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World War II: A History in Documents
World War II: A History in Documents illustrates the major themes and issues of the Second World War, including its causes, course, and consequences. Paying attention to both the European and Pacific Theaters--as well as to homefront and battle front issues--author James H. Madison blends
discussions of diplomacy and strategy with insights into the lives of ordinary people around the world, including factory workers, soldiers, mothers, propagandists, political leaders, and survivors.
Set in thoughtful contexts, these powerful and telling documents encourage students to compare different nations and cultures at war and to think critically about twentieth-century history. The documents include such diverse items as political cartoons, combat memoirs of American GIs, a call for
Canadian women war workers, popular American songs, an interview with a Tuskegee Airman, Eisenhower's D-Day message, a German police chief's description of Allied bombing, a British ambulance worker's account of the Blitz, Churchill's call for British sacrifice, Russian propaganda posters, the diary
of a German teenager, a memoir of Japanese-American internment, newspaperman Ernie Pyle's reports to the home front, the last letter from a Japanese kamikaze pilot, and testimonies of Holocaust survivors.
World War II: A History in Documents also includes a picture essay on propaganda posters and numerous photographs, graphics, and artifacts, such as maps, advertisements and even a Japanese lunchbox, which also serve as documents. Offering a global and multifaceted perspective on World War II, this
diverse collection of textual and visual documents is ideal for undergraduate courses in World War II and military history.
discussions of diplomacy and strategy with insights into the lives of ordinary people around the world, including factory workers, soldiers, mothers, propagandists, political leaders, and survivors.
Set in thoughtful contexts, these powerful and telling documents encourage students to compare different nations and cultures at war and to think critically about twentieth-century history. The documents include such diverse items as political cartoons, combat memoirs of American GIs, a call for
Canadian women war workers, popular American songs, an interview with a Tuskegee Airman, Eisenhower's D-Day message, a German police chief's description of Allied bombing, a British ambulance worker's account of the Blitz, Churchill's call for British sacrifice, Russian propaganda posters, the diary
of a German teenager, a memoir of Japanese-American internment, newspaperman Ernie Pyle's reports to the home front, the last letter from a Japanese kamikaze pilot, and testimonies of Holocaust survivors.
World War II: A History in Documents also includes a picture essay on propaganda posters and numerous photographs, graphics, and artifacts, such as maps, advertisements and even a Japanese lunchbox, which also serve as documents. Offering a global and multifaceted perspective on World War II, this
diverse collection of textual and visual documents is ideal for undergraduate courses in World War II and military history.
- GenresHistoryWarWorld War II
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2009
25 people want to read
About the author
James H. Madison
45 books17 followersJames H. Madison is the Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor of History Emeritus, Indiana University Bloomington. Madison serves on the boards of Indiana Humanities and the Indiana Historical Society and is a member of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. He began teaching Indiana history in 1976 and has lectured and consulted widely on Indiana topics.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 7, 2022
The book is ok but could use more pedagogical tools and probably some longer excerpts or full documents. What’s there is good but it is sparse.
August 25, 2014
I thought this book was pretty decent. It does teach people about the history of World War 2 and all, but if you know this topic in history pretty well, it feels like this book does not really teach you much. Or in other words, this book is more for mediocre historians. Now, do not get me wrong, I did learn some things such as the propaganda used by both sides, and some personal stories of the survivors of the war, such as the soldiers and their families. I would recommend this book to newer historians of around the teen years and up because this book contains some material not really suitable for children. Overall, the book does teach one about World War 2 in one way or another and I am glad I was able to pick this book up.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews