When Books Went to War
The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II
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Narrated by:
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Bernadette Dunne
About this listen
When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned over 100 million books and caused fearful citizens to hide or destroy many more. 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 their rucksacks in every theater of war.
Comprising 1,200 different titles of every imaginable type, these paperbacks 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 wrote to the authors, many of whom responded to every letter. They helped rescue The Great Gatsby from obscurity. They made Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, into a national icon. When Books Went to War is an inspiring story for history buffs and book lovers alike.
©2014 Molly Guptill Manning (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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This great time capsule of a book captures the abundant popular history of the United States from 1932 to 1972. It encompasses politics, military history, economics, the lively arts, science, fashion, fads, social change, sexual mores, communications, graffiti...everything and anything indigenous that can be captured in print.
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Fabulous book, good narration, bad recording
- By Paula on 07-10-08
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Half American
- The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad
- By: Matthew F. Delmont
- Narrated by: William DeMeritt
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing unheralded but vital support jobs, only to be denied housing and educational opportunities on their return home. Without their crucial contributions to the war effort, the United States could not have won the war. And yet the stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, cast aside in favor of the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation.”
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Great!
- By Patrice Ghezzi on 01-24-23
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Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy
- Ernest Hemingway's Secret Adventures, 1935-1961
- By: Nicholas Reynolds
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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While he was the curator of the CIA Museum, Nicholas Reynolds, a longtime military intelligence expert, began to discover tantalizing clues that suggested Ernest Hemingway's involvement in the Second World War was much more complex and dangerous than has been previously understood. Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy brings to light for the first time this riveting secret side of Hemingway's life - when he worked closely with both the American OSS and the Soviet NKVD to defeat Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
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So entertaining you'd think it was fiction
- By Austin on 03-16-17
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Citizens of London
- The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour
- By: Lynne Olson
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the behind-the-scenes story of how the United States forged its wartime alliance with Britain, told from the perspective of three key American players in London: Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. Drawing from a variety of primary sources, Olson skillfully depicts the dramatic personal journeys of these men who, determined to save Britain from Hitler, helped convince a cautious Franklin Roosevelt and a reluctant American public to support the British at a critical time.
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If we are together nothing is impossible
- By Susan on 03-06-10
By: Lynne Olson
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Brute
- The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine
- By: Robert Coram
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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From the earliest days of his 34-year military career, Victor "Brute" Krulak displayed a remarkable facility for applying creative ways of fighting to the Marine Corps. He went on daring spy missions, was badly wounded, pioneered the use of amphibious vehicles, and masterminded the invasion of Okinawa. In Korea, he was a combat hero and invented the use of helicopters in warfare.
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Leaves a deep impression while also entertaining
- By PaulaD on 04-26-15
By: Robert Coram
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There Was a Country
- A Personal History of Biafra
- By: Chinua Achebe
- Narrated by: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The defining experience of Chinua Achebe's life was the Nigerian civil war, also known as the Biafran War, of 1967-1970. The conflict was infamous for its savage impact on the Biafran people, Chinua Achebe's people, many of whom were starved to death after the Nigerian government blockaded their borders. Immediately after, Achebe took refuge in an academic post in the United States, and for more than 40 years he has maintained a considered silence on the events of those terrible years. Now, decades in the making, comes a towering reckoning with one of modern Africa's most fateful events.
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The Audible Edition Is a Disaster
- By Olu on 11-28-12
By: Chinua Achebe
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Enduring Vietnam
- An American Generation and Its War
- By: James Wright
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The Vietnam War is largely recalled as a mistake, either in the decision to engage there or in the nature of the engagement. Or both. Veterans of the war remain largely anonymous figures, accomplices in the mistake. Critically recounting the steps that led to the war, this book does not excuse the mistakes, but it brings those who served out of the shadows. Enduring Vietnam recounts the experiences of the young Americans who fought in Vietnam and of families who grieved those who did not return.
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Great
- By Rebecca Delgado on 03-20-23
By: James Wright
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Human Smoke
- The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization
- By: Nicholson Baker
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Human Smoke delivers an indictment of the treasured myths that have romanticized much of the 1930s and '40s. Incorporating meticulous research and well-documented sources---including newspaper and magazine articles, radio speeches, memoirs, and diaries---the book juxtaposes hundreds of interrelated moments of decision, brutality, suffering, and mercy. Vivid glimpses of political leaders and their dissenters illuminate the gradual, horrifying advance toward overt global war and Holocaust.
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Not a "History Book" per se
- By Roy on 02-20-09
By: Nicholson Baker
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To End All Wars
- A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918
- By: Adam Hochschild
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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World War I stands as one of history's most senseless spasms of carnage, defying rational explanation. In a riveting, suspenseful narrative with haunting echoes for our own time, Adam Hochschild brings it to life as never before. He focuses on the long-ignored moral drama of the war's critics, alongside its generals and heroes. Thrown in jail for their opposition to the war were Britain's leading investigative journalist, a future winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and an editor who, behind bars, published a newspaper for his fellow inmates on toilet paper.
