When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II

By Molly Guptill Manning

Book Overview

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. 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

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0544570405
• ISBN13: 9780544570405
• Release Date: October 2015
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Well done!

Excellent book, the best history book I've read this year. I learned at lot. I knew about the ASE's in general terms, but this book supplies lots of details about the program and the people involved in it. Counting the armed services personnel, that's a lot of people. This view of WWII differs from the usual perspective found in histories of the war. Plenty of books discuss battles, but not many deal with the morale of the soldiers, sailors, and all of the military's support personnel. It's hard to realize that boredom and depression could be just as dangerous as the enemy. Hard from our point in time to imagine eleven million Americans spread across the planet, cut off from home for years with no certain end to the war in sight. This book portrayed that and more very well. I found it engrossing and enjoyed reading it.