover

Piehler, G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313334005 ISBN 13: 9780313334009

Publisher: Greenwood, 2007

Synopsis

There are countless books detailing the history of World War II, but none has examined the differences among soldiers's experiences based on their service branch's culture. Based on extensive oral history interviews with the men and women who served during this war, G. Kurt Piehler has discovered that the U.S. Navy tended to be hierarchical, especially on large ships; and in contrast, the Army Air Force remained a relatively loose organization, with more frequent fraternization among officers and enlisted personnel. Although racial tensions were not absent from the Marines, the elite ethos of this branch mitigated the harsh racism of many white Marines toward their African American comrades. In the Army, there was no one representative soldier's experience in the war, given the sheer size and diversity of the Army's missions in this conflict, including sharp differences between the Asian and European war experiences. Piehler draws heavily on the oral histories he conducted for the Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II and the Center for the Study of War and Society to provide a rich and varied look at the experiences of the men and women of World War II, in their own words. The book also includes a timeline to put dates and events in better perspective; a comprehensive, topically arranged bibliography; and a thorough index.

About this title

Review

"Piehler (history, Rutgers U.) describes the daily lives of those who served in the US Navy, Army, Army Air Corps or Marines or were prisoners of war....His collections of letters, memoirs and reports from soldiers is reverent, funny and poignant." - SciTech Book News

Synopsis

The lives of soldiers in U.S. history are portrayed from the point of view of the men and women who have served their country. Each of the nine books in the series is written by a distinguished historian and covers a different era, presenting a more personalized view of U.S. military history than is usually seen. The series spans from the fight for independence to the present day. Each book describes recruitment; training; combat and down time; equipment; food, clothes, and shelter; social life; injuries and death; and re-entry into civilian life.

About this edition

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0313334005
• ISBN 13: 9780313334009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248