“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II by Studs Terkel (PDF)

Description

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize: “The richest and most powerful single document of the American experience in World War II” (The Boston Globe). “The Good War” is a testament not only to the experience of war but to the extraordinary skill of Studs Terkel as an interviewer and oral historian. From a pipe fitter’s apprentice at Pearl Harbor to a crew member of the flight that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, his subjects are open and unrelenting in their analyses of themselves and their experiences, producing what People magazine has called “a splendid epic history” of WWII. With this volume Terkel expanded his scope to the global and the historical, and the result is a masterpiece of oral history. “Tremendously compelling, somehow dramatic and intimate at the same time, as if one has stumbled on private accounts in letters locked in attic trunks . . . In terms of plain human interest, Mr. Terkel may well have put together the most vivid collection of World War II sketches ever gathered between covers.” —The New York Times Book Review “I promise you will remember your war years, if you were alive then, with extraordinary vividness as you go through Studs Terkel’s book. Or, if you are too young to remember, this is the best place to get a sense of what people were feeling.” —Chicago Tribune “A powerful book, repeatedly moving and profoundly disturbing.” —People

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐World War 2 is the most significant event in world history. It was worldwide death, destruction, carnage, chaos, mayhem, technological advancement, etc. In “The Good War”, Studs Terkel interviews people who lived through this time period some 30 – 40 years afterwards for their recollection, remembrance, regrets, etc. During the past 30 – 40 years, many of them have developed a new and different prospective of World War 2 and its aftermath.“The Good War” is a collection of interviews of those who lived through World War 2 – non-combatant civilians including children, Nazi slave laborers, Holocaust survivors, merchant seamen, servicemen, black US servicemen, a conscientious objector, “Rosie the Riveter”, USO and Red Cross workers, men and women who worked The Manhattan Project, politicians including FDR’s advisors, etc.While reading the book, I was constantly reminded of the times that I spent with my dad, a World War 2 veteran, at the local VFW and American Legion Club. I knew World War 2 was horrific, but my dad and his fellow veterans would only reminisce about their funny and joyful experiences. They wouldn’t talk of the horrors of war.Of the many interviews, I thought the interviews with the conscientious objector and black servicemen were the most interesting and thought provoking. The least interesting were those of US politicians and FDR’s advisors who were still beating the same drum as they did 30 – 40 years ago with no regrets.

⭐If you don’t read anything else about WWII, read this. Veterans, war workers, everyday Americans and Europeans, they tell their stories about life during the “good war.” They also discuss the aftermath, Displaced Persons, the Cold War and the Bomb. The narratives are short, and arranged in chronological order. People reveal their thoughts and feelings, it’s presented verbatim, as if you were in the room listening to them.

⭐Studs Terkel interviewed hundreds of people asking them to tell him about their experiences during the Second World War. Those interviews are the stories included in his book, “The Good War.”If you are looking for a collection of “war stories” by combat veterans sharing their yarns of heroism under fire, look elsewhere; while there are some of those experiences here, the bulk of the book deals with the wider scope of the conflict – from “Rosie the riveter” to Japanese detainees, to survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (including Americans who occupied the cities weeks after the bombings. Sadly, they share similar stories.)It is an interesting glimpse in time – of “simpler times” – when racism was the status quo (Terkel includes the experiences of Tuskeegee airmen and Naval ammo handlers and stevedores), when the military was segregated, when women took up jobs for the war effort, fully expecting to be fired once the war was over.Terkel’s book is primarily concerned with the experiences of Americans during the war, although he interviews some on the “other side” – a German war bride retelling her experiences during a bombing raid (the same raid her husband happened to be on – ironically bombing her town), of a German U-boat crew, of Japanese civlians. Their perspectives provide some balance to the book.In the final analysis, it is an interesting read – not the sort of thing one could read cover-to-cover all at once; better, I think to read a few interviews and set it down, giving one the opportunity to reflect on how the seminal event of the twentieth century influenced not only those interviewed, but all of us. A worthwhile read.

⭐A co-worker of mine was told me about World War Z, and how he liked it because the story was told in a kinda ‘Studs Terkel ‘ sorta style. I’d heard of Studs Terkel, but never read any of his books. I did like WWZ and was intrigued by what my friend meant, so I got this book for my Kindle. I am no expert about WW2, but I’ve read quite a bit about it. I knew about Patton, and D-Day, Okinawa so on and so on. I knew about some of the discrimination that had taken place back then too…the interment camps we had for the Japanese Americans, and the menial jobs we gave to the American service men. However, I never understood, or realized how bad it had been. Studs book tells the stories that we never really hear about. The Women that served here in the factories, and lost their brothers, and husbands in the War. How they discovered new opportunities in the work force because the the War, and began the real entry of Women into the work force. We hear from the African Americans who wanted to serve, but were relegated to servants jobs, and treated terribly by the Military. There are other stories too, some from the ‘other’ side. The German civilians caught in the bombing of Dresden, so on and so on.I did my book reports in school, so I am not going to go into a lot of detail, but I think this book is important. I think it’s a valuable contribution the the history of the time, and a must read for anyone that is interested in the history of WW2.Yeah, my friend was right. WWZ was written in the same kind of narrative, maybe that’s why it made such a good read…….

⭐I have always loved Tony Parker’s books in this country, a wonderful range of recorded interviews on topics as varied as crime, army life, the troubles in Northern Ireland and lighthouse keepers. Parker acknowledged his debt to the American Studs Terkel, so this was the first book of his that I have purchased. Terkel’s influence on Parker is immediately apparent in the way that he structures and records the interviews conducted.This is a fascinating take on American life and attitudes to the Second World War, with a very wide range of topics and people included. I felt it was best read in small chunks, taking one interviewee’s experience and allowing that to be absorbed. I personally found the sections on attitudes to different races and Japanese internees the most interesting and eye opening, and was startled by the depth of prejudice that existed. The interviews cover life on the American ‘Home Front’, the war against Japan and American soldiers experiences in Europe. A theme which occurs again and again, even amongst the most professional and battle experienced people is the futility and needlessness of war…a trite comment, but the way in which so many interviewees reach this conclusion is enthralling. As a result of reading this, two more Studs Terkel books are immediately on order!

⭐I actually got this when I read that it inspired the wonderful World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.Thought it sounded very interesting hearing about world war 2 from the perspective of “ordinary” people. I’ve not been disappointed – it’s absolutely riveting stuff. A huge range of characters telling what they experienced gives a real feeling of being there.It covers a fantastic range of stories, from Pearl Harbour, to what it was like being a prisoner of war, as well as the to and fro battling of a front line soldier.In summary, I can’t recommend it enough – one of the definitive books of World War 2.

⭐I like the interview format of the book. I don’t usually read a book cover to cover right away and this allows you to read chapter by chapter without loosing your place or perspective. Mr. Terkel has the ability to reflect the emotions of his interviewees which makes the read interesting. I now have a much better feel of what it must have been like to experience the war from an individual’s perspective.

⭐Where are those people today? What a job he did interviewing these greats.

⭐EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY FULL WITH INTERESTING AND SHOCKING STORIES OF WWII !

Keywords

Free Download “The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II in PDF format
“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II PDF Free Download
Download “The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II 2011 PDF Free
“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II 2011 PDF Free Download
Download “The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II PDF
Free Download Ebook “The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II