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Snafu Situation Normal All F***ed Up: Sailor, Airman, and Soldier Slang of World War II
A follow-up to 2007's highly successful "FUBAR: Soldier Slang of World War II," "SNAFU" covers the slang of sailors and airmen, as well as soldiers.
Military life has always been ruled by its own language, specific sets of terms and phrases that separate the serving man or woman from their civilian counterpart. There is the official version of ranks and acronyms, and the more unofficial, colloquial language of the barrack room and battlefield - both are covered in this humourous look at soldier slang.
World War II saw vast numbers of young men and women pass through the ranks of the various armies involved, and they inherited and developed a vocabulary in response to their unique situations - many of whose words and phrases have passed into the common vernacular and are still in use right up to the present day. "SNAFU" explores the language and slang of the major combatant powers, delving into their origins and explaining their uses, all illustrated with contemporary cartoons and other images showing the phrases in use. Detailed sections are included for each of the major combatants of World War II, and additional appendices detail the nicknames given to the major surface vessels and aircraft types of the war.
Military life has always been ruled by its own language, specific sets of terms and phrases that separate the serving man or woman from their civilian counterpart. There is the official version of ranks and acronyms, and the more unofficial, colloquial language of the barrack room and battlefield - both are covered in this humourous look at soldier slang.
World War II saw vast numbers of young men and women pass through the ranks of the various armies involved, and they inherited and developed a vocabulary in response to their unique situations - many of whose words and phrases have passed into the common vernacular and are still in use right up to the present day. "SNAFU" explores the language and slang of the major combatant powers, delving into their origins and explaining their uses, all illustrated with contemporary cartoons and other images showing the phrases in use. Detailed sections are included for each of the major combatants of World War II, and additional appendices detail the nicknames given to the major surface vessels and aircraft types of the war.
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First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
Gordon L. Rottman
208 books46 followersGordon L Rottman served for 26 years in the US Army in Special Forces, airborne infantry, long-range reconnaissance patrol, and military intelligence assignments in the Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. He has worked as a Special Operations Forces scenario writer for 14 years at the Army' s Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk , Louisiana where he developed training exercises for Special Forces.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey.He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.
Gordon began writing military history books in 1984 and is currently a full-time author. He has written 50 books for Osprey.He is married with four children and lives in Cypress, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 7, 2024
DNF - I thought I could read essentially a dictionary of several military jargon dictionaries, but I was wrong. I gave the book to my dad and maybe he’ll be curious about some of the terms he heard growing up.
October 22, 2013
4.5 Stars
A comprehensive collection of slang terms used during WWII. There's a section for different branches of the U.S. military (except the U.S. Army, which is featured in FUBAR), the British services, and even a German section. Very enjoyable and put together well. Recommended for history readers, especially ones interested in military history.
Net Galley Feedback
A comprehensive collection of slang terms used during WWII. There's a section for different branches of the U.S. military (except the U.S. Army, which is featured in FUBAR), the British services, and even a German section. Very enjoyable and put together well. Recommended for history readers, especially ones interested in military history.
Net Galley Feedback
December 1, 2013
A no-nonsense catalogue of slang of the US, British and German armed forces with polite but explicit explanations. An excellent respurce for writers.
July 23, 2016
A very good reference on an obscure topic. The cover design is a puzzler, but the information inside is solid.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews