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December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World
December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World traces, day-by-day, the most important 31 days in the history of America's participation in WWII, which snuffed out the lives of millions and changed history forever.
From December 1, 1941, until the morning of December 7, 1941, America was at peace and-with the exception of the stubborn and persistent high unemployment of the Great Depression-was a relatively happy country.
By the afternoon of the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, America was a radically changed country, forever. Its isolationist impulses evaporated, and both major political parties became more or less internationalist.
The month also introduced food and gas rationing, Victory Gardens, scrap drives, a military draft, and the conversion of Detroit into an "arsenal of democracy." From the moment of America's entry into World War II, people of all kinds, but mostly women looking for work, flooded into the city. Instant apartment buildings sprang up, as did eating and drinking salons, all to the advantage of the massive increase in spending generated by the federal government.
December 1941 is a fascinating and meticulously researched look at the American home front-her people, faith, economy, government, and culture-during a month that radically changed the American way of life.
From December 1, 1941, until the morning of December 7, 1941, America was at peace and-with the exception of the stubborn and persistent high unemployment of the Great Depression-was a relatively happy country.
By the afternoon of the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor, America was a radically changed country, forever. Its isolationist impulses evaporated, and both major political parties became more or less internationalist.
The month also introduced food and gas rationing, Victory Gardens, scrap drives, a military draft, and the conversion of Detroit into an "arsenal of democracy." From the moment of America's entry into World War II, people of all kinds, but mostly women looking for work, flooded into the city. Instant apartment buildings sprang up, as did eating and drinking salons, all to the advantage of the massive increase in spending generated by the federal government.
December 1941 is a fascinating and meticulously researched look at the American home front-her people, faith, economy, government, and culture-during a month that radically changed the American way of life.
670 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2011
237 people are currently reading
1082 people want to read
About the author
Craig Shirley
19 books51 followersCraigan Paul Shirley is an American political consultant and author of several books on Ronald Reagan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
June 28, 2012
This is easily one of the worst books I've ever read. Look at reviews on Amazon. Search Google. You will find ample examples of boneheaded mistakes and sloppy editing throughout the book. There are placeholders forgotten and left in the book. Yes, placeholders. As in "____" where there is supposed to be a calculation for the number of days that the Japanese derpy derp blah blah. The only way this would be acceptable is if the author wanted us to do Madlibs. Like "This book is ______craptastic____" or "I'd rather ____get gonorrhea_____ than read this for another five minutes." The only reason I would advocate buying this book is if you need a huge object to crush bugs that crawl into your apartment. Or if you need help reaching those stupid little cords on your ceiling fan. Or maybe if you need a really awful book to keep on hand to lend to people you hate. Wait, no. Not even those reasons are good enough. Don't buy this book. Don't even look at it. In fact, don't even look at this review. Just stop.
May 23, 2012
This is a very detailed account of Pearl Harbor and the amazing response of people during the rest of that month to this horrible tragedy. The United States was fundamentally transformed during this critical month as we geared up for a world-wide war against Japan, Germany, and Italy. The book is based on many newspaper & magazine accounts that came out during that month. FDR and the US government revealed only partially the true dimensions of the tragedy - the true scale of the death toll and destruction of U.S. military capacity came out only much later. Nevertheless when Germany also declared war and the country realized the exceeding threat to our nation, there was a great coming together in an intense and unified effort to preserve our nation. But personal liberties were greatly curtailed and many false steps and mistakes were made in the initial period of the war.
Although the epilogue of the book provided some good interpretation of the long-term implications of that month's events, I found the book to drag a bit: too much detail and not enough meaningful analysis.
Although the epilogue of the book provided some good interpretation of the long-term implications of that month's events, I found the book to drag a bit: too much detail and not enough meaningful analysis.
November 20, 2014
This book was loaned to me (forced more like it in the manner of “orders”) by a 93 year old (soon to be 94) friend that fought in Guadalcanal with the US Army 164th Regiment of the Americal Division – the famed Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller would call the 164th the “164th Marines” and Chesty himself slapped my good friend on the back and thanked him for “taking care of my Marines” – my friend was an Army Medic who ended up being co-mingled with US Marines of Chesty’s Battalion during the Battle for Guadalcanal. As such, the book first off gets a ½ star for it coming from my friend and WW II Veteran.
The “reading voice” in this book to me was of Walter Winchell – I have only heard his voice twice on television and it’s annoying enough to me to warn any person of this point. This is not a book for the novice WW II reader; it’s simply too long – it’s not a book for the avid reader – there are too many editing errors; many comments before me allude to this point.
On to the book – as my friend doesn’t know how to use a computer I will never have to worry about him reading this review – had this book been one I bought or loaned from the library I would have sought my money back or would have returned it after having read Chapter 8 “The Eighth of December” (each chapter is based on a day in December of 1941). The only other near outstanding chapter was Chapter 23 “The Twenty-Third of December.” This makes two chapters worth reading in a book that has 31 and that also has a Preface and Epilogue. There is a section at the end entitled “Notes” and another entitled “Bibliography”, followed by “Acknowledgements” that conclude on page 645. The book, though well intentioned was simply a mish mash of “stuff” that really didn’t need to be printed – from the newspapers supposedly across the country but the newspapers most often quoted are the NY Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Star and Washington Post. The L.A. Times and S.F. Chronicle comes in to play “next” and I kept wondering “what is middle America thinking?” – the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Detroit Times, and many other papers from the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and the American South are referenced barely at all. It could have in fact been brought down 125 pages and filled with the topic matter MINUS the “fluff” that was lying dormant throughout the many pages that one had to read to move forward. There were also errors – the obvious errors that stand out are the many repeat of sentences that should have been removed from the book before it went to print – did anyone actually “READ” the manuscript before it went to print? Ughhh! After about the 5th repeat sentence occurrence by the time one reaches “The Twentieth of December” I simply learned to “skip” the repetitive sentences and move along to the next one; the obvious typos are a different matter entirely (I lost count at 15 or so and won’t bother with listing them here). Again, I wish to reiterate that this book had the “potential” to be a really great book. It felt as though Walter Winchell had wrote this book with his twitches and idiot voice – that’s what it felt like as I read this thing and truly the Winchell voice in my view is not the best “reading voice” to have as it is of more an aggravating tone than pleasant one.
He references FDR’s health so frequently throughout the book on quotes by different persons that I am certain these were “not” in the headlines of the day. Searching through the references as noted in each chapter was a formidable task at best – I attempted no less than 10 personally and was unable to come up with the source documentation. Yes, FDR’s health was bad as we know now in hindsight; repeating it in nearly every other chapter and sometimes sequentially in chapters 10 – 20 that it simply gets old re-reading it. Yes, the Chinese Ambassador was at the White House on 6 December 1941 – Eleanor’s mistake of thinking it was the “Japanese Ambassador that smiled at me the day before Pearl Harbor” is an honest mistake and a time in America when most persons could not readily distinguish between the various Asian peoples. Unfortunate of course, drawing attention to this however was not necessary for this book.
On to some of the “fluff” in this book: I could have cared less about the interior decorating of one Ms. Gladys Miller, that actress Tallulah Bankhead and John Barrymore were hospitalized and likely for cocaine use as opposed to the “flu” symptoms that was reported. Why put in as well something about divorce notices? Who cares that the NY Times advertised a public notice “….my wife, Phyllis Zenerino, having left my bed and board….I will not be responsible for her debts…” the author even placed in the address per the newspaper article. The book is simply filled with too much of this garbage.
On to the largely or grossly UNDERSTATED and that should otherwise have been EXPANDED upon for the sake of the history of the time within the context of the topic of this book in a general sense. The US Senate did NOT have the lone vote of NAY in going to war with Japan (Chapter 20) but The House DID. Congresswoman Rankin from Montana who was not a supporter of the New Deal was that lone vote of “NO”. Rankin is a confused sort – having voted against war in 1917 as a Congresswoman this one in 1941 forced the Capitol Police to have to protect her on the way out of The House in 1941. She becomes a spokesperson against the War in Vietnam in 1968 at the age of 88 but she is a lost soul in my view as her voting suggested – I have nothing against Pacifists; but, her record is often at odds with what was best for the time when elected to office. Admirably she worked hard for Child Labor Laws. An expansion on RCAF Officer Pilot J.G. Magee, Jr. would have been nice – I know of no poem that has traveled further than his and is currently at the Library of Congress. Sad, sad, sad that no name mention of Petty Officer Second Class Doris “Dorie” Miller – an African American Navy Messman who fired a 50 caliber machine gun at the Japanese Aircraft and who arguably should likely have received the CMoH instead gets the Navy Cross (still not a medal to shake off or gain easily). He includes a photo of him in the center of the book receiving his medal from Adm. Nimitz. However, this author chose NOT to mention the name of this sailor and nor did he mention that this person was African American – I was disappointed in this sense (though I myself am not African American) it was a contribution that should have been better recognized in this book. He mentions Rita Hayworth and there is in fact a photo of her on a WW II poster in the center of the book. For all the flash-forward/backward events that occurred in this book a few more sentences would have been worthwhile if not deserving on its standalone merit. Regardless of propaganda provided – General Heinz Guderian did NOT ransack the home of Tolstoy, General MacArthur was NOT considered for removal as was General Short of Hickam Air Field or Admiral Kimmel of Pearl Harbor. More on House Speaker Sam Rayburn would have been appreciated – the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill isn’t merely named for him because he was an elected official. And we don’t find out who Private Henry Cone was who walked into Valley Forge with George Washington’s Army on 20 December 1777 until one reads the very last page of the book in Acknowledgements. Based on the Author’s format I will forgo explaining “who” that person is.
