The Longest Year: America at War and at Home in 1944

by Victor Brooks (Editor)

A meticulous exploration of one of the most important years in American history.The D-Day invasion, launched on June 6, 1944, is widely referred to as the longest day of World War Two. Historian Victor Brooks argues that 1944 was, in effect, “the longest year” for Americans of that era, both in terms of casualties and in deciding the outcome of war itself.Brooks also argues that only the particular war events of 1944 could have produced the “reshuffling” of the cards of life that, in essence, changed the rules for most of the 140 million Americans in some fashion. Rather than focusing on military battles and strategy alone, the author chronicles the year as a microcosm of disparate military, political, and civilian events that came together to define a specific moment in time.As war was raging in Europe, Americans on the home front continued to cope (with some prospering). As US forces launched an offensive against the Japanese in the Mariana Islands and Palau, folks at home enjoyed morale-boosting movies and songs such as "To Have and Have Not" and “G.I. Jive.” And as American troops invaded the island of Leyte-launching the largest naval battle during the war-President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas E. Dewey were in the home stretch leading up to the election of 1944.It has been said that the arc of history is long. Throughout American history, however, some years have been truly momentous. The Longest Year makes the case that 1944 was one such year.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2015

Reviews

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ia book about World War II and the things happening in 1944. There's a good number of photos and a lot of detailed information yet it's still quite readable. It covers both the European and the Pacific theaters of war. A few things really stood out:

The Nazi attack on Poland and other places killed tens of thousands of civilians.

Some British people complained about U.S. soldiers in Britain referring to them as 'overpaid, oversexed and over here.'

There were a lot of cultural differences between the Americans temporarily stationed in Britain and British society in general.

The Race for Rome was basically a matter of generals exercising their egos.

Juvenile delinquency rose during this time.

The book also covers the 1944 election, the war Production board, rationing, the black market and the massive difference between how German soldiers behaved when they were about to lose a good portion of ground and how the Japanese soldiers behaved when they were about to lose. That itself shows the massive cultural difference between the Axis powers.

[Alan Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While eminently readable, The Longest Year: America at War and at Home in 1944 has some egregious mistakes. Example: "Meanwhile, British aircraft designers had produced a powerful new engine, the Merlin, which would not fit in their array of airframes." p.53
Over 30 types of warplane produced in Britain, including the central workhorses - the Hurricane, Spitfire, Lancaster, and Mosquito, were powered by one or more of the 112,000 Merlin engines built in the UK. Together with 55,000 Merlins license-built by Packard in the US, it was the second most-produced aero engine in World War 2, world-wide.

Another example: The naval Battle of the Phillipine Sea in June 1944 was one of the largest in history. The Japanese ships were always to the west of the US fleet. The chapter repeatedly reverses the locations.

[John D. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great WW2 writings

I purchased this book through my Amazon Prime account. Not knowing what to expect and having not read or heard of this author I was pleasantly surprised. I have read countless books on WW2 and this book rates at the top of them all. Having lived as a young child through the war I can relate to a lot of the contents of this book. If you are a reader of that great war read this book you will not be disappointed.

[James S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry overview world war 2 1944

Not much new hear. A few chapters describing large events in 1944. Not enough depth for well read military history readers. I was hoping for more information about how all these events knitted together in a strategic way, for America. I would have also liked to know if and how the economy was changing. We’re we starting to make fewer war goods, how did changes effect the workers, etc.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eminently readable and well thought out

There aren't many other works that focus on a single year of World War II and touch on the home front as well. I most appreciated the links to the same phase of the Civil War and how the parallels of Roosevelt/Lincoln and Grant/Eisenhower were revealed.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War II Story

A good look at a single year of the war. The author has done too job of research and conveys small events of the conflict well. It.is interesting and tells.a story.well

[Charles Ruffner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well rounded view of 1944

This is a excellent book that gives the reader the picture of the global war from the American viewpoint in 1944. The homefront perspective was greatly appreciated.

[Leanne Pazik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting history of 1944

This book was story, history book and exciting adventure. That our parents and grandparents, Lived through 1944 and my Uncle’s fought in 1944, was unbelievable. Great book!!!

[Jim Nally · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not quite like the title

Nothing new here, seems more of a money grab than an n depth analysis of 1944 one chapter late in the book dedicated to at home, I never got a true sense of why it was the longest year

[Phil Achten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what this book is trying to be

Pretty much lost the will to read further when the Marine casualties from Japanese munitions blowing up was described as a "tactic" and the somehow compared to Pickett's charge at Gettysburg.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-Opening

I was very interested to know what it felt to be alive during the war. This covered Europe, the Pacific, as well as home. By the end we were running out of both men and women.

[Samuel W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and informative.

Although I had already read a great deal about WWII, I unearthed dozens of new facts and insight while reading this very fine book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I've never read one quite like this. Mr Brooks makes interesting comparisons between the battles of the American Civil War and WW II.

[Mike Flake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief overview of the American war with perspectives from the European and Pacific theaters.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of one year in WWII. Nothing in depth, but covers all the major operations in the Pacific theater, European theater and at home.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Researched and a clear presentation. Mr. Brooks is a fine writer. While I read Civil War history, he did reference the Civil war too many times instead of just telling the current situation.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK but boring

Too many technical details, not much narrative. The longest year turned into the longest read. I had hoped for better.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brooks uses the word "Nipponese" far too frequently and often. He also completely ignores another salient point of the last day of the year, the German offensive in Alsace which began at midnight, while he only notices an American operation that began the same day, and prefers to focus on an irrelevant celebration in Rome. Operation Nordwind could have stopped the Americans even more significantly than the one in Ardennes, but the Bulge gets all the press. Only one star. There's better out there.

[Paul Downs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly enough book for such an ambitious subject. Trying to cram a summary of a whole year into 221 pages results in both enormous omissions and tortured prose. Might be of some use to young readers who have never encountered history before, but not enough meat on the bone for me.