NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. While the Nazis were burning hundreds of millions of books across Europe, America printed and shipped 140 million books to its troops. The "heartwarming" story of how an army of librarians and publishers lifted spirits and built a new democratic audience of readers is as inspiring today as it was then (New York Times).

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

A cultural history that does much to explain modern America. --USA Today

Formato	Tapa suave
Número de Páginas	304
Lenguaje	Inglés
Editorial	Mariner Books
Fecha de Publicación	2015-10-27
Dimensiones	8.2" x 5.2" x 0.8" pulgadas
Letra Grande	No
Con Ilustraciones	Si
Temas	Años 1940

Manning, Molly Guptill

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.