The Good War: An Oral History of World War II

Studs Terkel is one of the most interesting journalists I have ever read. I picked up this book for my college US History class and I read far more entries than the ones assigned to us. Getting a clear picture of World War II is very difficult, especially given the nature of primary sources (like film reels advocating women to go to work, or whatever) which assert that the War was indisputably the "Good War." Through Terkel's book I have learned that WWII was much more complicated than a simple event of unity across the country. Making it work required a number of battles, and not every American citizen benefited from the events of the war. Terkel's striking vignettes provide a myriad fascinating perspectives from people affected by WWII in so many ways, and within each interview he finds a nugget of evidence that enhances (or sometimes redefines) history.

If you have even the slightest interest in history in general, or just World War II specifically, you HAVE to read this book! The Good War is a national treasure containing a broad cross-cut of the generations of men and women who lived through a horrible and fascinating era. This is not a history as you've known history. This is history as a living, breathing entity. If you're skeptical of my enthusiasm, just try to get through the first chapter without wanting to read the rest of them.

These interviews are guaranteed to affect you. This is the perspective that history so often overlooks: the views of the everyday man, woman, and child at ground zero--those who experience history first-hand.

The book is about WWII battles in the 1940's. Veterans tell their stories about what happend on a quiet Sunday morning. The Americans hear roaring engines and don't know what the noise is, until it's too late. Pearl Harbor is pounded by Japanese fighter planes. The American troops are unaware and lose several thousand air planes and a few ships. Later in the war America dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan ending the war in the Pacific. In Europe America had another problem. The Nazi's of Germany were killing Jews for no reason but hatred. Working with the European troops they finally stopped the war. I enjoyed this book because it gave me more information about WWII. It's really interesting to hear the differnt stories about the American troops and how the war started and ended.

I liked this book because it is written as if you are asking a relative what they did during the war. No one's story is too long, unlike my relatives who go on and one. (That's the author's trimmimg.) Yet I was fastinated. There are lots of big piture histories and if you know that history, fitting in the scene from a person on the ground is really very interesting. It's the why we fought, not for your country, but rather once on the line, not to let your buddies down. The feeling of regret when you finally meet the enemy and he looks just like you.
Anyway I'd read "Working" by S.Turkel and liked it. This books is written in the same style.

As a history teacher, I find that when a text paints a picture so the reader can experience for them selves the sound, the taste, the smell, the emotion of the moment that the person retelling it have lived where you can't put down the story being told, as the next one will be just as senses filling as the last recounting, then you have the makings of how history should be told and recounted; by those who lived it and from their point of view. Las Casas, in the 16th Century, set the standard for a first person accounting of events and Studs Terkel carries this into the 20th Century with his book, " The Good War", leaving the reader, when they finish it, with the grim and ironic understanding of why there are quotation marks around the title.

I have never considered myself to be a huge history fan, but recently I realized that I knew very little about WWII beyond what I learned in my high school history class so many years ago. I started reading this book and was hooked, and I mean hooked! It really feels like you are sitting in a room with these folks listening to their stories. Funny and heartwrenching sometimes in the same sentence. I cannot give this book a high enough recommendation.

This is one of those books that will stay with you. Terkel interviews Americans of many social and ethnic backgrounds about how they thought and felt during World War II, and what they think of the experience now. I can't think of any other book that does this so successfully. As other reviewers have noted, the reality that emerges here should quash the childish pop fantasy that WWII was an exciting adventure with everyone pulling together, lots of singing, and victory assured. That was just not the case.

What's more, "The 'Good War'" is almost impossible to put down.

The Good War gives one a taste of what is was like to grow up and live during the war, from all kinds of perspectives: soldiers, mothers, leaders, survivors, victims and heroes. In the post-Viet Nam era, it is easy to forget how World War II was a war most felt had to be fought, and it is easy to forget the lessons learned by those who went through it. The narratives of such profound and life-changing events are riveting, touching, and profound.

The above quotation was on the quote page of Studs Terkel's 1984 book "The Good War." "The Good War" is an oral history of World War II. That's something Mr. Terkel excels at. His other oral histories include Hard Times and
Working. This is a must for anyone's World War II bookshelf.
Don't give it away no matter what. Keep it under lock and key
because it's so precious. If you read only one book on World
War II, make it this one. Unlike Band of Brothers, which is about a company in a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, this book wasn't made into an HBO miniseries. Buy it now. There are fewer World War II veterans now than there were twenty years ago. Once they're all dead, it's a lost
resource.

Studs Terkel review is excellent and dramatic. His memories of World War Two illustrate the Psychological trauma and effect a brutal war experience can have - in addition to alcohol.
I can apreciate Studs overview of events and perhaps this is a good way (writing) to deal with his experience and memories of an unforgotten war.
In addition, I respect his sensitivity and human dignity he values for life and family - although, his enemy was the Japanese, Mr.Terkel compassion and true feelings harming life, identifies with our heritage being killed. Although, he was assigned by the United States Government to fulfill his obligation, perhaps the United States should of been sensitive and assigned him to a diffrent division. From his sample illustration, it is apparent Mr. Terkel served his country as a "good and faithful" servant without complaining and took his medicine by accepted the hardest assignment of his life.
Concluding my review, Stud's humor comes to life as he matches the prejudice of people in "today's society" equally as those in World War Two. Mr.Terkel's review is written in terms of simplified grammer and his manuscript sample can easily be understood. Thank you for this opportunity to express my personal views. I consider Stud Terkel's book, The Good War is an excellent memoir reflecting on both our past generation of unforgotten warriors standing beside today's "freedom fighters" which our nation sustaines to honor our independance to this day.
Louis Stephen

This is an interesting volume of many, many people's personal experiences during the war. The narrative is not exactly gripping, but with patience it can be rewarding. If you're interested in little tid bits of people's memories and brief summaries of their life during the war, this book might be helpful. Though, this book did not meet my expectations based on the glowing reviews given here. I thought it would be more interesting and more in-depth. Many parts are quite boring.

In academia, a lot of people take swipes at oral histories for their inn accuracies, and the fact that they focus on one individuals view and not on the larger picture. This book with its continuous stream of world shaking personal stories shows why those critics are so full of hot air. It covers everything from the recoded of the 761st tank unit, which has a combat recoded that will likely never be eclipsed, to the stories of people at Pearl Harbor, people who lived through the nearly forgotten "Zoot Suit Riots" and more. Recommended reading for everyone. It's easy to read, but impossible to forget.

I was at a garage sale when I saw this book and I asked how much to buy it, the answer was "This book is too good to sell, if you promise to read it I will give it to you". With this recommendation I accepted the agreement and found one of the most interesting and entertaining books I have ever read. Being a "baby boomer" I knew of the war from school and my parents however it had no real meaning to me personally, this book filled that gap spectacularly. The stories supply a broad sample of the societal, cultural, and political perspectives of that era and you come away with an understanding at a uniquely personal level. If you have any interest in World War II you should buy this.

I am still reading. I look forward to sitting down and sharing the experiences of so many different people. I am a veteran and I think these personal histories appeal to me because I understand them. The interviews were done for many of these people when they were the age that I am now. So I find myself emphasizing.

This book gives the reader an opportunity to see what WW II was like on an INDIVIDUAL basis, rather than concentrating on "the big picture" or the performance of a unit as a whole. While I found many of the stories compelling, I felt that others were irrelevent and detracted from the book.

As an avid WW2 reader, felt this book should be read. At times very interesting, but at times very hard to read. Each section was different, so a little disjointed. Felt the section on the atomic bomb survivors was very powerful. This alone makes the whole book worthwhile. Definitely recommend, but it probably will be a tedious read at times

Have you ever sat down and wonder about the people who have died in the battles that the planet earth has faced? The battles that America has been through to be a free and the powerful nation that it is today. The book " The Good War" by Studs Terkel, is a book that talks about World War Ð, the battles, the events, the life, it was in the war. Hearing the stories of soldiers and news reporters in the front lines. This book has different kinds of stories, stories of soldiers arriving in the battle scene to stories of the day of victory.
I bet you have seen videos of battles, wars, or how about historical videos. If you have, you have an idea what this book is about. I like this book but at the same time I kind of dislike it. I like it because of the straight details that the stories have, giving you details to have an exact picture in your mind. Lowell Steward is one of his stories that I really like, maybe because he is a pilot that I am interest to do in my future life. He is one out of 405 black pilot that help too win the skies during the war. His story is interesting, earning respect during his mission of flight. In the beginning, they're were only white pilots so as you can see Lowell didn't have respect. He and some of his black pilots were called "lonely eagles" because on their mission with white pilots they flew alone having no respect with the white pilots. Well as the time move on, he and his group got their respect and were joined by the white pilots to fly every mission. Being an unstoppable group. Lowell destroyed and damages 409 enemy aircraft. Stories like this make me be awake and keep on reading. I like how he describes the skies at night, flying through the clouds, can really see nothing, then in a mile away In front of him, fireworks start lighting up in the sky, a tremendous show but all the same color, but once you fly it, it is not fire works it is life. A little rephrases that he was trying to say so that u can understand his views.
Maybe you have relatives that tell stories about the war but have you herd a story from a news reporter in the front lines. Many reporters where in the front lines and many stories but putting it all together becomes a breath taking picture in your mind. Being in the line at night lying down on the floor, looking up then seeing flashes of light flying by, not knowing who is who. It will stop for a little while but as soon as the American troop order to light up the sky, the flashes happen again. You can say that these reporters were stupid, dumb, ignorant, but that is their job to let the people know what is happening in the war, without them we would not know if America would be winning or losing.
What about the wife's? Well they were back home doing the mens work, earning money to support their children. Their life is in this book. Also describing the their emotion every time, the mail man came. Knowing to see if it is for them or not. As the ladies staying home, they did all what they can do to move on with their life.
You have heard the exciting, fearsome little parts of some stories. But what I dislike but at the same time I understand why, is the sad part of the book. It's there to add some emotions, and feeling to the soldiers who have died to remember them of their service to the United State. Also there are stories of sadness, but not as a lot. There is a story in the book about the remembering the past, giving their views on what they saw in the battle fields, like brining back memories that don't want to talk about.
Back to the wife's at home becomes a sad scene too. Mail man brining the letter to a mother of two children, receiving and knowing what it is, this is a tragic crying sad moment. The children probably one and not getting to know their father. Well this is how it was in America. Every day in everybody life there is sadness, happiness, joy, anger, fear. Now take this image and put it in a heavier emotion and u will feel the same as the wife's.

Some people don't realize on the events that Planet earth has had. Some hear it but don't care. Now what would. They do if this would happen, would they care or just don't care. Yea they would care because they would be going to the war.
This book change a little bit of my view on soldiers, like memorial day has past, and people left their homes to pay respect on those soldiers, this is why America is number one. I don't have a relative that I know off that was in the war but I do have friends that have a relative that died in the war, and now I know how they feel when that day comes. To my knowledge that I have learned in my life, this book is an emotional, change points of view. Knowing the past can help and change something in the future, but what I do know is that America winning the war made the U.S. the powerful nation that it is today because of the soldiers that made it to be like this, because of their service their family friends are free.

I expected a history of the war through eyewitness accounts, but got a collection of cherry picked anecdotes selected to make an anti-war statement. Some of the stories are interesting and revealing of aspects of the time, but this is not a definitive history of WWII by any means.