The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won

by Stephen E. Ambrose

Stephen E. Ambrose, one of the finest historians of our time, has written an extraordinary chronicle of World War II for young readers.

From Japanese warplanes soaring over Pearl Harbor, dropping devastation from the sky, to the against-all-odds Allied victory at Midway, to the Battle of the Bulge during one of the coldest winters in Europe's modern history, to the tormenting decision to bomb Nagasaki and Hiroshima with atomic weapons, The Good Fight brings the most horrific—and most heroic—war in history to a new generation in a way that's never been done before.

In addition to Ambrose's accounts of major events during the war, personal anecdotes from the soldiers who were fighting on the battlefields, manning the planes, commanding the ships—stories of human triumph and tragedy—bring the war vividly to life.

Highlighting Ambrose's narrative are spectacular color and black-and-white photos, and key campaign and battlefield maps. Stephen E. Ambrose's singular ability to take complex and multifaceted information and get right to its essence makes The Good Fight the best book on World War II for kids.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, American History, Childrens, Historical

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

Stephen Edward Ambrose was an American historian and biographer of U.S. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon. He received his Ph.D. in 1960 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his final years he faced charges of plagiarism for his books, with subsequent concerns about his research emerging after his death.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

 
 
This book is intended for kids to teach them the basics of WWII in all of its theaters of engagement, though I learned some things from it myself... has maps of the various battles, landing stages and troop movement. Has a map as well of the concentration camps in Europe (the only one I could not find was Treblinka in Poland, but since the map was in German from 1945, it may have had another name in German, but the map cuts off part of Poland too....) Excellent photographs throughout.One thing I never knew was "Those (soldiers) who managed to live through the conflict in Europe and those still alive in the Pacific had been convinced that their next mission would be the invasion of Japan, where casualties numbering in the hundreds of thousands were expected. Men who later got an eighty to ninety-five percent disability from the government (for fighting in the other campaigns) had been listed as fit for combat in Japan." Incredible!I enjoyed this book, not only for just looking at all the period photos, but learning bits of trivia (like that above) that I had been unaware of. Quite educational!

[Maggie Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

also read for school. not bad but not incredibly engaging

[Kim Paral · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was wonderful for multiple reasons. For starters, I learned a lot and I consider myself pretty well versed in what happened during World War II. If I learned a lot, then I can only imagine what a powerful tool this could serve as for my 5th graders. The book is split up into different sections, (45ish) to be exact and each section touches on a specific topic. The reason I like this is because it breaks up the events of the war and explains different aspects in detail, which is important for young readers, and young students who are being introduced to this time period in our history. This would be helpful for teachers to be able to bop around to different sections, as opposed to having to read the entire book to get to the topic they want to discuss and work through. It also could serve as a good free reading book because students have the opportunity to flip to whatever event interests them at the time.

The best part about this book? PICTURES! I am a firm believer in pictures in the elementary grade levels because it not only will capture their attention, but could spark a much greater conversation that simple text would produce.

There is also a table of contents to help students navigate their way around the book, along with a glossary that could be beneficial for teachers to use for a vocabulary unit or to help students gain an understanding of certain terminology. Similar to student texts such as TIME kids, this book has "quick facts" sections that give students interesting, yet informative facts about the topic being discussed. I know my students are extremely fascinated with the random facts that TIME kids provides, so this would be a fabulous text to incorporate a similar format and still deliver high quality information.

[Alex Odom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great book to learn about information about the military side of the holocaust and World War II. It talked about how other nations such as Japan and Germany were planning attacks on the U.S . It even talked about certain weapons and aircrafts that were used during the war. Then gave backround information about the things that were happening in Germany with the Jews. Overall this book is great for knowledge on militant things about World War II and he holocaust

[Bethany Vincent]

I loved this book!! This is a great way to interest younger readers in WWII history, and is also great for adults as well. I love how the book has pictures on every page and gives quotes from people who actually fought in WWII. The Good Fight gives a great summary of what went on during WWII.

[PennsyLady (Bev) · Rating 5 out of 5]

by Stephen E. Ambrose

hardcover

... a fine historian assembles an extraordinary chronicle of WWII...noted for the young reader, I appreciate the no frills presentation of WWII history.....

5 ★

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

great overview of WWII

[Ally Copper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephen E. Ambrose's "The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won" gives older elementary school (4th and 5th grade) and middle school readers a fast-paced, sweeping overview of World War II. The text is broken down into 45 sections, each focusing on a single topic, such as the Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor, and V-E Day. This format allows readers to either begin at the front of the book and make their way through the war chronologically or to skip around to the topics that interest them most. The table of contents and index allow students doing research to locate the particular topics they need to review. A glossary of approximately 80 terms used throughout the book also is a handy tool for young readers. This informational text is overflowing with photos from the war. Readers can read the text and then have that information illuminated and clarified by viewing the photos provided. Each photo is captioned and photo credits are listed at the beginning of the book. Each page of text also features a box of "Quick Facts" related to the topic being discussed. Young readers who love trivia will delight in these tidbits of information. Lastly, the front and back end sheets of this text feature a user-friendly timeline of major war events. "The Good Fight" is written and formatted in such a way to hold the interest of elementary and middle school readers.

Personal note: I enjoyed reading this book, and I learned a lot that I had never known (or had possibly forgotten) about World War II. The book doesn't shy away from some of the tougher subjects related to this war, such as the Japanese-American internment camps and the creation of the atomic bomb. The book is definitely nationalistic, focusing mainly on the United States' contributions to the war effort, but doesn't ignore the other troops and countries altogether.

I just cannot complete this review without pointing to four sentences that troubled me in this text. In the section about V-J Day (page 86), Ambrose is talking about all of the men returning home after the war. He says:

These men, and the millions of others like them, got on with their lives. They went out and built modern America -- the interstate highways, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the suburbs, the modern corporation, tens of thousands of small businesses, the computer, the revolutions in communications, agriculture, education, medicine and more. They helped eliminate segregation, which brought African-Americans, Spanish-speaking Americans, Asian Americans, and women into the mainstream of American life. They changed this country and the world. (Italics mine.)

I completely understand the honor and respect we owe to World War II veterans. Their efforts and sacrifice vanquished an evil force that threatened the safety of millions. However, society has a dangerous tendency of deifying these returning soldiers ... and here is Ambrose giving them full credit for all modern advancements and technologies in this country and for the Civil and Women's Rights movements?! Isn't it possible that as many WWII veterans stood in the way of advancements in minority and women's rights as actually helped achieve them? (In fact, didn't many returning soldiers feel threatened when they returned to find newly independent women in the workplace?) I have no doubt that our country would have been a different place if these men had not returned (How thankful I am they did!), but I'm uncomfortable with Ambrose's sole focus on men as the true change-makers in our country and the world. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but why not point out that these men returned home, rejoined their families, and then all war survivors -- soldiers and the men and women who took care of business while the men were gone, all the while supporting the war effort in their own ways -- changed the world?

[Daniel K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Fight
Boom! A sound that resonates in the heads of thousands of aged protectors of our freedom. The book The Good Fight by Steven E. Ambrose brought me right into the fiasco that was World War Two. This book went into every significant battle and brought me right next to the young men serving our country. This book covers battles like: Normandy, Leyte Gulf, Guadalcanal and many other crucial battles that this book gave me every detail and fact of every important battle. This book was split up by battle, each battle or event that was covered had one page of text about the battle and one page of pictures. The pictures were absolutely amazing, and put a great summary on each and every battle. This book was also equipped with maps that clearly showed the tactical logistics of battles like the D-Day invasion. The book is very well organized and descriptive, but may be hard to understand for someone lacking prior WWII knowledge. Aside from the extensive amount of complex detail, this book was extremely well-written and interesting to read. The fact the the author had a small bias toward the U.S. victories was a positive edge to the book that made me that much more excited to keep turning the pages. The only real criticism I have is that for the amount of pictures in the book, I would have liked more detail about them in the captions. I would give this book 10 bullets out of ten for its extensive amount of expert reenactments and for its detail. I would recommend this book to anybody looking for a sophisticated yet short historical thriller.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you condense the events that led up to World War 2, the key battles & strategic decisions of the war, and the aftermath (up to & including the Marshall Plan) into a 90 page book replete with pictures & maps? Very, very carefully.

And I have to say, I admire the job that Stephen Ambrose did on this book. It’s clearly written, lavishly illustrated and easy to follow – not a simple task for a war that was fought on two major fronts as well as many other places. He doesn’t (for the most part) get into personalities… and while he is unabashedly pro-use of the atomic bombs on Japan (clearly stating the reasons that the decision was made), he doesn’t shy away from difficult pictures of the devastation of Hiroshima. In the same vein, he deals with the Japanese internment camps.

I also liked how he included articles on the Forgotten War (China-Burma-India) and the battles in the Aleutian, as well as other sections about the home front & the success of the Marshall Plan.

This is possibly the best short overview of the war I’ve seen – it would be helpful not only for middle school students (the intended audience) but also for adults who find themselves having a difficult time wrapping their head around the events of the war.

[Alex Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book chronicles the story of World War II and how it was won, mostly through describing various battles but also through describing efforts on the home fronts, as well as touching on other key subjects like the Holocaust. I think that overall Ambrose does a great job and I learned many things about WWII that I did not know previously. The writing style is simple enough for younger readers to comprehend, but his descriptions are still engaging enough for older readers. This book would be great for anyone interested in WWII, and though in many ways it tells a standard story, Ambrose is able to give the reader many details that will help them understand why it was a world war. He talks about parts of the war that you typically don't hear about, such as what happened in Africa and China. The book has great photography, though readers famililar with WWII will recognize many of the pictures. However, some of the pictures depict battles, and these are particularly good because they are easy to comprehend and help the reader understand what Ambrose is describing. Overall, this is a great read, and if you weren't already interested in learning more about WWII this book will probably spark your interest.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for school age kids

Published in 2001 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Stephen E. Ambrose is perhaps best known as the author of Band of Brothers , the book that inspired the HBO mini-series of the same name. His passion for World War II continues in this book aimed at upper elementary through high school students.


