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Provides information such as military commander profiles, the war's armaments and battlefronts, timelines, oral histories, and the political, social, and economic factors that influenced the conflict.
An indispensable reference on World War II produced by the Library of Congress and edited by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David M. Kennedy. With hundreds of illustrations and quotations from contemporary documents, this will be the most authoritative popular reference on World War II. The noted historian John Keegan called World War II "the largest single event in human history." More than sixty years after it ended, that war continues to shape our world. Going far beyond accounts of the major battles, The Library of Congress World War II Companion examines, in a unique and engaging manner, this devastating conflict, its causes, conduct, and aftermath. It considers the politics that shaped the involvement of the major combatants; military leadership and the characteristics of major Allied and Axis armed services; the weaponry that resulted in the war's unprecedented destruction, as well as debates over the use of these weapons; the roles of resistance groups and underground fighters; war crimes; daily life during wartime; the uses of propaganda; and much more. Drawn from the unparalleled collections of the institution that has been called "America's Memory," The Library of Congress World War II Companion includes excerpts from contemporary letters, journals, pamphlets, and other documents, as well as first-person accounts recorded by the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The text is complemented by more than 150 illustrations. Organized into topical chapters (such as "The Media War," "War Crimes and the Holocaust," and two chapters on "Military Operations" that cover the important battles), the book also include readers to navigate through the rich store of information in these pages. Filled with facts and figures, information about unusual aspects of the war, and moving personal accounts, this remarkable volume will be indispensable to anyone who wishes to understand the World War II era and its continuing reverberations.
A guide to learning more about your relatives’ experience serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. In this fully revised edition of Finding Your Father’s War, military historian Jonathan Gawne has written an easily accessible handbook for anyone seeking greater knowledge of their relatives’ experience in World War II, or indeed anyone seeking a better understanding of the U.S. Army during World War II. With over 470 photographs, charts, and an engaging narrative with many rare insights into wartime service, this book is an invaluable tool for understanding our “citizen soldiers,” who once rose as a generation to fight the greatest war in American history. “Jonathan's Gawne’s book is a 5-star blueprint, well-written and beautifully illustrated, to deciphering a loved one’s WW2 U.S. Army service.” —The Commander’s Voice “A great read not only for genealogists wishing to research an ancestor, but also for those who simply have an interest in the United States Army during World War II . . . written so that anyone, even those with no military background, can understand, yet also includes more advanced information . . . detail is phenomenal . . . a must read reference book for any professional genealogist or military historian.” —APG Quarterly
WWII saw a global conflict with the weapons technologies of the leading nations of the world pitted against each other. This book examines key air, sea and land weapons, vehicles and small arms. Each spread features a key category of weapon, such as fighters or main battle tanks, with an easy to follow diagram or chart.
Collecting the Good War "This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."—Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hailed as "The Greatest Generation," the men and women who fought in World War II carried an unimaginable burden. Their date with destiny, both horrendous and heroic, shaped the world we know today. This newly expanded second edition of Warman's World War II Collectibles serves as a living tribute to these brave souls, as well as a guide to the remarkable and historical items that survived titanic battles. Brimming with expert collecting advice, detailed information and spectacular color images, this book is designed to provide perspective and guidance to the extraordinary world of World War II collectibles. This one-of-a-kind package features: • 1,100 full-color photos of collectibles from Allied and Axis forces • Coverage of uniforms, headgear, accouterments, medals, firearms, bayonets, knives, daggers, swords, and personal items • 3,000 listings with updated current-market prices • Helpful collecting advice, price and availability ratings, and reproduction alerts
2016 will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor that pushed the United States into World War II and sent thousands of US Marines to fight and die on tiny islands half a world away. Today, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Tarawa are household names that hold legendary status on the Marines’ roll of honor. But in 1941, the Marine Corps was a small expeditionary force with outdated equipment and an unproven new mission—amphibious assault. Michael E. Haskew's The Marines in World War II charts the rapid development of this famous fighting force from two brigades, totaling fewer than 20,000 servicemen, to two full corps with six divisions, five air wings, 21 battalions and as many as 475,000 Marines. In addition to chronicling the hard fought battles at places like Midway, Guadalcanal and Guam, the book also addresses the important role played by Navajo code talkers during combat, as well as the changes that took place within the Marines during the war, such as the admission of its first black members and the gradual desegregation of the Corps.
Collecting & Preserving WWII History Since the end of World War II, veterans, collectors, and history buffs have bought, sold, and traded the "spoils of war." Souvenir collecting began as soon as troops set foot on foreign soil. Soldiers looked for wartime trinkets and keepsakes to remind them of their time in the service, validate their presence during the making of history, and generate income when they returned home. Today these items help us understand and define a time when almost the entire world was at war. Newly expanded and completely updated, Warman's World War II Collectibles, 3rd edition, is a comprehensive full-color resource on World War II militaria. Illustrated with 1,800 all-new color images, the book is loaded with information and current values for uniforms, footwear, headgear, medals, firearms, bayonets, knives, personal items, accoutrements, and groupings--a new category--from the United States, Germany, England, Japan, the former Soviet Union, and other countries from 1939-1945. • 1,800 all-new color images and thousands of values • History and collector tips • Pros and cons of each collecting area • Availability and price ratings, as well as reproduction alerts • First-person accounts of the war
A reference to the ideological, military, political, biographical, and social topics surrounding World War II, which is often considered the pivotal event of the twentieth century.
From a mesmerizing storyteller, the gripping search for a missing World War II crew, their bomber plane, and their legacy. In the fall of 1944, a massive American bomber carrying eleven men vanished over the Pacific islands of Palau, leaving a trail of mysteries. According to mission reports from the Army Air Forces, the plane crashed in shallow water—but when investigators went to find it, the wreckage wasn’t there. Witnesses saw the crew parachute to safety, yet the airmen were never seen again. Some of their relatives whispered that they had returned to the United States in secret and lived in hiding. But they never explained why. For sixty years, the U.S. government, the children of the missing airmen, and a maverick team of scientists and scuba divers searched the islands for clues. With every clue they found, the mystery only deepened. Now, in a spellbinding narrative, Wil S. Hylton weaves together the true story of the missing men, their final mission, the families they left behind, and the real reason their disappearance remained shrouded in secrecy for so long. This is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and faith—of the undying hope among the families of the missing, and the relentless determination of scientists, explorers, archaeologists, and deep-sea divers to solve one of the enduring mysteries of World War II.
