Even the misty drizzle that blanketed Berlin did not dampen the merriment surrounding the grand parade held on May 10, 1933...
Forty thousand spectators gathered in the plaza to behold the spectacle that was about to unfold; another forty thousand assembled along the parade route. In the center of the Bebelplatz, a massive pyre of crossed logs, twelve feel long and five feet high, awaited...
The crowd burst into applause...[one] book after another quickly made its way to the blaze
Description:
Books about books, especially when combined with history, is a winning formula for me. Molly Guptill Manning's When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II.is fantastic on both of these themes and on so many other levels. Therefore, this will be a longer review since I cannot contain my enthusiasm or desire to share the highlights of this book.
First, it is a history of events leading up to, during, and after World War II, specifically the role played by books for American military and the everyday people back home. Starting off with the chilling description of the Nazi book burning in Berlin, 1933 before cheering crowds (see above), Manning sets the tone that Hitler would make this war different from other wars. This would be a "total war," one that was fought not only on the battlefield but also in the minds of the people who were enemies of Germany.
Prior to any invasion, Hitler used a comprehensive propaganda program to overcome resistance. Radio shows, fliers dropped from planes, distribution of Mein Kampf, etc. were used to tell targeted countries of the superiority of Nazis and the futility of any resistance. Once conquered, these nations saw their libraries burned, bookstores purged of all titles written by Jews or containing themes that were deemed "harmful to the German spirit," and book collectors jailed and killed. Words, books, and thoughts for Hitler were another powerful weapon, a "clash of wills even more than one of arms."
While these programs were successful in Europe, they were less effective in the United States and its military as the country readied for entry into the War. The American free press recognized the Nazi mind-conditioning tactics and exposed them in counter-propaganda articles and other media to Americans.
The US government felt that this War, even though it was being fought in Europe, had to become personal to Americans as more than just a cause to help our allies. It had to become a force of evil that, if unchecked, would directly affect US citizens and take away their freedom to think, to live freely, and to read whatever they wanted. As H.G. Wells stated,
As the US military draft was implemented and thousands began training, the morale of these men dropped. In the army and navy, these men quickly lost their independence, privacy, and encouragement to think freely, treasures of a free society, and responded morosely. The soldiers who soon would be facing tremendous danger, fear, and uncertainty, needed mental stimulation as well as a means to escape, even temporarily, the horrors they would soon face. Books were the answer, "a dependable distraction on all fronts."
These books also would help strengthen the resolve of American fighters by reinforcing ideals of freedom, humor, and the homeland that they sorely missed. "Liberty itself is being menaced" was the message. As one librarian noted,
The innovative answer was the creation of an entirely new book format, the Armed Services Edition (ASE), created by a new organization of publishers, paper-makers, authors, publishers, and distributors. The most popular fiction and non-fiction books for the first time were downsized to only 5 1/2" x 3 3/8", printed on thin magazine-weight paper, formatted with clear-to-read double columns of text, and given a sturdy paper cover (see example).
These books were never more than 3/4" thick, a huge reduction in size and weight over the typical 2" thick hardback. This new size was determined by taking measurements of a GI's hip pocket. The production cost was only $.07 per copy and sold at cost to the military plus $.01 to be given to the author. Publishers agreed to take no profits from these sales
Initially, 30 and later 55 titles were printed each month, with over 50,000 copies of each to be distributed to servicemen in the Navy and Army.Titles were selected by a panel, and actually made huge successes of many previously overlooked books, including The Great Gatsby and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Hugely popular, these books soon were everywhere, restocking long-neglected military libraries on lonely outposts, shared among soldiers repeatedly, and never, ever thrown away no matter their tattered condition.
After the War, the ASE is disbanded, but a new program from the US Office of War Information arose to begin translating and printing the Oversees Edition of books to translate in reduced size of American titles to restock the ravaged libraries of Europe.
When Books Went to War is a powerful, inspiring, and thoughtful book full of can-do people who conceived and oversaw these book-distribution programs. It also reveals the contributing factors of World War II that affected the military and American population right down to the grassroots level. Inspiring and fascinating are the words that come to my mind when describing this well-written history.
First, it is a history of events leading up to, during, and after World War II, specifically the role played by books for American military and the everyday people back home. Starting off with the chilling description of the Nazi book burning in Berlin, 1933 before cheering crowds (see above), Manning sets the tone that Hitler would make this war different from other wars. This would be a "total war," one that was fought not only on the battlefield but also in the minds of the people who were enemies of Germany.
Prior to any invasion, Hitler used a comprehensive propaganda program to overcome resistance. Radio shows, fliers dropped from planes, distribution of Mein Kampf, etc. were used to tell targeted countries of the superiority of Nazis and the futility of any resistance. Once conquered, these nations saw their libraries burned, bookstores purged of all titles written by Jews or containing themes that were deemed "harmful to the German spirit," and book collectors jailed and killed. Words, books, and thoughts for Hitler were another powerful weapon, a "clash of wills even more than one of arms."