The Research Assistant for the book was his son, his wife is his "toughest editor" and yet the book is lacking substantial depth and mere basic editing functions.
*** NOT RECOMMENDED BY ME TO ANY PERSON I KNOW *** I kept these details away from my good friend when I visited him yesterday at his retirement home.
The “reading voice” in this book to me was of Walter Winchell – I have only heard his voice twice on television and it’s annoying enough to me to warn any person of this point. This is not a book for the novice WW II reader; it’s simply too long – it’s not a book for the avid reader – there are too many editing errors; many comments before me allude to this point.
On to the book – as my friend doesn’t know how to use a computer I will never have to worry about him reading this review – had this book been one I bought or loaned from the library I would have sought my money back or would have returned it after having read Chapter 8 “The Eighth of December” (each chapter is based on a day in December of 1941). The only other near outstanding chapter was Chapter 23 “The Twenty-Third of December.” This makes two chapters worth reading in a book that has 31 and that also has a Preface and Epilogue. There is a section at the end entitled “Notes” and another entitled “Bibliography”, followed by “Acknowledgements” that conclude on page 645. The book, though well intentioned was simply a mish mash of “stuff” that really didn’t need to be printed – from the newspapers supposedly across the country but the newspapers most often quoted are the NY Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Star and Washington Post. The L.A. Times and S.F. Chronicle comes in to play “next” and I kept wondering “what is middle America thinking?” – the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Detroit Times, and many other papers from the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and the American South are referenced barely at all. It could have in fact been brought down 125 pages and filled with the topic matter MINUS the “fluff” that was lying dormant throughout the many pages that one had to read to move forward. There were also errors – the obvious errors that stand out are the many repeat of sentences that should have been removed from the book before it went to print – did anyone actually “READ” the manuscript before it went to print? Ughhh! After about the 5th repeat sentence occurrence by the time one reaches “The Twentieth of December” I simply learned to “skip” the repetitive sentences and move along to the next one; the obvious typos are a different matter entirely (I lost count at 15 or so and won’t bother with listing them here). Again, I wish to reiterate that this book had the “potential” to be a really great book. It felt as though Walter Winchell had wrote this book with his twitches and idiot voice – that’s what it felt like as I read this thing and truly the Winchell voice in my view is not the best “reading voice” to have as it is of more an aggravating tone than pleasant one.
He references FDR’s health so frequently throughout the book on quotes by different persons that I am certain these were “not” in the headlines of the day. Searching through the references as noted in each chapter was a formidable task at best – I attempted no less than 10 personally and was unable to come up with the source documentation. Yes, FDR’s health was bad as we know now in hindsight; repeating it in nearly every other chapter and sometimes sequentially in chapters 10 – 20 that it simply gets old re-reading it. Yes, the Chinese Ambassador was at the White House on 6 December 1941 – Eleanor’s mistake of thinking it was the “Japanese Ambassador that smiled at me the day before Pearl Harbor” is an honest mistake and a time in America when most persons could not readily distinguish between the various Asian peoples. Unfortunate of course, drawing attention to this however was not necessary for this book.
On to some of the “fluff” in this book: I could have cared less about the interior decorating of one Ms. Gladys Miller, that actress Tallulah Bankhead and John Barrymore were hospitalized and likely for cocaine use as opposed to the “flu” symptoms that was reported. Why put in as well something about divorce notices? Who cares that the NY Times advertised a public notice “….my wife, Phyllis Zenerino, having left my bed and board….I will not be responsible for her debts…” the author even placed in the address per the newspaper article. The book is simply filled with too much of this garbage.
On to the largely or grossly UNDERSTATED and that should otherwise have been EXPANDED upon for the sake of the history of the time within the context of the topic of this book in a general sense. The US Senate did NOT have the lone vote of NAY in going to war with Japan (Chapter 20) but The House DID. Congresswoman Rankin from Montana who was not a supporter of the New Deal was that lone vote of “NO”. Rankin is a confused sort – having voted against war in 1917 as a Congresswoman this one in 1941 forced the Capitol Police to have to protect her on the way out of The House in 1941. She becomes a spokesperson against the War in Vietnam in 1968 at the age of 88 but she is a lost soul in my view as her voting suggested – I have nothing against Pacifists; but, her record is often at odds with what was best for the time when elected to office. Admirably she worked hard for Child Labor Laws. An expansion on RCAF Officer Pilot J.G. Magee, Jr. would have been nice – I know of no poem that has traveled further than his and is currently at the Library of Congress. Sad, sad, sad that no name mention of Petty Officer Second Class Doris “Dorie” Miller – an African American Navy Messman who fired a 50 caliber machine gun at the Japanese Aircraft and who arguably should likely have received the CMoH instead gets the Navy Cross (still not a medal to shake off or gain easily). He includes a photo of him in the center of the book receiving his medal from Adm. Nimitz. However, this author chose NOT to mention the name of this sailor and nor did he mention that this person was African American – I was disappointed in this sense (though I myself am not African American) it was a contribution that should have been better recognized in this book. He mentions Rita Hayworth and there is in fact a photo of her on a WW II poster in the center of the book. For all the flash-forward/backward events that occurred in this book a few more sentences would have been worthwhile if not deserving on its standalone merit. Regardless of propaganda provided – General Heinz Guderian did NOT ransack the home of Tolstoy, General MacArthur was NOT considered for removal as was General Short of Hickam Air Field or Admiral Kimmel of Pearl Harbor. More on House Speaker Sam Rayburn would have been appreciated – the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill isn’t merely named for him because he was an elected official. And we don’t find out who Private Henry Cone was who walked into Valley Forge with George Washington’s Army on 20 December 1777 until one reads the very last page of the book in Acknowledgements. Based on the Author’s format I will forgo explaining “who” that person is.
The Research Assistant for the book was his son, his wife is his "toughest editor" and yet the book is lacking substantial depth and mere basic editing functions.
*** NOT RECOMMENDED BY ME TO ANY PERSON I KNOW *** I kept these details away from my good friend when I visited him yesterday at his retirement home.
December 12, 2011
Craig Shirley’s book, December 1941, based on his introduction, is the only book based solely on the 31 days of December, 1941. Craig’s research went beyond just books about WWII; he went through multiple newspaper clippings, magazines and other publications from that time frame. His goal was to give his readers the feel of ‘being there’ in his writing.
Since I wasn’t a history buff in high school, I was flabbergasted to learn that three days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt received a confidential memorandum from the Office of Naval Intelligence, detailing subversive activities that came from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. It helped me understand the fear that drove the country to create detention camps.
Craig documents how the people’s attitudes, perspectives and lives changed throughout the month. How they went from recovering from the Great Depression back to food and gas rationing, women working in factories building war craft and creating bullets, women learning the Morse code, scrap metal donations, and the draft system.
The number and complexity of the negotiations going on in multiple security and Naval levels was mind-boggling–all with the hope of reconciliation with Japan. All for naught, though, by December 7, 1941.
Several quotes made the day before the attack reminded me of the arrogance of those who built the Titanic: ‘Unsinkable.’ FDR stated that the America’s fleet was “superior to any” in the world and had been “placed on a war footing with full personnel manning the ships of three fleets,” including … Hawaii. “I am proud to report that the American people may feel fully confident in their Navy.” … “On any comparable basis, the United States Navy is second to none.” I know he was trying to bolster the people’s trust in the U.S.’s capabilities, and I applaud him. But this came to mind because I know that no country is totally undefeatable when they rely only on themselves and their war craft. Man must rely on God to direct the circumstances. This is not to bash the United States. These are just my observations as I read the book.
I became privy to the fact that Australia had been praying for us to get involved in the war. They felt we needed a push. This author contends that Australia believed Pearl Harbor was it! Thankfully we know the war ended four years later victoriously with Hitler killed and Japan stopped. Though I grieve the loss of lives, I do believe war in inevitable at times.
For WWII history buffs, this is one book you won’t want to miss. December 7, 1941, changed the lives and livelihoods of America forever. Thanks to the author for an enlightening book in many areas of life during that month of December.
Our thanks go out to all the men and women who fought in the war and those who worked in the factories here at home.
This book was provided by Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
Since I wasn’t a history buff in high school, I was flabbergasted to learn that three days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt received a confidential memorandum from the Office of Naval Intelligence, detailing subversive activities that came from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. It helped me understand the fear that drove the country to create detention camps.
Craig documents how the people’s attitudes, perspectives and lives changed throughout the month. How they went from recovering from the Great Depression back to food and gas rationing, women working in factories building war craft and creating bullets, women learning the Morse code, scrap metal donations, and the draft system.
The number and complexity of the negotiations going on in multiple security and Naval levels was mind-boggling–all with the hope of reconciliation with Japan. All for naught, though, by December 7, 1941.
Several quotes made the day before the attack reminded me of the arrogance of those who built the Titanic: ‘Unsinkable.’ FDR stated that the America’s fleet was “superior to any” in the world and had been “placed on a war footing with full personnel manning the ships of three fleets,” including … Hawaii. “I am proud to report that the American people may feel fully confident in their Navy.” … “On any comparable basis, the United States Navy is second to none.” I know he was trying to bolster the people’s trust in the U.S.’s capabilities, and I applaud him. But this came to mind because I know that no country is totally undefeatable when they rely only on themselves and their war craft. Man must rely on God to direct the circumstances. This is not to bash the United States. These are just my observations as I read the book.
I became privy to the fact that Australia had been praying for us to get involved in the war. They felt we needed a push. This author contends that Australia believed Pearl Harbor was it! Thankfully we know the war ended four years later victoriously with Hitler killed and Japan stopped. Though I grieve the loss of lives, I do believe war in inevitable at times.
For WWII history buffs, this is one book you won’t want to miss. December 7, 1941, changed the lives and livelihoods of America forever. Thanks to the author for an enlightening book in many areas of life during that month of December.
Our thanks go out to all the men and women who fought in the war and those who worked in the factories here at home.
This book was provided by Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged.
Read
March 13, 2012As with other reviewers, I find this book to have many interesting historical tidbits, but am having a hard slog getting past the many grammatical errors, typos, and jaw-dropping mistakes.
A few examples:
On page 394: "Washington was encouraging all Americans to display the stars and bars." Really?? The Confederate flag?
On page 381: "Because skilled labor was needed, some of the new vocation and academic teaching programs for the blind came as a direct result of the war effort, because skilled labor was needed."
On page 263: "In Alabama, the 'Add a Plate Club' was started to encourage families to invited enlisted men to dinner."
The non sequiturs also abound. On page 288, second paragraph, there's a line about Bogie and Bacall and time going by. Wrong movie. On page 376 there's another sentence about Valley Forge and Private Henry Cone, with no context whatsoever.
There are many more examples of sloppy writing or editing, and I'm only up to the 21st of December. Finishing this book will be an act of will.
A few examples:
On page 394: "Washington was encouraging all Americans to display the stars and bars." Really?? The Confederate flag?
On page 381: "Because skilled labor was needed, some of the new vocation and academic teaching programs for the blind came as a direct result of the war effort, because skilled labor was needed."
On page 263: "In Alabama, the 'Add a Plate Club' was started to encourage families to invited enlisted men to dinner."
The non sequiturs also abound. On page 288, second paragraph, there's a line about Bogie and Bacall and time going by. Wrong movie. On page 376 there's another sentence about Valley Forge and Private Henry Cone, with no context whatsoever.
There are many more examples of sloppy writing or editing, and I'm only up to the 21st of December. Finishing this book will be an act of will.
February 21, 2013
I'll add a half star to this book simply because I did finish it. The premise is interesting: a study of that month taken from newspaper items, magazine articles, Congressional records, Hollywood activities, and even ads placed in the media. A look at the daily culture of that pivotal month is not only interesting, but important. However, The author deviates from the daily journal concept and roves forward and backward with "back story" information and then discussion of what will happen in the future. This can become distracting, especially when he returns to the date in question.
I am not an expert by any means, but I felt his history was arguable at times, if not in error. Although it is well documented, Shirley editorializes often and sometimes adds humor that seemed inappropriate. It was as if his concept swung from one of historical writing to a gossipy, entertainment. It became difficult to take this book seriously.
I am not an expert by any means, but I felt his history was arguable at times, if not in error. Although it is well documented, Shirley editorializes often and sometimes adds humor that seemed inappropriate. It was as if his concept swung from one of historical writing to a gossipy, entertainment. It became difficult to take this book seriously.
April 20, 2012
I could not get by the 1st week. I would rather go back and read the daily papers from that month. I did not feel the book was written well enough to hold your interest. I was excited by the concept but the implementation wasn't cohesive enough to hold my interest.
July 14, 2022
Remarkable book--a chapter per day on December, 1941. Focuses on the U.S, what people at home were thinking, doing, watching at the movies, listening to on the radio, spending their money on, gossiping about--a portrait of the nation as it woke up and found war as an unwelcome guest.
It's more that that; it does cover the basics of the history, day by day. But this contextualizes the events and reactions to them in a way I've never encountered before--each chapter a slice of ordinary lives and what was going on as people came to grips with the reality that would shape their next 4 and a half years...and the act as 'the hinge of history"---which is the subtitle of the follow-on book I am reading now, April 1945.
It's more that that; it does cover the basics of the history, day by day. But this contextualizes the events and reactions to them in a way I've never encountered before--each chapter a slice of ordinary lives and what was going on as people came to grips with the reality that would shape their next 4 and a half years...and the act as 'the hinge of history"---which is the subtitle of the follow-on book I am reading now, April 1945.
September 11, 2014
This book comes at the historical events with an almost real-time approach. The author relied heavily upon newspaper accounts as he walks day-by-day through the entire month of December 1941. The effect gives you the feel of watching the events as they unfold, rather than a hindsight-driven analysis. For the most part, that works. The book meanders somewhat between the serious news and the cultural references, advertisements, etc. that also graced the newspapers, presumably to give the events some context. I enjoyed the book, but did have two complaints. First, the author is best known for his biography of Ronald Reagan, so his politics are no secret. Every once in a while, he can't resist taking an editorial potshot at some of the New Dealers, which I thought was wholly unnecessary to the project. Second, I cannot remember reading a book with so many typographical errors. I'm not usually the guy who looks all that seriously at a book's editing, but after a while, it started to become a distraction. At one point there were even blanks left in a paragraph that the author obviously intended to go back and fill in before final release. Those faults aside, I think the book did a fairly good job of painting the picture of what the United States was like in the days immediately before and after Pearl Harbor. For those interested in WWII, that's a worthwhile read.
June 13, 2012
Stay away!
Mr. Shirley writes a bit like a sports columnist - multiple unrelating thoughts jumbled together with only the flimsiest form.
December 1941 is a day by day of the fateful first month of the United State's entry to WWII.
Shirley injects the prices of common grocery and other necessary items families use. While it's interesting to know how much a jar of mayonnaise was in the 2nd week of December 1941, I didn't think it added too much to the book.
Turns out the filler was there to keep the book from becoming a pamphlet, since Mr. Shirley and his son merely gleaned snippets out of newspapers to create this book. In those rare sections of the book that appeared to be original, the sentence construction was confusing and gave me the most entertainment as I tried to figure out what they were trying to say.
Mr. Shirley is a pal of Right-Wing Hate Radio personalities (He thanks them in the Acknowledgments) and I do give him credit for not parroting the overarching attitude of hatred towards Japanese-Americans in the UNited States during WWII. He almost completely succeeds in avoiding using the word "Democratic", as in "Democratic Party" by using the structure "Joe Blow, Democrat from Ohio".
All in all, a completely wasted $25.00 for this book.
January 19, 2016
A detailed picture of America during the fateful last month of 1941
The book is a kind of diary of the events of December, 1941 as footnoted by many references to newspapers, books, magazines, government memos, and other records. The author's account unfolds in 31 chapters, each describing what was happening on that day. One epilogue sums up the transition between a country totally against involvement in the foreign wars then raging, and the same country totally committed to defeating the Axis powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy. The epilogue then shows how those events led to the world of today.
I learned more about the whole picture of the history of the war's beginning than I ever remembered from my high school and college history courses. It made me appreciate even more what an extraordinary and remarkable country we live in, especially the courage and resolve of the leaders and ordinary people of the "greatest generation".
The book is a kind of diary of the events of December, 1941 as footnoted by many references to newspapers, books, magazines, government memos, and other records. The author's account unfolds in 31 chapters, each describing what was happening on that day. One epilogue sums up the transition between a country totally against involvement in the foreign wars then raging, and the same country totally committed to defeating the Axis powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy. The epilogue then shows how those events led to the world of today.
