When Books Went to War

The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II

By: Molly Guptill Manning

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned over 100 million books and caused fearful citizens to hide or destroy many more. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. In 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks for troops to carry in their pockets and their rucksacks in every theater of war.

Comprising 1,200 different titles of every imaginable type, these paperbacks were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. Soldiers read them while waiting to land at Normandy, in hellish trenches in the midst of battles in the Pacific, in field hospitals, and on long bombing flights. They wrote to the authors, many of whom responded to every letter. They helped rescue The Great Gatsby from obscurity. They made Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, into a national icon. When Books Went to War is an inspiring story for history buffs and book lovers alike.

©2014 Molly Guptill Manning (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Perfect for the bibliophile and/or history reader

I love war histories and of course WWII, but this particularly story hits me pretty deeply. As an educator and a lifelong reader, I felt inspired beginning to end.

better than I'd hoped

as a reader, and someone interested in history, I chose this originally because it was one of the included in membership. turns out, I found myself fascinated and listened all the way through in just two large chunks

Wow! I wish I’d known about this a long time ago!

Covering consequential, engaging, and now almost-unknown history, I was stunned that, as an ABD PhD candidate in American History (with a Master’s in Library and Information Science), I had never heard of this aspect of World War II. I actually couldn’t stop listening and ended up staying up until well past daybreak to finish it, and now I want to hunt down some of these books myself. I wish I’d known about this a long time ago, as I would have asked friends and family from that generation of soldiers and sailors about them. Regrettably, they are now nearly gone - but I’m so glad for this chronicle. Could it be that books helped win the war? I’d like to think so!

Interesting Information

Was a bit long but glad I pushed though to the end to learn something previously unknown.

Herculean effort and societal impact

Well researched! I had no idea how this genius idea was brought to fruition first by librarians, then funded by the military and facilitated by a coalition of publishers. It did so much more than combat book burning. It created a generation of readers of quality works, mass produced and portable, that later went on to college under the new GI bill.

Fascinating

This is a wonderful story. I did not know about ASEs, as I was born in 1945, just as the war ended. It’s worth a listen. I heartily recommend.

Movie, Please

My husband and I found this to be a fascinating and, to us, previously unknown chapter of WWII history. Sincere thanks to Molly Manning for her excellent work. We have visited many a WWII museum and yet knew nothing of this, and have never seen an ASE on display. Would love to see this story told by a skilled cinematographer like Ken Burns.

Becka Mar

What did you love best about When Books Went to War?

Not put in boring tearms

What does Bernadette Dunne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Perfect towen

Any additional comments?

This book was done in a way I loved and understed it. Thanks

Excellent book

This is just a wonderful book. Meticulously researched, a great story, and nicely written. two thumbs up.

Books were the most important item soldiers needed during wwii?

When books went to war is about the U.S. government’s effort to bring books to American soldiers during World War Two and why this was important. Using books as both a leisure activity and a means of escape, books become a valuable item for U.S. soldiers to get. Author Molly Guptill Manning chronicles how organizations ended up gathering and collecting books for them and the politics that sometimes got in the way.
Manning also adds a little too much information at times, for example we don’t need a detailed explanation of the Normandy landings but this book is short, so it shouldn’t brother anyone. Manning also goes beyond the battlefield and explains how the impact of reading during the war served not just as a recreation activity but also as propaganda against Axis material and how reading during the war affected postwar society. Excellent book to read or listen to.