While these programs were successful in Europe, they were less effective in the United States and its military as the country readied for entry into the War. The American free press recognized the Nazi mind-conditioning tactics and exposed them in counter-propaganda articles and other media to Americans.
The US government felt that this War, even though it was being fought in Europe, had to become personal to Americans as more than just a cause to help our allies. It had to become a force of evil that, if unchecked, would directly affect US citizens and take away their freedom to think, to live freely, and to read whatever they wanted. As H.G. Wells stated,
[book burnings] had never yet destroyed a book....books once printed have a vitality exceeding any human being, and they go on speaking as though nothing had happened...what is happening in Germany is a clumsy lout's revolution against thought, sanity, and books.
As the US military draft was implemented and thousands began training, the morale of these men dropped. In the army and navy, these men quickly lost their independence, privacy, and encouragement to think freely, treasures of a free society, and responded morosely. The soldiers who soon would be facing tremendous danger, fear, and uncertainty, needed mental stimulation as well as a means to escape, even temporarily, the horrors they would soon face. Books were the answer, "a dependable distraction on all fronts."
These books also would help strengthen the resolve of American fighters by reinforcing ideals of freedom, humor, and the homeland that they sorely missed. "Liberty itself is being menaced" was the message. As one librarian noted,
The soldier at the front needs to have a cause in his heart as well as a gun in his hand.Manning describes the first book donation effort, the Victory Book Campaign (VBC), organized by the American Library Association which gathered 10 million books from the public and distributed them to soldiers. The promotion, sorting, shipping, and distribution efforts were enormous, but the results were highly appreciated by soldiers now in the Pacific as well as Europe. There were problems of inappropriate titles, such as donated knitting books and out-of-date textbooks, but overall it was a highly successful program. Unfortunately, a bigger weakness was quickly made evident: the VBC was sending troops large, heavy hardback books that were not easily transported by soldiers in their already over-stuffed packs.
The innovative answer was the creation of an entirely new book format, the Armed Services Edition (ASE), created by a new organization of publishers, paper-makers, authors, publishers, and distributors. The most popular fiction and non-fiction books for the first time were downsized to only 5 1/2" x 3 3/8", printed on thin magazine-weight paper, formatted with clear-to-read double columns of text, and given a sturdy paper cover (see example).
These books were never more than 3/4" thick, a huge reduction in size and weight over the typical 2" thick hardback. This new size was determined by taking measurements of a GI's hip pocket. The production cost was only $.07 per copy and sold at cost to the military plus $.01 to be given to the author. Publishers agreed to take no profits from these sales
Initially, 30 and later 55 titles were printed each month, with over 50,000 copies of each to be distributed to servicemen in the Navy and Army.Titles were selected by a panel, and actually made huge successes of many previously overlooked books, including The Great Gatsby and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Hugely popular, these books soon were everywhere, restocking long-neglected military libraries on lonely outposts, shared among soldiers repeatedly, and never, ever thrown away no matter their tattered condition.
As one sailor said, "To heave one in the garbage can is tantamount to striking your grandmother."Month after month, fighting men looked forward to the arrival of the newest ASE books, just grabbing any title in the rush, then trading them (after first reading them, of course) with other soldiers, hunting down favorites and sneaking time whenever available to read a few paragraphs. When Books Went to War provides stories of men reading on boats as they wait to storm ashore at Normandy and of books delivered to Saipan only four days after landing there, Of course, there is a list of the titles that made up the two years of ASE offerings for today's readers to see what was deemed worthy of a special printing and distribution for the military forces.
After the War, the ASE is disbanded, but a new program from the US Office of War Information arose to begin translating and printing the Oversees Edition of books to translate in reduced size of American titles to restock the ravaged libraries of Europe.
When Books Went to War is a powerful, inspiring, and thoughtful book full of can-do people who conceived and oversaw these book-distribution programs. It also reveals the contributing factors of World War II that affected the military and American population right down to the grassroots level. Inspiring and fascinating are the words that come to my mind when describing this well-written history.
With books in their pockets, American GIs stormed the beaches of Normandy, trekked to the Rhine, and liberated Europe; they hopped from one deadly Pacific island to the next, from the shores of Australia to the backyard of Japan. Some read to remember the home they had left behind, others to forget the hell that surrounded them. Books uplifted their weary souls and energized their minds....books had the power to soothe an aching heart, renew hope for the future, and provide a respite when there was no other escape.And that is why I love books and read.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Coming of age story of an idealistic girl at the turn of the century, as she deals with her family and environment of inner city Brooklyn. A classic in every sense of the word.
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