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brittrivera's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't actually read the whole book, just what was required for class but I liked what I did read. It was interesting to hear about the war from the people who actually experienced it.
toddlleopold's review against another edition
4.0
Though a little meandering at times - and usually infused with Studs’ necessary skepticism - when “The Good War” sings, it does so loudly and purely. Perhaps best are the chapters on the dropping of the atomic bombs and the war’s aftermath, which have either been glossed over or forgotten. (This is why “The Best Years of Our Lives” holds up - it doesn’t sugarcoat the war’s impact.) I found myself wondering a great deal about the interviewees, probably all of which - likee Studs himself - have passed on. At least we have “ ‘The Good War’.”
juliana_aldous's review against another edition
5.0
Want to know how we fought Nazis since things are starting to look a little Nazi-like? Fearing a totalitarian regime and fascism? Want to know how Americans of all walks of life came together and what came out of that? This book is filled with their personal stories. Studs Terkel is the man, he won the Pulitzer for this, and you should read it at least once in your life.
diggitalot's review against another edition
3.0
Några riktigt bra historier om andra världskriget. Vanliga människor och höga militärer berättar personliga historier om hur de upplevde kriget. Riktigt bra blir historiera från japaner, svarta och kvinnor, då i alla fall jag får lära mig en ny sida av detta välomskrivna krig
milkegg's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.5
Excellent oral history that covered a wide range of American voices during WW2, though some perspectives felt a little repetitive. Personally, I felt the parts could have been arranged a little bit better for continuity and flow. It got amazing in the latter half, with a lot of unique experiences of communists, conscientious objectors, Manhattan Project workers, biracial Americans, and atomic veterans.
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry and, most importantly, it made me think. Sure, there were parts that dragged and testimonies that I weren't all that interested in. However, the words of these people gave me a perspective of where I am in time and the world. It reinforced a sense of helplessness and, at the same time, hope. It's a powerful, powerful book that should be read by everybody.
_danhill's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent oral history of the entire conflict with interviews with men, women and children involved at every conceivable level-- Generals, Infantry, Politicians, Scientists, objectors, they're all here.
An extremely thorough look at World War 2 with a very strong anti-war message.
An extremely thorough look at World War 2 with a very strong anti-war message.
megancasey_01's review against another edition
Read selections from this work for HIST 3503 (F22)
reasie's review against another edition
5.0
An absolute must-read. These personal accounts show the varied tapestry of a war - make it something you can relate too. So many years in history classes left me with no real sense of the war - and I certainly couldn't be bothered to remember if the Battle of the Bulge was after D-day or what... no, this book has me understanding the war, knowing its important events and many, many unimportant ones.
The black soldier fired on by white soldiers in a US base on US soil - because they suspected their was going to be a demonstration against jim crow laws on the base - had me shaking with anger and indignation, demanding "Why is this the first I've heard of this?"
The Florida housewife making a candy dish out of shrapnel - so poignant, indescribable.
The man who bombed Frankfurt and the woman who lived there, now friends - the depth of human forgiveness.
So many acts of bravery and kindness, against the backdrop of so much inhumanity.
And oddly, the pervasive fears of the cold war - these oral histories were recorded in the early 80s - lends another perspective to me, reading now, in a world without "the red threat" - I so want to go back in time, cry to them (and my younger self included) It's not necessary! It's not what they tell you!
The former aid worker knew how little the Russians were a threat to us - it was there for anyone to see, but we all "Couldn't know".
Much like the Jewish boy, growing up in Hollywood after his family fled Europe, didn't bother to find out where all the Japanese kids in class disappeared to. He grew up to write a documentary about ordinary people in France reacting to the German occupation. The real lesson is; these were ordinary people. We are responsible to keep seeing with our own eyes.
So I think just about everyone should read this book. Wow. It was an experience to read.
The black soldier fired on by white soldiers in a US base on US soil - because they suspected their was going to be a demonstration against jim crow laws on the base - had me shaking with anger and indignation, demanding "Why is this the first I've heard of this?"
The Florida housewife making a candy dish out of shrapnel - so poignant, indescribable.
The man who bombed Frankfurt and the woman who lived there, now friends - the depth of human forgiveness.
So many acts of bravery and kindness, against the backdrop of so much inhumanity.
And oddly, the pervasive fears of the cold war - these oral histories were recorded in the early 80s - lends another perspective to me, reading now, in a world without "the red threat" - I so want to go back in time, cry to them (and my younger self included) It's not necessary! It's not what they tell you!
The former aid worker knew how little the Russians were a threat to us - it was there for anyone to see, but we all "Couldn't know".
Much like the Jewish boy, growing up in Hollywood after his family fled Europe, didn't bother to find out where all the Japanese kids in class disappeared to. He grew up to write a documentary about ordinary people in France reacting to the German occupation. The real lesson is; these were ordinary people. We are responsible to keep seeing with our own eyes.
So I think just about everyone should read this book. Wow. It was an experience to read.
queerandweird's review against another edition
5.0
Rereading in NC August 2016, just as good if not more rewarding to read the second time through.