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A story of personalities
- By Tad Davis on 06-09-11
By: Adam Hochschild
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Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia
- By: Michael Korda
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Abridged
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Michael Korda's Hero is the story of an epic life on a grand scale: a revealing, in-depth, and gripping biography of the extraordinary, mysterious, and dynamic Englishman whose daring exploits and romantic profile, including his blond, sun-burnished good looks and flowing white robes, made him an object of intense fascination, still famous the world over as "Lawrence of Arabia".
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Excellent book and narration
- By Ron L. Caldwell on 12-11-10
By: Michael Korda
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Neither Snow nor Rain
- A History of the United States Postal Service
- By: Devin Leonard
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Few institutions are as loved, as loathed, and as historically important as the United States Postal Service, the subject of this landmark century-spanning social, political, and economic history. The United States Postal Service is a wondrous American creation. Seven days a week, its army of 300,000 letter carriers delivers 513 million pieces of mail, 40 percent of the world's volume. It is far more efficient than any other mail service - more than twice as efficient as the Japanese and easily outpacing the Germans and British. And the USPS has a storied history.
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Woa!, the post office's history is America
- By anon on 12-06-16
By: Devin Leonard
What listeners say about When Books Went to War
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Nate
- 01-17-21
Perfect for the bibliophile and/or history reader
I love war histories and of course WWII, but this particularly story hits me pretty deeply. As an educator and a lifelong reader, I felt inspired beginning to end.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 11-28-20
better than I'd hoped
as a reader, and someone interested in history, I chose this originally because it was one of the included in membership. turns out, I found myself fascinated and listened all the way through in just two large chunks
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- Inge
- 09-12-23
Wow! I wish I’d known about this a long time ago!
Covering consequential, engaging, and now almost-unknown history, I was stunned that, as an ABD PhD candidate in American History (with a Master’s in Library and Information Science), I had never heard of this aspect of World War II. I actually couldn’t stop listening and ended up staying up until well past daybreak to finish it, and now I want to hunt down some of these books myself. I wish I’d known about this a long time ago, as I would have asked friends and family from that generation of soldiers and sailors about them. Regrettably, they are now nearly gone - but I’m so glad for this chronicle. Could it be that books helped win the war? I’d like to think so!
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- linda dix
- 02-26-23
Interesting Information
Was a bit long but glad I pushed though to the end to learn something previously unknown.
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-28-19
Herculean effort and societal impact
Well researched! I had no idea how this genius idea was brought to fruition first by librarians, then funded by the military and facilitated by a coalition of publishers. It did so much more than combat book burning. It created a generation of readers of quality works, mass produced and portable, that later went on to college under the new GI bill.
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1 person found this helpful
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- "Gigi"
- 04-09-22
Fascinating
This is a wonderful story. I did not know about ASEs, as I was born in 1945, just as the war ended. It’s worth a listen. I heartily recommend.
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- Ellen
- 03-09-15
Movie, Please
My husband and I found this to be a fascinating and, to us, previously unknown chapter of WWII history. Sincere thanks to Molly Manning for her excellent work. We have visited many a WWII museum and yet knew nothing of this, and have never seen an ASE on display. Would love to see this story told by a skilled cinematographer like Ken Burns.
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2 people found this helpful
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- BeckaMae1
- 12-09-14
Becka Mar
What did you love best about When Books Went to War?
Not put in boring tearms
What does Bernadette Dunne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Perfect towen
Any additional comments?
This book was done in a way I loved and understed it. Thanks
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- John Cashman
- 10-14-23
Excellent book
This is just a wonderful book. Meticulously researched, a great story, and nicely written. two thumbs up.
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- Shiloah Baker
- 10-17-18
Informed and delightful Reading
This book was absolutely inspirational and incredibly informative. I am delighted at how much I learned and enjoyed my experience. I came away with so many more books to read. But, I have a renewed appreciation for books, and for our librarians who helped campaign for books for our service members. I was impressed with the difference it made for the individual soldiers and their lives following combat. (Also thanks to the G.I. Bill) Books gave the service members the courage and confidence to go to the University following the war. I loved that they shared with the English soldiers who weren’t as book wealthy as our American boys. Added insights I learned about the war were especially important to me as well. I have an interest in learning about the world wars. Finally, the censorship battle that ensued within our own country was as frustrating to learn about as interesting. Learning this strengthened my resolve to keep reading and encouraging all within my sphere of influence to read.
The last line in the book was absolutely perfect. Our troops were given more books than the Nazi’s burned. How’s that for the war on ideas?
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6 people found this helpful