When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II Paperback – October 27, 2015
by Molly Guptill Manning (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 262 ratings
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Heartwarming.” — New York Times
“Whether or not you’re a book lover, you’ll be moved.” — Entertainment Weekly
“A readable, accessible addition to World War II literature [and] a book that will be enjoyed by lovers of books about books.” — Boston Globe
“Four stars [out of four] . . . A cultural history that does much to explain modern America.” — USA Today
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
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"When Books Went to War is a thoroughly engaging, enlightening, and often uplifting account of America's counterattack against Nazi Germany's wholesale burning of books. During World War II, the U.S. government, along with librarians and publishers, dispatched millions of books to American GIs, sailors, and flyers, using the written word itself as a powerful reply to tyranny, thought control, absolutism, and perverse ideology. I was enthralled and moved." — Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried
"Intriguing . . . A fresh perspective on the trials of war and the power of books." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Well written, carefully researched, and drawing upon primary sources and news articles, this book brings to life a little-known part of World War II culture. VERDICT: Highly readable and extremely appealing, this book is perfect for any bibliophile or historians interested in the stories from the home front." -- Library Journal
"Delightful...Engrossing...Manning's entertaining account will have readers nostalgic for that seemingly distant era when books were high priority." -- Publishers Weekly
“[A] crisply written and compelling new history of America’s effort to comfort and inspire its soldiers with good books . . . Manning's When Books Went to War is both a tribute to the civilizing influence of books and a careful account of what it took – a lot – to ensure that U.S. fighting men had the right stuff to read. . . Manning's portrait of this seemingly prosaic slice of the war effort is more than colorful; it's also a cultural history that does much to explain modern America.” -- USA Today.com
"Whether or not you're a book lover, you'll be moved by the impeccably researched tale. Manning not only illuminates a dusty slice of WWII history that most of us know nothing about but also reminds us, in the digital era of movies and TV, just how powerfully literature once figured in people's lives. Grade: A." -- Entertainment Weekly
From the Back Cover
A readable, accessible addition to World War II literature [and] a book that will be enjoyed by lovers of books about books. Boston Globe
Four stars [out of four] . . . A cultural history that does much to explain modern America. USA Today
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 andgathered 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
MOLLY GUPTILL MANNING is the author of The Myth of Ephraim Tutt and several articles that appeared in publications such as the Columbia Journal of Law and the Arts. She is an attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York City.
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Product details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (October 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0544570405
ISBN-13: 978-0544570405
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars262 customer ratings
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#379 in General Books & Reading
#50 in History of Books
#53 in Book Publishing Industry
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Biography
Molly Guptill Manning is a staff attorney at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and sits on the board of editors of the Federal Bar Council Quarterly. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in American history from the University at Albany and a J.D. at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Molly lives in Manhattan with her husband.
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world war armed services tree grows grows in brooklyn services editions went to war books went molly guptill helped win united states great gatsby guptill manning betty smith never heard publishing industry books in wartime armed forces strange fruit reading material forever amber
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5.0 out of 5 stars When Books Went to War: Purchased at Amazon.com
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016
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One of the best books pertaining to World War II that I have ever read. I wasn't aware of all the history about the book burnings in Germany, I thought that was limited to what happened in Berlin. Turns out there were other German cities where the same thing happened. I also wasn't aware that when Germany conquered a country the books of that country also stood a good chance of being destroyed. I have dearly loved books all of my life and the idea of burning them just makes me shudder. The Army, Navy, and everyone associated with the program really got it right. Even with the usual political run around in this story it's a great book and a great read.
13 people found this helpful
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aquarius
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating little known aspect of the US war effort!
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018
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I had no idea of the mobilization of librarians, publishers & public to provide books to WWII US troops. It's not something that came to mind as something necessary for a US soldier, sailor or airman. But the author clearly sets out how much our servicemen wanted something to distract them from boredom, loneliness, discomfort, and hellish battlefield conditions and how the books helped filled these needs. I was surprised to learn that the ASE paperbacks, created so that servicemen could take portable reading materials with them to front line combat areas, were in part responsible for the rise of the ubiquitous paperback book. I was also surprised to see the wide array of ASE books printed from Plato's Republic and Shakespeare to Zane Grey and "trashy" books banned in Boston. All in all I found this book informative, interesting and thought provoking. The only fault I have is that I would have liked an in-depth interview with a few veterans (instead of just snippets from letters) talking about the specific books they read and how it affected them.and their subsequent lives after the war. At the end the author notes that some ASE were issued in 2002 (for Operation Iraqi Freedom I think); I would love to know what we do for our combat troops now. Do we still issue pocketbooks and magazines or do we provide e-books or audio books? I wish this information had also been provided .
One person found this helpful
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Lee Whitlock
4.0 out of 5 stars " It is amazing to find the lengths to which librarians
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2016
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I read this book simultaneously on my Kindle and in hardback formats. I borrowed an eBook from the Louisville Public Library and was enjoying it so much, I also purchased the hardback to keep. I was not aware of the efforts to keep our American forces engaged in reading during the "Great War." It is amazing to find the lengths to which librarians, publishers, and the war department went to in order to bring a little bit of levity and information to our troops during the war.
Today, our valuable troops go to war, but they return to their camps at night with TV, WiFi, and books on line, if they desire. When Brohaw's "Greatest Generation" went to war, there was nothing. Spurred on by the Germans burning and banning more than 100 million books, librarians began a campaign to gather books to set up "libraries" in the war zones. More than 20 million were donated, but these hardly dealt with the problems. The soldiers could read books back at the camp, but books, hardbacks in those days, were too bulky to carry to the front. In 1943 the publishing industry and the War Department joined in with the librarians to provide over 120 million paperback copies designed in size to fit into a soldier's pocket. A soldier wasn't considered "field dressed" unless he had a book to be read in a fox hold or while waiting for a lift in the firing while out in the field.
Readers who most likely had never read a book became readers. Books that were headed for obscurity ("The Great Gatsby," "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" became among the most widely read. Soldiers who had no thoughts of college before the war, went home after hostilities and took advantage of the new benefits that allowed them to do so. I'm convinced after reading Manning's book that a great deal of the making of "The Greatest Generation" was a result of this program.
(Added 11/29/16)
WW II presented a problem that simply does not exist and is hardly imaginable by those who are fighting our wars today. The modern soldier goes to war with his/her cell phone, lap top, and eReader. They stay informed and entertained with these instruments during downtime. The WW II soldier, however, had none of these devices and nothing to offer something to give the minds to escape when fighting deescalated for a few moments, hours, or days. Out of concern for the mental well being of soldiers, librarians from all over the US came up with a project to gather 20 million hardback books in 1941. These were placed in "libraries" (tents) all over the war front. The problem was that hardbacks were too bulky to carry to battle fronts, 20 million were not near enough to supply all of the war front libraries, and there simply weren't enough of these libraries.
Enter a collation of "forces," the librarians, the War Department, and the publishing industry with a solution. Together they developed a redesigned soft cover book small enough to fit in a soldier's pocket and carry to the battle front. 120 million of these small, portable books were created beginning in 1943.
Molly Guptill Manning's book tells of the outrage the librarians felt upon hearing that Hitler's rogue government burned millions of books, and tells how they put their outrage into action. She continues with the history of how this book project came about and the power it had to transform the lives of soldiers, some of whom had never read a book before. The program also transformed America. When these troops mustered out, many were well read, aware not only of the need for an education but also filled with a desire to learn. This transformation led to the GI Bill which provided funds for every service man and woman to pursue further education.
In 1942 this association of librarians developed the slogan "Book are weapons in the war of ideas." With books from every genre available to millions of men and women, they developed new ideas and new directions for their lives. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” This was certainly true for those who fought against Hitler's war against ideas contained in books. Our soldiers' minds were stretched, and when they returned home, they desired to stretch them even further.
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3 people found this helpful
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Patience H. C. Mason
5.0 out of 5 stars No Censorship!
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2020
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I am fascinated by all aspects of WW II, and this book was right up my alley since I am also a reader. It is quite well written, full of interesting facts and human interest in the form of letters from GI's to authors and to the publishers of the tiny little books which could fit in a soldier or sailor's pocket.
The book starts with the Nazi book burnings and their desire to control what people could read and our desire to not censor what our men could read. Apparently the women's units just got women's magazines, which is pretty funny but no surprise. They printed a wide variety of popular books in all categories.
One of the more amusing incidents in the book was when the Republicans, before the election in 1944, tried to censor all political content in the books because they were afraid all the soldiers would vote for a 4th term for Roosevelt. They had to back down after the military did it to such an extent intentionally that almost all books were stopped. The Republicans had to back down.
in the back of this book is a list of all the books published in this format. i plan to read or reread some of them, especially A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, both of which I loved as a kid.
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