This volume provides readers with a new, interesting way to study the impact of World War II on American history. Through in-depth analysis of important primary documents from 1936 to 1947, readers will gain new insight into the causes, issues, and lasting effects of this pivotal time in American history.
World War II: A History in Documents illustrates the major themes and issues of the Second World War, including its causes, course, and consequences. Paying attention to both the European and Pacific Theaters - as well as to homefront and battle front issues - author James H. Madison blendsdiscussions of diplomacy and strategy with insights into the lives of ordinary people around the world, including factory workers, soldiers, mothers, propagandists, political leaders, and survivors.Set in thoughtful contexts, these powerful and telling documents encourage students to compare different nations and cultures at war and to think critically about twentieth century history. The documents include such diverse items as American political cartoons, combat memoirs of American GIs, acall for Canadian women war workers, popular American songs, an interview with a Tuskegee Airman, Eisenhower's D-Day message, Russian propaganda posters, the diary of a German teenager, a memoir of Japanese-American internment, a painting of an Australian bomber crew, newspaperman Ernie Pyle'sreports to the home front, the last letter from a Japanese kamikaze pilot, and testimonies of Holocaust survivors.World War II: A History in Documents includes a picture essay on propaganda posters and numerous graphics (posters, photographs, maps, etc.) throughout, which also serve as documents. Offering a global and multifaceted perspective of World War II, this diverse collection of textual and visualdocuments is ideal for undergraduate courses in World War II and military history.
This text presents a carefully selected group of readings that allow students to evaluate primary sources, test the interpretations of distinguished historians, and draw their own conclusions. The volume covers World War II from the homefront and the battlefield, examining both the military and social impact of the war.
"Outstanding . . . the best short history I have read of America’s role in World War II. Stoler and Michelmore draw on a judicious selection of historical documents to provide a concise, readable history. The historiography of the war is well covered and explained. It is no small task to delineate the many, sometimes, heated debates over the conduct of the war, and in this volume the many sides of the historical debate are fairly and evenly treated. For a single-volume study, the book is remarkably comprehensive. It addresses major events and decisions; yet it also covers the political and policy-driven, strategic and operational, and social and cultural aspects of the War. The development of key technologies (such as the atomic bomb) and intelligence capabilities are explained. Finally, this book also covers topics that are often neglected in histories of the War, including racism in America, the American response to the Holocaust, and the evolving role of women in the workforce." —Adrian Lewis, The University of Kansas, author of The American Culture of War: The History of U.S. Military Forces from World War II to Operation Enduring Freedom (Routledge, 2nd ed. 2012)
This book traces the history of German records captured by American and British troops in 1945 and the negotiations for their return into German custody.