Was World War II really such a "good war"? Popular memory insists that it was; in fact; "the best war ever." After all; we knew who the enemy was; and we understood what we were fighting for. The war was good for the economy. It was liberating for women. A battle of tanks and airplanes; it was a "cleaner" war than World War I. Although we did not seek the conflict―or so we believed―Americans nevertheless rallied in support of the war effort; and the nation’s soldiers; all twelve million of them; were proud to fight. But according to historian Michael C. C. Adams; our memory of the war era as a golden age is distorted. It has left us with a misleading―even dangerous―legacy; one enhanced by the nostalgia-tinged retrospectives of Stephen E. Ambrose and Tom Brokaw. Disputing many of our common assumptions about the period; Adams argues in The Best War Ever that our celebratory experience of World War II is marred by darker and more sordid realities. In the book; originally published in 1994; Adams challenges stereotypes to present a view of World War II that avoids the simplistic extremes of both glorification and vilification. The Best War Ever charts the complex diplomatic problems of the 1930s and reveals the realities of ground combat: no moral triumph; it was in truth a brutal slog across a blasted landscape. Adams also exposes the myth that the home front was fully united behind the war effort; demonstrating how class; race; gender; and age divisions split Americans. Meanwhile; in Europe and Asia; shell-shocked soldiers grappled with emotional and physical trauma; rigorously enforced segregation; and rampant venereal disease.In preparing this must-read new edition; Adams has consulted some seventy additional sources on topics as varied as the origins of Social Security and a national health system; the Allied strategic bombing campaign; and the relationship of traumatic brain injuries to the adjustment problems of veterans. The revised book also incorporates substantial developments that have occurred in our understanding of the course and character of the war; particularly in terms of the human consequences of fighting. In a new chapter; "The Life Cycle of a Myth;" Adams charts image-making about the war from its inception to the present. He contrasts it with modern-day rhetoric surrounding the War on Terror; while analyzing the real-world consequences that result from distorting the past; including the dangerous idea that only through (perpetual) military conflict can we achieve lasting peace.
#1928723 in Books Free Press 2009-10-06 2009-10-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.10 x 6.00l; 1.06 #File Name: 1416589724320 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Gives great insight into differences between Arab and American culture; and the transition between these two worldsBy Sam MehrI had to purchase this book as part of an Arabic Culture course; and overall found it very interesting. It gave individual accounts of many Arab Americans adjusting to life in the US; or second generation Arab Americans who returned to their motherland and noticed drastic cultural differences between Arab and American societal customs. Overall it was interesting and kept my attention; and I bought it for only a fraction of the cost here on . This is an ideal book for a course like this; though i'm not sure this is something you would consider causal reading unless you are really interested in learning more about Arab and American cultural differences.5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. An excellent Insight on Arab AmericansBy Imad MoustaphaAfter living for eight years in America and meeting thousands of Arab Americans across the continent; my desire to better understand the history and ethos of Arab Americans as well as the sort of influences that impact their sense of community and identity multiplied tenfold.Not content with my own observations and impressions; I started looking through the literature for works that recorded and presented the communal history of Arab Americans. I discovered that the corpus was small and unsatisfying. I found Gregory Orfalea's book "Arab Americans: A History" to be one of the richest and most rewarding. Yet; instead of quenching my thirst to understand Arab Americans it made me keener than ever before on studying the socio-anthropology of this community.Randa Kayyali's "The Arab Americans" was another notable book that I found to offer a great perspective on who the Arab Americans are and why did they come to America. However; I think this book is most valuable to non-Arab Americans who are looking for a better understanding of this integral part of the modern-day American national fabric.In her book; Alia Malek approaches the story of the Arab American community through the modern history of America spanning nearly half a century. In a very clever and entertaining narrative she intertwines almost every major event in the annals of the Arab American history as influenced by the Middle East conflict with a personal story of an Arab American. The result is a breathtaking sweep of vignettes that illuminate and put in perspective the communal history and culture of Arab Americans. These are stories of victories; failures; sorrows; successes; personal growth; alienation; pride and even personal tragedies; all taken from first hand sources and put in a social and political context that offered me a great understanding and empathy with this community.Alia has a very colourful style that dramatizes every story and make it worth reading for its pure short-story qualities. Yet; these poignantly told stories are astutely selected so that the sum of their parts; their gestalt; offers a broad mosaic of the successes and tribulations of this community.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Amreeka provided excellent insight into the lives of Arab AmericansBy CustomerAmreeka provided excellent insight into the lives of Arab Americans. Ms. Malek writes with grace and experience about Middle Eastern immigrants from many walks of life. Her book enlightened this reader; and America is richer for their contibutions