While there is nothing new in this book, it is a fantastic introduction to the war. All of the major theaters are covered and, perhaps best of all, there is a full page 10" x 10" picture from the war that show everything from the home front to kamikaze planes to Hitler in a elaborate Nazi rally to Holocaust victims and even more. Those pictures and the little ones scattered on the other pages make the book much more vivid. There are also plenty of pictures of the young men and women that were involved - pictures that make the war seem more real. Throw in Ambrose's mastery of the details and great writing and this is a must have book for any library or grades 5-12 history classroom.

http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/... (click to see a picture from the book).

[Aviann · Rating 3 out of 5]

NONFICTION

This nonfiction book follows what Stephen E. Ambrose considers to be the most important and instrumental moments of WWII. The events include everything from Pearl Harbor, to the Holocaust, to D-Day. Ambrose includes personal soldier's narratives as well as many pictures to mirror the stories. Although the book is very informative on specific topics, it is not a very engaging read. The book would appeal to young adults or middle grade readers due to the pictures and simpler language, however it would likely be treated as a reference book. I think few students would likely pick up the book to read of their own accord.

While I did enjoy learning more about WWII, I did find this book somewhat dry. In the future, I would likely find a different nonfiction narrative to read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and important piece of literature that aids young readers in understanding the different aspects and battles relating to WWII.

There are synopsis, a box of quick facts, pictures (with captions) and maps for battles such as Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, D-Day, Iwo Jima and more.

This above info. is also shown for topics such as "The Holocaust", "The War Over Europe", "The War Conferences", "The War Crimes Trials", "The Marshall Plan" and much more!

At the end is a glossary, bibliography & related web sites and an index.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading anything and everything that Stephen Ambrose wrote, and "The Good Fight" is no exception. This book is a concise yet thorough overview of the major events of World War II. I actually found it in the juvenile section, and planned on reading it to my kids, but I don't think they're old enough yet to learn about the Kamakazies and concentration camps. The full-age photos and maps are great for visualization. A quick, good read to help me appreciate the sacrifice of the many, many soldiers who fought to stop Hitler's evil empire.

[Avaladez1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a lot of info on ww2 as well as my last book. This book was about the way ww2 started and ended. It gives you a full walk through on the historical happenings of ww2. It even has a speech written by Adolf Hitler himself.
The reason I chose this book was to gather a little more knowledge on the events and operations of ww2. I didnt know a lot about ww2 so I thought this would be the perfect book for me. I also wanted to know why the Nazis did what they did.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good book on the overview of WWII. I am not sure I can give it 4 stars, but it is good. I found out after I got it from the library that it is more for the middle school, HS age people to read. I enjoyed the colorful pictures it had along with the info though. It is like a good coffee table book sort of... It is only 90 pages and half of them are pictures, so quick read.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Designed, perhaps, for younger readers (or those with very little knowledge/understanding of WWII), I found this book excellent. The timelines, photos, and general layout of the book worked together to create a narrative story that explained the background, themes, and outcomes of one of the most talked about war of our time.

[Kyle Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it has history in it. A fact about it,is that it was the most destructive war in the history of human kind.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to learn about history.It has alot of usfull facts about the subject.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It says it is for kids ages 7+ - but there is a lot more descriptions that I feel could be more appropriate for other kids. It was interesting to read that Germany surrendered first but Japan wouldn't surrender until the 2 bombs were dropped.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book while written for middle-school age children, provided some decent information and some truly exceptional graphics. The book is recommended to those who want a quick overview of key events of the Second World War as well as those searching for particularly well done charts and maps.

[Kara Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A narrative of WWII really broke this historical battle down for those of us whom are not history buffs! I appreciated the abundant amount of text features, and am confident that young readers would definitely walk away more informed!

[Curtiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief look at America's role in World War II, and the moral imperative of her cause.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book to garnish trivia questions to stump my history-channel-watching, World War II buff, husband. It was very fun and I learned something too.

[Wabernathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic overview of the American involvment in WWII.
The book features a basic coverage of WWII, and excellent photos and maps.

[Tracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great non-fiction book that is great for teaching. It explains different aspects of WWII with a lot of pictures and short, clear text.

[Renee]

If I had had this book as a kid, I would have gone nuts over it, and read it all the time. Alas, I didn't but I can want a couple of copies for my classroom! (And myself.)

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Condensed overview of WW II with great pics!

[Dawn Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding pictorial of WW II. My 8yo WWII buff loved this one.

[Jefferson Coombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a really short collection of information on World War II for young readers.