Review

General Books

Since one thousand plus World War II uniformed and home front veterans die each day, Editor Malcolm Muir, Jr.'s book represents another needed collection of biographical sketches for us by future generations. Like other volumes in this series, these stories tell aspects of history at an individual level, showing how broad an array of men and women faced the colossal war effort mounted by the United States and what impact it had on them and on American society. Since this book is in the same spirit as Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation series, these persuasive, easy to read, short sketches, some written as autobiographies or biographies done by a family member, capture the deep sense of pride, struggle, and commonalities experienced by Americans during World War II.	1
One of the first useful teaching tools found in this book is the Introduction by Muir. Thorough, fact filled, and yet an easy read, it can serve as a review for secondary level history students. The second useful teaching tool in this book is the sketch that is an autobiography or biography written by a family member. A student at the secondary or university level can use these sketches as a springboard for local oral history interviews and documentation, as primary background research for script development to produce a TV/radio interview role play, one-act play or readers theater. Other uses are also possible. Since the government impacted every sketch presented, a third and final use of this material would be to analyze government and bureaucracy during the war. More general themes relating to World War II and its impact can be explored: the birth of a new political leadership style using the Hastie, Morgenthau, Smith, Stassen, and Lincoln sketches; the political and military strategy to end the war using the Morgenthau, Stassen, and Lincoln sketches; the right to serve using the Mihelcich, Hastie, Hara, Lehman, Wayne, Smith, and Stassen sketches; wartime domestic policy using the Lee, Mihelcich, Hara, Lehman, Morgenthau, Smith, Stassen and Morriss sketches; and the military bureaucracy using Hastie, Lehman, and the other sketches in Part III, "The Sharp End."	2
Overall, I agree with Muir's conclusion that this "volume illustrates how the greatest of human conflicts changed the lives of all Americans, whether in uniform or at home." However, I did find the sketch on John Wayne to be out of place with the rest of the sketches. Finally, although the book does quite an excellent job with the trials and accomplishments of minority groups, one important group was omitted—Hispanic Americans. As a Hispanic American, I know first hand the racial accomplishments made by my uncle's military service and the near life sacrifices he faced at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Plus, the important home front contributions made by my uncles, aunts, and cousins in the meatpacking and foundry industries in Waterloo, Iowa, and by my grandfather and great uncle on the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. In closing, I agree with the publisher that "these compelling, personal stories will capture the imagination of those interested in military history, American history, and World War II.	3
Jason Follett Malcolm Price Laboratory School, University of Northern Iowa

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