I learned more about the whole picture of the history of the war's beginning than I ever remembered from my high school and college history courses. It made me appreciate even more what an extraordinary and remarkable country we live in, especially the courage and resolve of the leaders and ordinary people of the "greatest generation".
July 24, 2017
I tried. I really tried. But this is simply a terribly written book. The idea seemed solid: a day-by-day look at December, 1941, using primary source materials--newspaper articles, radio programs, etc.--to provide the reader an in-the-moment picture of life in the U.S. during the month that WWII came to the country. I never made it passed December 3. I could have dealt with Shirley's heavy-handed conservative viewpoint and his whacking of anything related to the New Deal. But the writing is just sophomoric. Paragraphs that wander all over a subject with no sense of cohesion, and purely nonsensical segues from one idea to the next. And that's the biggest tragedy: Shirley isn't telling a cohesive story. He seems simply to be throwing facts against the wall to see what sticks. Avoid this book!
September 3, 2013
Interesting Perspective of a Terrible Month …
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.
While it appears the market is saturated with books detailing every facet of World War II, DECEMBER 1941 proves that there is still plenty of room for new books on the subject matter. Presented as a day-by-day narrative from December 1, 1941 to December 31, 1941, Craig Shirley provides a fascinating picture of what life was like for the average American before, during and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
DECEMBER 1941 provides a colorful overview of the United States at a pivotal moment in world history. Roughly twenty-five years from its entry in the “War to End All Wars”, millions of Americans sat idly as countries in Europe and South East Asia were simultaneously being savaged by Germany and Japan ... there was little or no fear of the US being dragged into the conflict involuntarily. The days prior to the eventual attack on Pearl Harbor were spent by many focusing on the upcoming Christmas season or professional football games. In the background, we see the diplomatic strains between Japan and the US escalating, but even up to the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was still hope for a diplomatic solution to the “crisis”. Of course, everything changed once Pearl Harbor was attacked, but I found it particularly interesting in how things changed. While history often presents an overly tidy view of events past for brevity, DECEMBER 1941 sheds details of the massive short-shrift transformation of the United States from a relatively weak isolationist nation to burgeoning superpower. Chock full of political and social Americana, Shirley’s book gives the reader insight as to what the ordinary American citizen experienced before, during and after the country was dragged into a war it tried so hard to avoid.
Craig Shirley deftly and chronologically organizes the book so each day in December is given its own succinct chapter of about fifteen pages that detail a full day of events. I found this method to be helpful in illustrating the progression of events and generate an easier reading flow. Each chapter is essentially a multitude of various sources tied together by the author. Most of the 2,000 sources footnoted are derived from media sources at that particular day in time, giving readers an idea of the daily news most Americans digested with their coffee each morning. Each chapter/day is prefaced with three headlines that appeared in papers from around the country, also shedding light on the pervasive misinformation many Americans succumbed to each morning as well. While a good portion of the chapters are logically dedicated to the internal and global political drama that accompanies any war scenario, it reveals that politics 70+ years ago is merely relative to the political scene today. Yep, the same Hatfield/McCoy relationship between Republicans and Democrats that we know all too well these days was just as nasty back then … even down to the alleged media bias. Amid the obvious dominance of politics, Shirley doesn’t forget the “little stuff” either and by including the various Hollywood gossip of the time (including the “much troubled” young life of Gloria Vanderbilt), as well as sports news and other trivia, readers should get a glimpse of what life was like in households across the country back then. I especially appreciated the revelation of how seriously deadly military life was, not just abroad, but on the home-front due to all the new weapons and war craft that required testing … unfortunately, an ignored aspect of America’s war effort.
What DECEMBER 1941 clearly illustrates, however, is the amazing manner in which the United States galvanized so quickly after Pearl Harbor was attacked and set itself on a path of historical industrialization that seemed unimaginable at the time. Compounding the unbelievable scenario is the fact that the world was on the brink of losing its war against Japan and Germany. While only the month of December is chronicled, it is clear (as evidenced by Winston Churchill’s visit to FDR near the month’s end), that amid those dark days, America’s presence in the fight against oppression was the light the world desperately needed. For better or for worse, the US government granted itself seemingly limitless power over its citizens to achieve the goals it perceived as necessary to win the war and hindsight seems to prove it was the right thing at the right time. Shirley reveals the nuts and bolts that put the United States on its war-footing and simultaneously spurred the generation that fought and won the war. An enjoyable read that chronicles a fascinating moment in modern American history.
After seeing the bashing this book has received by a good portion of other reviewers in terms of editing, bias and historical accuracy, I am compelled to defend the author’s work to a degree. First, I never interpreted the book to serve as the definitive historical text on anything and everything that occurred in the month of December 1941, but an overview (well-sourced, I might add) that presents a snapshot of life in America at this critical time. A huge majority of the research presented are quotes from newspapers and magazines that actually covered events … at that time (a time that was, as the book repeatedly illustrates throughout, rife with misinformation coming from all directions). To put it simply, most all of the information provided was what Americans were reading at the time. Second, the author succeeded in giving this reader an idea of what it would have been like to live through those days and how life drastically (and permanently) changed for that generation in such a short period of time. I’ll accept the punctuation and grammatical errors to the point in which it didn’t ruin the essence or flow of the book for me. So, as far as the “factual errors”, I say take it up with the then-publishers of the periodicals providing so much of the book’s material … if they’re still alive. Lastly, regarding the argument that the book as being biased against FDR/Democrats: if anything, read page 542, where the author (in his own words) laments that FDR never lived to see the end of a war that, he more than anyone else in the world, was responsible for winning. Considering the magnitude of World War II in the history of mankind, you can’t get a more glowing reference than that.
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.
While it appears the market is saturated with books detailing every facet of World War II, DECEMBER 1941 proves that there is still plenty of room for new books on the subject matter. Presented as a day-by-day narrative from December 1, 1941 to December 31, 1941, Craig Shirley provides a fascinating picture of what life was like for the average American before, during and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
DECEMBER 1941 provides a colorful overview of the United States at a pivotal moment in world history. Roughly twenty-five years from its entry in the “War to End All Wars”, millions of Americans sat idly as countries in Europe and South East Asia were simultaneously being savaged by Germany and Japan ... there was little or no fear of the US being dragged into the conflict involuntarily. The days prior to the eventual attack on Pearl Harbor were spent by many focusing on the upcoming Christmas season or professional football games. In the background, we see the diplomatic strains between Japan and the US escalating, but even up to the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was still hope for a diplomatic solution to the “crisis”. Of course, everything changed once Pearl Harbor was attacked, but I found it particularly interesting in how things changed. While history often presents an overly tidy view of events past for brevity, DECEMBER 1941 sheds details of the massive short-shrift transformation of the United States from a relatively weak isolationist nation to burgeoning superpower. Chock full of political and social Americana, Shirley’s book gives the reader insight as to what the ordinary American citizen experienced before, during and after the country was dragged into a war it tried so hard to avoid.
Craig Shirley deftly and chronologically organizes the book so each day in December is given its own succinct chapter of about fifteen pages that detail a full day of events. I found this method to be helpful in illustrating the progression of events and generate an easier reading flow. Each chapter is essentially a multitude of various sources tied together by the author. Most of the 2,000 sources footnoted are derived from media sources at that particular day in time, giving readers an idea of the daily news most Americans digested with their coffee each morning. Each chapter/day is prefaced with three headlines that appeared in papers from around the country, also shedding light on the pervasive misinformation many Americans succumbed to each morning as well. While a good portion of the chapters are logically dedicated to the internal and global political drama that accompanies any war scenario, it reveals that politics 70+ years ago is merely relative to the political scene today. Yep, the same Hatfield/McCoy relationship between Republicans and Democrats that we know all too well these days was just as nasty back then … even down to the alleged media bias. Amid the obvious dominance of politics, Shirley doesn’t forget the “little stuff” either and by including the various Hollywood gossip of the time (including the “much troubled” young life of Gloria Vanderbilt), as well as sports news and other trivia, readers should get a glimpse of what life was like in households across the country back then. I especially appreciated the revelation of how seriously deadly military life was, not just abroad, but on the home-front due to all the new weapons and war craft that required testing … unfortunately, an ignored aspect of America’s war effort.
What DECEMBER 1941 clearly illustrates, however, is the amazing manner in which the United States galvanized so quickly after Pearl Harbor was attacked and set itself on a path of historical industrialization that seemed unimaginable at the time. Compounding the unbelievable scenario is the fact that the world was on the brink of losing its war against Japan and Germany. While only the month of December is chronicled, it is clear (as evidenced by Winston Churchill’s visit to FDR near the month’s end), that amid those dark days, America’s presence in the fight against oppression was the light the world desperately needed. For better or for worse, the US government granted itself seemingly limitless power over its citizens to achieve the goals it perceived as necessary to win the war and hindsight seems to prove it was the right thing at the right time. Shirley reveals the nuts and bolts that put the United States on its war-footing and simultaneously spurred the generation that fought and won the war. An enjoyable read that chronicles a fascinating moment in modern American history.
