When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World
War II
By Molly Guptill Manning
At the beginning of World War II the Nazis burned millions
of books. In response, as the United States mobilized for war, American
librarians organized the Victory Book Campaign and collected 20 million
hardcover books to donate to the armed forces.
But hardcover books weren’t practical for troops in combat and 20
million wasn’t nearly enough. This is
the story of how the War Department and the publishing industry got together to
create the Armed Services Editions of over 1000 popular titles. These lightweight paperbacks were portable, inexpensive, and
great for morale. By the end of the war over 120 million ASEs were
published and distributed to troops around the world. ASEs were carried into every theatre of the
war, they were shared and they were treasured.
This was a fascinating glimpse into U S History, the history
of World War II and the history of the American love of reading. This is a
great story for history buffs or anyone who loves books and reading.
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