Women at War In World War II

by Brenda Ralph Lewis

When the men went off to the front in World War II, a huge vacuum was left behind in the family, in the workplace, and in society at large. Women soon stepped into the breach in the factories, on the farms, in transport and public services, as well as in auxiliary military services, intelligence and espionage. Women endured the hardships of separation and rationing, as well as aerial bombardment, arrest, interrogation and perhaps imprisonment in a labour camp. Socially, women gained new skills and acquired a new sense of freedom, independence and equality, which they would take with them into the post-war world. From a German pin-up to American photographers, from Japanese women s police to all women British orchestras, from Soviet women typists in the field to German pilots, from prisoners of war to secret agents, Women at War in World War II is a testament to these courageous and capable women and their experience, in both Allied and Axis countries. Included are first-person accounts, from the London air-raid warden to nurses caught in the raids on Pearl Harbor to flight technicians in Toronto. Authoritatively written and including 300 colour and black-&-white photographs as well as evocative artworks from the period, Women at War in World War II is a poignant tribute to the courage and bravery of those who served, and explores how their experiences forever changed the lives of women who followed.

Genres: History, World War II

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2002

About the author

Brenda Ralph Lewis is a writer with over 200 books on history and numerous magazine articles and television documentaries to her name. Her fascination with Scottish history and culture began early in her career and she has since returned to the subject at every opportunity. She regards [her] book on tartans as a labor of love.

Reviews

[Allison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full to the brim with information that never seemed to make it into the history books in school. It is an overview of women's roles in the war effort, including first hand accounts and interviews as well as photos no every page. Focusing mainly of American women and out allies, it tells of the struggles these ladies faced on the front lines as well as at home. It dives into the duties of the Army and Navy nurses, race relations in the work force, female pilots, prisoners of war, spies (YES REAL WOMAN SPIES!) and so so so much more.

I have always loved WWII, I find it to be so interesting and I learned so many new facts while reading this book. My copy is full of annotations and page tabs because I became so invested in the information that was listed. Honestly if you want to read something empowering or you love history - pick this book up!

[Joe Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. This book stands out in that it is the first and only World War 2 history book that focuses entirely on how the events of the era impacted the lives of women. The author shows how necessity created opportunities for women in society beyond traditional roles and how this period of time has lead to the evolution of women and their role at least in western society in the past 8 decades. Having grown up in the post war era, much of the literature and most of the films featured the male experience of what has come to be known as "the greatest generation". I can think of several war movies I've seen over the years were no women were featured at all. This book is timely and covers many aspects of the female experience. The book is not solely focused on the US or allied point of view. Glad to see that the much of the Canadian and British perspective is well covered in the narrative.

[PoligirlReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing isn't top-notch, but it's a good overview of what life was like for women during WWII. I'm giving five stars just for the pictures. There are some great illustrations of propaganda advertising from the time, as well as pictures of women working and living life on the home front and abroad.

It's arranged thematically, with an overview based on the theme, followed by small biographies--sometimes celebrities, sometimes everyday folk--of women and how the war affected them.

What makes this book particularly useful is that there is coverage not only of American women, but also British, Polish, Russian--and in a real surprise--German and Japanese women. The multitude of experiences covered helps to humanize the war, and added breadth and depth that I did not expect from something published through Reader's Digest.

[K]

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