After seeing the bashing this book has received by a good portion of other reviewers in terms of editing, bias and historical accuracy, I am compelled to defend the author’s work to a degree. First, I never interpreted the book to serve as the definitive historical text on anything and everything that occurred in the month of December 1941, but an overview (well-sourced, I might add) that presents a snapshot of life in America at this critical time. A huge majority of the research presented are quotes from newspapers and magazines that actually covered events … at that time (a time that was, as the book repeatedly illustrates throughout, rife with misinformation coming from all directions). To put it simply, most all of the information provided was what Americans were reading at the time. Second, the author succeeded in giving this reader an idea of what it would have been like to live through those days and how life drastically (and permanently) changed for that generation in such a short period of time. I’ll accept the punctuation and grammatical errors to the point in which it didn’t ruin the essence or flow of the book for me. So, as far as the “factual errors”, I say take it up with the then-publishers of the periodicals providing so much of the book’s material … if they’re still alive. Lastly, regarding the argument that the book as being biased against FDR/Democrats: if anything, read page 542, where the author (in his own words) laments that FDR never lived to see the end of a war that, he more than anyone else in the world, was responsible for winning. Considering the magnitude of World War II in the history of mankind, you can’t get a more glowing reference than that.
March 31, 2014
I really wanted to like this book. One of the things that I love about reproductions of old newspapers is not the usually-blaring headline, but the stories under the fold, and from the back pages, and the advertisements—all the things that give you a fuller picture of what life was like in that day and age.
While Craig and Andrew Shirley focus on stories related to the beginning of World War II for the United States, it being the point of the book of course, they do, and with some success, carry the narrative to the homes and streets and storefronts of the American people, and shed a light on what life was like during that terrifying month, in a way that can only be done by deep-diving into the newspapers, radio broadcasts, congressional testimony, speeches, and letters of the time.
This book could have, and should have been better. I won’t go so far as to not recommend it--in fact overall I found it fascinating--but I will say read with caution. The book suffers from four recurring flaws:
First, there is a general sloppiness to the proofreading, albeit not necessarily much better or worse than you find in this modern era that has thrown over actual proofreaders in favor of the language-checking software on word-processing programs. A counter-argument to what could be characterized as my “nit-picky” criticism of grammar and spelling might be, “Well, it’s a very long book.” That’s true. On the other hand, there is the aphorism that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Yes, it’s a long book, but it’s also the publisher’s job to make sure nothing with its stamp on it goes out with errors like the one found in a quotation on p. 377: “there ‘was reason to believe that a large contingent of Storm Troopers has 1been organized and that secret drilling is now in progress.’” If the error was in the original, which I doubt given what the error is, then at least a “[sic]” should be present. If there were only one or two of these kinds of errors, that would be excusable, but the fact that there are several suggest a lack of due care on the part of the proofreaders (if any) at least.
Second, there are minor factual errors that could cause the reader to question the accuracy of other minor facts—and therefore to question the overall picture of life in 1941 that the authors endeavor to paint. I only noticed a few of these, but it caused me to wonder how many others there might be, given that there are very many more facts presented than what I had known beforehand. One example, on p. 354, is a reference to Formosa (Taiwan) being “[j]ust north of Sarawak”. That would be like saying Detroit is “just north” of Houston.
Third, there are also major factual errors that could cause the reader to question the reliability of the entire work. On p. 351, the authors describe how President Roosevelt, in 1932, ordered General Douglas MacArthur to clear out the Bonus Army from Washington, D.C. I would like to believe that any high school graduate in this country would immediately see the glaring error in that statement: FDR was elected in 1932 and did not take office until March 4, 1933. In point of fact, it was President Hoover who had ordered General MacArthur to clear the Bonus Army out of the Anacostia Flats. The authors also refer to MacArthur as a “personal favorite” of FDR’s. I confess I don’t know how true that is, but I do know that years earlier, FDR referred to MacArthur as one of the two most dangerous men in America, the other being Huey Long. I suppose that doesn’t preclude the possibility of MacArthur later becoming a “favorite” of FDR’s, but I would tend to doubt it.
Fourth, here and there are unsourced generalizations that could cause the reader to speculate that the authors have an agenda. One of them, for example, on p. 382, is the assertion that “Everybody wished everybody else ‘Merry Christmas!’ and no one was offended.” Some generalizations obviously don’t need sources. However, this is not one of them. The authors, for instance, may be able to factually report that back then no one filed a case challenging the constitutionality of crèches, or that no one registered a complaint, and provide appropriate accompanying sources; but, to say “no one was offended” links this sentence to the modern-day debate that rages about the Christmas holidays, and whether or not the sensitivity of businesses to other religions, the attempts at political correctness of some media outlets, and the regular challenging of the constitutionality of Christmas decorations by the ACLU, among others, constitutes a “War on Christmas.” The authors would have done better to turn that sentence into one that could have been sourced, and then source it.
Of lesser note are the occasional ironic or flippant editorial comments from the authors. If they were more careful in their fact-checking and meticulous in their craft, these might be passable, if still annoying. As it stands, however, their frequent errors really don’t entitle them to this kind of snark. “[Sic],” indeed.
While Craig and Andrew Shirley focus on stories related to the beginning of World War II for the United States, it being the point of the book of course, they do, and with some success, carry the narrative to the homes and streets and storefronts of the American people, and shed a light on what life was like during that terrifying month, in a way that can only be done by deep-diving into the newspapers, radio broadcasts, congressional testimony, speeches, and letters of the time.
This book could have, and should have been better. I won’t go so far as to not recommend it--in fact overall I found it fascinating--but I will say read with caution. The book suffers from four recurring flaws:
First, there is a general sloppiness to the proofreading, albeit not necessarily much better or worse than you find in this modern era that has thrown over actual proofreaders in favor of the language-checking software on word-processing programs. A counter-argument to what could be characterized as my “nit-picky” criticism of grammar and spelling might be, “Well, it’s a very long book.” That’s true. On the other hand, there is the aphorism that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Yes, it’s a long book, but it’s also the publisher’s job to make sure nothing with its stamp on it goes out with errors like the one found in a quotation on p. 377: “there ‘was reason to believe that a large contingent of Storm Troopers has 1been organized and that secret drilling is now in progress.’” If the error was in the original, which I doubt given what the error is, then at least a “[sic]” should be present. If there were only one or two of these kinds of errors, that would be excusable, but the fact that there are several suggest a lack of due care on the part of the proofreaders (if any) at least.
Second, there are minor factual errors that could cause the reader to question the accuracy of other minor facts—and therefore to question the overall picture of life in 1941 that the authors endeavor to paint. I only noticed a few of these, but it caused me to wonder how many others there might be, given that there are very many more facts presented than what I had known beforehand. One example, on p. 354, is a reference to Formosa (Taiwan) being “[j]ust north of Sarawak”. That would be like saying Detroit is “just north” of Houston.
Third, there are also major factual errors that could cause the reader to question the reliability of the entire work. On p. 351, the authors describe how President Roosevelt, in 1932, ordered General Douglas MacArthur to clear out the Bonus Army from Washington, D.C. I would like to believe that any high school graduate in this country would immediately see the glaring error in that statement: FDR was elected in 1932 and did not take office until March 4, 1933. In point of fact, it was President Hoover who had ordered General MacArthur to clear the Bonus Army out of the Anacostia Flats. The authors also refer to MacArthur as a “personal favorite” of FDR’s. I confess I don’t know how true that is, but I do know that years earlier, FDR referred to MacArthur as one of the two most dangerous men in America, the other being Huey Long. I suppose that doesn’t preclude the possibility of MacArthur later becoming a “favorite” of FDR’s, but I would tend to doubt it.
Fourth, here and there are unsourced generalizations that could cause the reader to speculate that the authors have an agenda. One of them, for example, on p. 382, is the assertion that “Everybody wished everybody else ‘Merry Christmas!’ and no one was offended.” Some generalizations obviously don’t need sources. However, this is not one of them. The authors, for instance, may be able to factually report that back then no one filed a case challenging the constitutionality of crèches, or that no one registered a complaint, and provide appropriate accompanying sources; but, to say “no one was offended” links this sentence to the modern-day debate that rages about the Christmas holidays, and whether or not the sensitivity of businesses to other religions, the attempts at political correctness of some media outlets, and the regular challenging of the constitutionality of Christmas decorations by the ACLU, among others, constitutes a “War on Christmas.” The authors would have done better to turn that sentence into one that could have been sourced, and then source it.
