When Books Went to War
The Stories That Helped US Win World War II
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · October 27, 2015
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.
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- Who it’s for
- A warm look at how books mattered on the home front, with enough context to keep.
- Genres
- World War II History, 20th-Century America, WWII Pacific Theater
- Published
- HarperCollins, October 27, 2015
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. While the Nazis were burning hundreds of millions of books across Europe, America printed and shipped 140 million books to its troops. The "heartwarming" story of how an army of librarians and publishers lifted spirits and built a new democratic audience of readers is as inspiring today as it was then (New York Times). When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books.
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Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. In 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks for troops to carry in their pockets and rucksacks in every theater of war. These Armed Services Editions were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. Soldiers read them while waiting to land at Normandy, in hellish trenches in the midst of battles in the Pacific, in field hospitals, and on long bombing flights. They helped rescue The Great Gatsby from obscurity and made Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, into a national icon. When Books Went to War is the inspiring story of the Armed Services Editions, and a treasure for history buffs and book lovers alike. “A thoroughly engaging, enlightening, and often uplifting account . . . I was enthralled and moved.”—Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried A cultural history that does much to explain modern America. —USA Today
Books at War
A warm look at how books mattered on the home front, with enough context to keep.
Come here for
- wartime books as practical companions
- clear, readable cultural history
Expect
- WWII-era reading culture
- history with a brisk, accessible tone
Where it sits
| World War II History | 92% |
|---|---|
| WWII Pacific Theater | 32% |
| 20th-Century America | 28% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Jewish History
- Nuclear Warfare
- World War II History
- U.S. Military History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Veterans' Stories
- Military Aviation
- World War II: European Theater
- WWII Pacific Theater
- Authors
- Molly Guptill Manning
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- October 27, 2015
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Jewish History