Of lesser note are the occasional ironic or flippant editorial comments from the authors. If they were more careful in their fact-checking and meticulous in their craft, these might be passable, if still annoying. As it stands, however, their frequent errors really don’t entitle them to this kind of snark. “[Sic],” indeed.
December 8, 2011
Asia and Europe were engaged in war. Japan had invaded china and was amassing a large army in Indochina, and Hitler held Europe and England in the throes of his climb to control the World. America was gradually climbing out of the Great Depression and there was a general up beat mood throughout the country.
The wars in which Asia and Europe were engaged had not escaped the attention of the American on the streets of large cities or of the mid-American farmer and average Joe. There were basically two sides to the coin in America. The America First anti-war organization believed that America should not become involved in Europe or Asia. President Franklin D. Roosevelt believed in internationalism and was inclined to commit American youth to the battlefields of other countries.
December 1941 covers 31 days of news articles, confidential reports, and other sources that tell the story of America's involvement in World War II. "Never before or since has America been so unified." (Preface ix, December 1941) The book has extensive end notes.
The build up of a large Japanese military in Indonesia along with the rumor of Japan's amassing a large naval fleet in the Pacific caused intense tensions among American strategists, however talks with the Japanese envoys continued with smiles but neither side conceding.
December 7th brought the dawn of a new era to America and to the World. After the bombing of the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, there were virtually no more isolationists or America Firsters. America was rallied and America was at war.
President Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress on December 8 saying, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date that will live in infamy - the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” (pg. 167, December 1941)
"........ I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire." (pg. 168, December 1941)
Americans rallied in uniform strength to build the military. Americans' individual strength of purpose, industrial strength, and community determination eventually turned the tide in the Pacific and in Europe. The cost was great both in lives and finances.
Craig Shirley documents the immediate (31 days) of national anger and arousal at an enemy that dared to invade and devastate the American people's military might. He also shows the speed of response of a nation to rally to arms.
The gearing up of manufacturing to support the war effort and to replace destroyed planes and ships from Pearl Harbor. The required and accepted sacrifice of day-to-day "necessities" on the part of the American peoples to support the troops and the cause. All tell the story of a nation doing it's part in the fight for freedom.
Mr. Shirley uses research gleaned from major and small town newspapers from around the United States and from other sources of record. It tends to be difficult to follow if one is trying to research a particular subject. There is much, if not too much, information and it seems somewhat muddled to me. But then, that was a confusing time to the American public because there was so much going on and the involvement of the people was so widespread and intense. He captures the essence of the flow of life, the political scene, and the international tensions affecting life in America at the time.
This book will have limited market appeal in that it most likely will be a desired read or study tool for those heavily interested in history of the World War II period. The pictures included with the book are not the best of the period, but they are representative. I would have encouraged him to use more pictures to make the book more appealing but still avoid the look and feel of a period picture book. This is not a "coffee table" book. It is a lengthy and involved book.
Finally, I like that Craig Shirley ends December 1941 with President Roosevelt's calling for the peoples of America to pray (pg. 534, 535) - "...all churches throughout America would be open from early the morning of January 1, 1942, until well into the evening for prayer, communion, and supplication."
President Roosevelt's statement concluded with,
"In making this first day of the year 1942 a day of prayer, we ask for forgiveness for our shortcomings of the past, consecration to the tasks of the present, and God's help in days to come.
We need his guidance that this people may be humble in spirit but strong in the conviction of the right; steadfast to endure sacrifices and brave to achieve a victory of liberty and peace."
I received this book free from BookSneeze for the purpose of review. I was not required to give a positive review. Publisher: Thomas Nelson ISBN: 1595554572 ISBN-13: 9781595554574
The wars in which Asia and Europe were engaged had not escaped the attention of the American on the streets of large cities or of the mid-American farmer and average Joe. There were basically two sides to the coin in America. The America First anti-war organization believed that America should not become involved in Europe or Asia. President Franklin D. Roosevelt believed in internationalism and was inclined to commit American youth to the battlefields of other countries.
December 1941 covers 31 days of news articles, confidential reports, and other sources that tell the story of America's involvement in World War II. "Never before or since has America been so unified." (Preface ix, December 1941) The book has extensive end notes.
The build up of a large Japanese military in Indonesia along with the rumor of Japan's amassing a large naval fleet in the Pacific caused intense tensions among American strategists, however talks with the Japanese envoys continued with smiles but neither side conceding.
December 7th brought the dawn of a new era to America and to the World. After the bombing of the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, there were virtually no more isolationists or America Firsters. America was rallied and America was at war.
President Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress on December 8 saying, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date that will live in infamy - the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” (pg. 167, December 1941)
"........ I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire." (pg. 168, December 1941)
Americans rallied in uniform strength to build the military. Americans' individual strength of purpose, industrial strength, and community determination eventually turned the tide in the Pacific and in Europe. The cost was great both in lives and finances.
Craig Shirley documents the immediate (31 days) of national anger and arousal at an enemy that dared to invade and devastate the American people's military might. He also shows the speed of response of a nation to rally to arms.
The gearing up of manufacturing to support the war effort and to replace destroyed planes and ships from Pearl Harbor. The required and accepted sacrifice of day-to-day "necessities" on the part of the American peoples to support the troops and the cause. All tell the story of a nation doing it's part in the fight for freedom.
Mr. Shirley uses research gleaned from major and small town newspapers from around the United States and from other sources of record. It tends to be difficult to follow if one is trying to research a particular subject. There is much, if not too much, information and it seems somewhat muddled to me. But then, that was a confusing time to the American public because there was so much going on and the involvement of the people was so widespread and intense. He captures the essence of the flow of life, the political scene, and the international tensions affecting life in America at the time.
This book will have limited market appeal in that it most likely will be a desired read or study tool for those heavily interested in history of the World War II period. The pictures included with the book are not the best of the period, but they are representative. I would have encouraged him to use more pictures to make the book more appealing but still avoid the look and feel of a period picture book. This is not a "coffee table" book. It is a lengthy and involved book.
Finally, I like that Craig Shirley ends December 1941 with President Roosevelt's calling for the peoples of America to pray (pg. 534, 535) - "...all churches throughout America would be open from early the morning of January 1, 1942, until well into the evening for prayer, communion, and supplication."
President Roosevelt's statement concluded with,
"In making this first day of the year 1942 a day of prayer, we ask for forgiveness for our shortcomings of the past, consecration to the tasks of the present, and God's help in days to come.
We need his guidance that this people may be humble in spirit but strong in the conviction of the right; steadfast to endure sacrifices and brave to achieve a victory of liberty and peace."
I received this book free from BookSneeze for the purpose of review. I was not required to give a positive review. Publisher: Thomas Nelson ISBN: 1595554572 ISBN-13: 9781595554574
March 11, 2012
Craig Shirley in his new book, “December 1941″ published by Thomas Nelson gives us insight into the 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World.
From the inside jacket sleeve: The month that changed America and the world.
In the days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, eyes in America were focused on the war in Europe or distracted by the elevated mood sweeping the country in the final days of the Great Depression. But when planes dropped out of a clear blue sky and bombed the American naval base and aerial targets in Hawaii, all of that changed. December 1941 takes readers into the moment-by-moment ordeal of a nation waking to war.
Best-selling author Craig Shirley celebrates the American spirit while reconstructing the events that called it to shine with rare and piercing light. By turns nostalgic and critical, he puts readers on the ground in the stir and the thick of the action. Relying on daily news reports from around the country and recently declassified government papers, Shirley sheds light on the crucial diplomatic exchanges leading up to the attack, the policies on internment of Japanese living in the U.S. after the assault, and the near-total overhaul of the U.S. economy for war.
Shirley paints a compelling portrait of pre-war American culture: the fashion, the celebrities, the pastimes. And his portrait of America at war is just as vivid: heroism, self-sacrifice, mass military enlistments, national unity and resolve, and the prodigious talents of Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley aimed at the Axis Powers, as well as the more troubling price-controls and rationing, federal economic takeover, and censorship.
Featuring colorful personalities such as Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, and General Douglas MacArthur, December 1941 highlights a period of profound change in American government, foreign and domestic policy, law, economics, and business, chronicling the developments day by day through that singular and momentous month.
December 1941 features surprising revelations, amusing anecdotes, and heart-wrenching stories, and also explores the unique religious and spiritual dimension of a culture under assault on the eve of Christmas. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the closest thing to war for the Americans was uncoordinated, mediocre war games in South Carolina. Less than thirty days later, by the end of December 1941, the nation was involved in a pitched battle for the preservation of its very way of life, a battle that would forever change the nation and the world.
31 days out of 365. One month out of twelve. Considering how minute it is in comparison with the rest of the year you would not think it possible that such a minority could have such an effect yet that is exactly the case here. I like history which is why I got this book and, actually, this book delivers in presenting what was going on in America and the world. Now, are there mistakes? Yes, I am sorry to say and they do detract from the presentation. I, personally, do not think they are a showstopper I am just pointing out that they are there. Reading the newspaper accounts and finding out what the political, national and economic climate was at that time was incredible. I recommend this book highly for everyone who enjoys a slice of history.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the inside jacket sleeve: The month that changed America and the world.
In the days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, eyes in America were focused on the war in Europe or distracted by the elevated mood sweeping the country in the final days of the Great Depression. But when planes dropped out of a clear blue sky and bombed the American naval base and aerial targets in Hawaii, all of that changed. December 1941 takes readers into the moment-by-moment ordeal of a nation waking to war.
Best-selling author Craig Shirley celebrates the American spirit while reconstructing the events that called it to shine with rare and piercing light. By turns nostalgic and critical, he puts readers on the ground in the stir and the thick of the action. Relying on daily news reports from around the country and recently declassified government papers, Shirley sheds light on the crucial diplomatic exchanges leading up to the attack, the policies on internment of Japanese living in the U.S. after the assault, and the near-total overhaul of the U.S. economy for war.
Shirley paints a compelling portrait of pre-war American culture: the fashion, the celebrities, the pastimes. And his portrait of America at war is just as vivid: heroism, self-sacrifice, mass military enlistments, national unity and resolve, and the prodigious talents of Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley aimed at the Axis Powers, as well as the more troubling price-controls and rationing, federal economic takeover, and censorship.
Featuring colorful personalities such as Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, and General Douglas MacArthur, December 1941 highlights a period of profound change in American government, foreign and domestic policy, law, economics, and business, chronicling the developments day by day through that singular and momentous month.
December 1941 features surprising revelations, amusing anecdotes, and heart-wrenching stories, and also explores the unique religious and spiritual dimension of a culture under assault on the eve of Christmas. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the closest thing to war for the Americans was uncoordinated, mediocre war games in South Carolina. Less than thirty days later, by the end of December 1941, the nation was involved in a pitched battle for the preservation of its very way of life, a battle that would forever change the nation and the world.
31 days out of 365. One month out of twelve. Considering how minute it is in comparison with the rest of the year you would not think it possible that such a minority could have such an effect yet that is exactly the case here. I like history which is why I got this book and, actually, this book delivers in presenting what was going on in America and the world. Now, are there mistakes? Yes, I am sorry to say and they do detract from the presentation. I, personally, do not think they are a showstopper I am just pointing out that they are there. Reading the newspaper accounts and finding out what the political, national and economic climate was at that time was incredible. I recommend this book highly for everyone who enjoys a slice of history.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 6, 2016
Your opinion of this book may depend a lot on your expectations. This is not a book of history, but a book of journalism: The author clearly assembled it by perusing the newspapers of December 1941, which has the merit that it helps us understand the thoughts and opinions of the people at that time, at least in so far as they were expressed by the media (which, after the USA entered the war, were increasingly censored). It has some merit to stick to that storytelling, without contaminating it too much with the benefit of hindsight, to re-create the period atmosphere.
The downside is that the author did not do the most elementary fact-checking, so he repeats stories and claims that have long since been dismissed as myths. For example, the Japanese battleship Haruna was not sunk in December 1941, whatever US newspapers might have claimed; she was over 2000 kilometer away from the location of her alleged destruction, and survived until 1945. Rather too often, modern political bias creeps in as an unsatisfactory substitute for critical thinking.
Probably the concept of the book is fundamentally flawed. "December 1941" appears to wish to create an exciting drama by telling the story of a rapid and radical conversion of the nation from a peacetime, isolationist mood, to being on full war footing, in a matter of days. Leading to sentences such as (p.346): "The thirty-one-day turnabout from peacetime manufacturing to an Arsenal of Democracy was no less than astonishing. American Exceptionalism was a wondrous thing." The technical term for such statements is, unfortunately, bullshit. With a World War already going on for slightly over two years, the USA was already well into the process of re-arming, for example by passing the Two-Ocean Navy Act (a dramatic expansion of the fleet) in the summer of 1940, while the war raged in France. The process of expanding arms manufacturing had started years earlier, not in the least because of huge French and British orders, which paid for new plant and tooling, and came with valuable feedback on combat experience and new technology, such as radar. The fundamental problem was that this process was slow, and therefore "the month that change America" really deserves to be "the years that changed America", plural.
The author also includes a passionate plea (p. 350-353) for the local commanders in Pearl Harbour, Admiral Kimmel and general Short, which he claims were scapegoated by the FDR administration while they had been kept in the dark about the looming threat. That is, to put it mildly, misguided. Both commanders had been clamouring for improvements in the air defence of Pearl Harbour, as the risk of a surprise attack was a trope of US intelligence assessments, and they had been awarded considerable reinforcements by an administration aware of the risk, including an array of light and heavy anti-aircraft guns, modern fighter aircraft, six radar stations, and a Battle-of-Britain style air control centre. When the attack came, the control centre was unused, the warning by the single manned radar station was ignored, and the fighter aircraft were lined up in neat rows for the enemy to shoot at. And all that despite having received "a war warning" from Washington. If anything, Kimmel and Short were extremely lucky to be let off so lightly.
The book also suffers from sloppy editing, with for example marring syntax errors being left in that really should have been caught during the review of the draft, and too frequent bursts of purple prose. They frequently ruin a writing style that is otherwise pleasant enough.
The downside is that the author did not do the most elementary fact-checking, so he repeats stories and claims that have long since been dismissed as myths. For example, the Japanese battleship Haruna was not sunk in December 1941, whatever US newspapers might have claimed; she was over 2000 kilometer away from the location of her alleged destruction, and survived until 1945. Rather too often, modern political bias creeps in as an unsatisfactory substitute for critical thinking.
Probably the concept of the book is fundamentally flawed. "December 1941" appears to wish to create an exciting drama by telling the story of a rapid and radical conversion of the nation from a peacetime, isolationist mood, to being on full war footing, in a matter of days. Leading to sentences such as (p.346): "The thirty-one-day turnabout from peacetime manufacturing to an Arsenal of Democracy was no less than astonishing. American Exceptionalism was a wondrous thing." The technical term for such statements is, unfortunately, bullshit. With a World War already going on for slightly over two years, the USA was already well into the process of re-arming, for example by passing the Two-Ocean Navy Act (a dramatic expansion of the fleet) in the summer of 1940, while the war raged in France. The process of expanding arms manufacturing had started years earlier, not in the least because of huge French and British orders, which paid for new plant and tooling, and came with valuable feedback on combat experience and new technology, such as radar. The fundamental problem was that this process was slow, and therefore "the month that change America" really deserves to be "the years that changed America", plural.
The author also includes a passionate plea (p. 350-353) for the local commanders in Pearl Harbour, Admiral Kimmel and general Short, which he claims were scapegoated by the FDR administration while they had been kept in the dark about the looming threat. That is, to put it mildly, misguided. Both commanders had been clamouring for improvements in the air defence of Pearl Harbour, as the risk of a surprise attack was a trope of US intelligence assessments, and they had been awarded considerable reinforcements by an administration aware of the risk, including an array of light and heavy anti-aircraft guns, modern fighter aircraft, six radar stations, and a Battle-of-Britain style air control centre. When the attack came, the control centre was unused, the warning by the single manned radar station was ignored, and the fighter aircraft were lined up in neat rows for the enemy to shoot at. And all that despite having received "a war warning" from Washington. If anything, Kimmel and Short were extremely lucky to be let off so lightly.
The book also suffers from sloppy editing, with for example marring syntax errors being left in that really should have been caught during the review of the draft, and too frequent bursts of purple prose. They frequently ruin a writing style that is otherwise pleasant enough.
August 21, 2015
The surprise attack by Japanese airplanes at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 profoundly changed America. At the beginning of December America was isolationist and moribund, just beginning to come out of the Great Depression due to the increased industrial activity for the Lend-Lease Program which sent war materiel to the Allies fighting Germany and Italy. Negotiations with Japan were going nowhere but no one expected war with them anytime soon, if at all.
But a rain of bombs on a quiet Sunday morning in far-off Hawaii changed all that. American was now at war and by the end of the month factories were converting to wartime production with round-the-clock shifts. Unions and politicians were pledging to set aside differences for the good of the nation and isolationism was already just a memory. Recruiting offices were besieged by enlistees despite the fact that American military forces were losing and retreating in places like the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and Singapore.
Ever wonder what it was like to live through pivotal moments in history like December 1941? Craig Shirley has written an interesting account of what Pearl Harbor meant for ordinary Americans and the newspaper stories they read each day. It's not another detailing of the actual fighting that took place but rather a viewpoint from those at home. It was a time when people still dressed up with a hat and tie to go out and went to the movies twice a week (this was before television). From the rumors and snippets of news that gradually trickled out of Hawaii, to the reports of sabotage around the nation (most of which were false), to the roundup of Japanese, German, and Italians living in the United States, Shirley paints a picture of what it was like to live through those extraordinary and frightening days. He even covers things like rubber rationing and how tires were different back then.
But while it's an interesting read, it's not a perfect book. Because of the day-by-day format it feels repetitious sometimes, especially since it's a fairly long book at nearly 550 pages, and there were a surprising number of typos and errors. There are several pages of pictures included, but three pages are devoted to war posters, two pages have a bunch of very small Pearl Harbor photos, and what's left seems only marginally related to the month of December (many are from much later in the war). Nonetheless, it's a very interesting portrait of what America was like for ordinary folks and what they heard and read in the news. Mr. Shirley writes in a very readable style; it's not stuffy or "scholarly," but will appeal to amateur historians as well as those newer to history. I found his conclusions as to how it *changed* the nation and its people, as well as the world, to be very insightful. (I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze blogger program.)
But a rain of bombs on a quiet Sunday morning in far-off Hawaii changed all that. American was now at war and by the end of the month factories were converting to wartime production with round-the-clock shifts. Unions and politicians were pledging to set aside differences for the good of the nation and isolationism was already just a memory. Recruiting offices were besieged by enlistees despite the fact that American military forces were losing and retreating in places like the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and Singapore.
Ever wonder what it was like to live through pivotal moments in history like December 1941? Craig Shirley has written an interesting account of what Pearl Harbor meant for ordinary Americans and the newspaper stories they read each day. It's not another detailing of the actual fighting that took place but rather a viewpoint from those at home. It was a time when people still dressed up with a hat and tie to go out and went to the movies twice a week (this was before television). From the rumors and snippets of news that gradually trickled out of Hawaii, to the reports of sabotage around the nation (most of which were false), to the roundup of Japanese, German, and Italians living in the United States, Shirley paints a picture of what it was like to live through those extraordinary and frightening days. He even covers things like rubber rationing and how tires were different back then.
But while it's an interesting read, it's not a perfect book. Because of the day-by-day format it feels repetitious sometimes, especially since it's a fairly long book at nearly 550 pages, and there were a surprising number of typos and errors. There are several pages of pictures included, but three pages are devoted to war posters, two pages have a bunch of very small Pearl Harbor photos, and what's left seems only marginally related to the month of December (many are from much later in the war). Nonetheless, it's a very interesting portrait of what America was like for ordinary folks and what they heard and read in the news. Mr. Shirley writes in a very readable style; it's not stuffy or "scholarly," but will appeal to amateur historians as well as those newer to history. I found his conclusions as to how it *changed* the nation and its people, as well as the world, to be very insightful. (I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze blogger program.)
September 4, 2018
This book earns a four on content and a two on editing and writing. Pulling mainly out of the contemporary newspapers, the reader gets a sense of what life was like both immediate pre-war and post-war. Virtually overnight the country changes its ideology from isolationism to internationalism. A lot of the description entails what DC was like in that period. With the 24-hour news cycle we are used to, it seems strange the American public learned few details about the attack on Pearl Harbor in terms of damage wrought especially on the fleet. Of course, this was for military reasons but still is hard to grasp in today's context. Also, the book goes into detail how grim the military situation and the candid assessment for the public that there would be a lot more bad days for the next year or so. The major deficiency was that the book was repetitive at times, activities for one date landed in a different chapter, and the generally plebian writing. The book was strictly descriptive with little if any analysis.
October 2, 2017
Autore americano, non storico ma consulente politico si cimenta, per distrarsi dalle sue mionumentali biografie di Reagan (ben meglio scritte) sul medse che defini per 70 e piu anni la politia americana mondiale. Tema interessante sullo sfondo del grande spartiacque di Pearl Harbour risolto, però, senza uno stile particolare e senza una approfondita analisi dei protagonisti. Chiaramente la fonte sono i mille ritagli dei giornali dell'epoca, con tutte le imprecisioni dei giornali, che rendono la marea montante del mazionalismo americano. Pessimo editing con ripetizioni e marchianio errori di digitazione (Lindbergh non è quasi mai scritto correttamente... ) tanto per dire....
Currently reading
March 10, 2012This book takes the reader thru every day of December 1941. The state of America hangs in the balance as negotiations with the empire of Japan merely give the Japanese military time to get ready to attack. I like particularly the way the author covers ordinary Americans as they go about their daily lives, then in one swift terrible moment are sucked into a war that will cost many millions of lives world wide. I have not completed the book. I have it as my first book on my Barnes and Noble Nook Color. It is a good way to read.
May 9, 2012
Fascinating book covering every day of December 1941 before and when the US entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Full of details on the abrupt political climate change after Pearl Harbor and the government's rules and regulations enacted to gear up for a war that no one thought we were going to have to enter.
It would be equally fascinating to see a similar book with month-by-month entries for the war years with similar, but not quite so detailed, information about what the country was going through. I would buy it.
It would be equally fascinating to see a similar book with month-by-month entries for the war years with similar, but not quite so detailed, information about what the country was going through. I would buy it.
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January 31, 2013Too choppy and lacked narrative thread. It's obvious that a tremendous amount of research went into this book, but it needed editing. The lack of something to grab and hold on was finally too much - I couldn't finish the book.
This from the acknowledgements at the back: "During the final course of writing this book, my editor and friend at Thomas Nelson, Joel Miller, was in the middle of doing a wonderful thing. He and his wife Megan were in Uganda adopting two young boys. While there for several weeks, he edited December 1941."
Except he obviously did not.
This from the acknowledgements at the back: "During the final course of writing this book, my editor and friend at Thomas Nelson, Joel Miller, was in the middle of doing a wonderful thing. He and his wife Megan were in Uganda adopting two young boys. While there for several weeks, he edited December 1941."
Except he obviously did not.
June 8, 2014
Fantastic book! I can't imagine the research that went into writing it...every day of December, 1941, gets its own chapter with so much detail about the events of that day. What was the most popular song? How much did women's stockings cost? How did people celebrate Christmas Day? It's all there, along with the military and political events. A fascinating and very readable story of a month that changed our country - including the political changes that gave FDR almost unlimited power. I'd like to see the author do this for the rest of the war!
September 1, 2018
Decent Concept Very Poorly Executed
Poorly written, factually inaccurate in a number of instances, and badly edited with 50 or more typos, this was a disappointment. Ironically, it would seem to be a rather easy book to write given that the author needed only to go to contemporary sources to chronicle the perceptions each day of a momentous month in American history. There is no index and inadequate footnotes for some so-called "facts" presented, in contrast to better written and more authoritative books of this type.
Poorly written, factually inaccurate in a number of instances, and badly edited with 50 or more typos, this was a disappointment. Ironically, it would seem to be a rather easy book to write given that the author needed only to go to contemporary sources to chronicle the perceptions each day of a momentous month in American history. There is no index and inadequate footnotes for some so-called "facts" presented, in contrast to better written and more authoritative books of this type.
April 28, 2014
Fascinating book. A day by day detailing of the events of December 1942 including Pearl Harbor and the US being cornered and forced to join WWII based on a terrible act. Fantastic look at the excellence of Churchill, the steady leadership of Roosevelt, the depicting of a sleepy tropical naval outpost, the advanced and terrible treatment of US "enemies". Astounding. Filled with great facts. First delve into WWII history and I loved it.
January 13, 2013
This is an AMAZING book about the beginning of the United States involvement in WWII and the circumstances that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
This lengthy book reads like a suspense novel (even though we know the ending). I try to read all "new" books on WWII history because new information is constantly being released and researched.
You won't be disappointed when you read this book.
This lengthy book reads like a suspense novel (even though we know the ending). I try to read all "new" books on WWII history because new information is constantly being released and researched.
You won't be disappointed when you read this book.
June 27, 2016
This book is a result of someone who got December 1941 newspapers, clipped and organized pieces of news. Since I would have liked to live in that month, just for the sake of experiencing history, the book did the job for me. I enjoyed it a lot! However, you won't find any introduction, or analysis, or conclusions. It's not research on history. So, don't have that expectation because you'll be disappointed
November 30, 2016
Overall, the narrative was a bit disjointed making this a slower read. However, it was an interesting mix between media headlines, global geopolitics, White House / Roosevelt activity and intrigue, and human interest vignettes - this made it an interesting read. The author's politics really only came out intensely in the epilogue but did have some impact on the narrative. Overall, an interesting read.
May 21, 2013
Interesting plethora of details on American life in 1941, most of them gleaned from daily newspapers and other publications of the time. Unfortunately, I found the author's conservative biases thoroughly annoying and gave up the struggle to read on when barely into the second chapter. Life it too short!
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