The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear, Part Two (Oxford History of the United States) (Pt. 2) [Paperback]

David M. Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195168933 | ISBN-13: 978-0195168938 | Publication Date: November 20, 2003

Even as the New Deal was coping with the Depression, a new menace was developing abroad. Exploiting Germany's own economic burdens, Hitler reached out to the disaffected, turning their aimless discontent into loyal support for his Nazi Party. In Asia, Japan harbored imperial ambitions of its own. The same generation of Americans who battled the Depression eventually had to shoulder arms in another conflict that wreaked worldwide destruction, ushered in the nuclear age, and forever changed their way of life and their country's relationship to the rest of the world.
The American People in World War II--the second installment of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning Freedom from Fear--explains how the nation agonized over its role in the conflict, how it fought the war, why the United States emerged victorious, and why the consequences of victory were sometimes sweet, sometimes ironic. In a compelling narrative, Kennedy analyzes the determinants of American strategy, the painful choices faced by commanders and statesmen, and the agonies inflicted on the millions of ordinary Americans who were compelled to swallow their fears and face battle as best they could. The American People in World War II is a gripping narrative and an invaluable analysis of the trials and victories through which modern America was formed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR FREEDOM FROM FEAR:

"A grand historical synthesis...this is the kind of book prizes are made for."--Chicago Tribune

"Skillfully weaves together the era's social, economic, and political strands.... Illuminating information and insights on almost every page"--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"A brilliant achievement."--Dallas Morning News

"Consistently original and sometimes startling conclusions."--The Washington Post

About the Author

David M. Kennedy is Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History at Stanford University. He is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. He is also the author of Over Here: The First World War and American Society, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Birth Control in America: The Career of Margaret Sanger, which won the Bancroft Prize. He lives in Stanford, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195168933
• ISBN-13: 978-0195168938
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David M. Kennedy is Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History Emeritus at Stanford University and co-director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West. After C. Vann Woodward's death, he was appointed series editor for the Oxford History of the United States series. His volume in the series, Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945, won the Pulitzer Prize for History, the Francis Parkman Prize, the Ambassador's Prize, and the California Gold Medal for Literature. He is the author of Over Here: The First World War and American Society, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Birth Control in America: The Career of Margaret Sanger, which won a Bancroft Prize. He lives in Palo Alto, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to Read, and Insightful, July 27, 2005

By 

Eric Stork (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear, Part Two (Oxford History of the United States) (Pt. 2) (Paperback)

I'm old enough to have live through the eventful 16-years (1929-1945)covered by Prof. David Kennedy's 2-volume history of that period of modern American history; for about half of that time, I was intellectually aware of what was happening; and I have read widely about the New Deal and WW-II. However, nothing I had been exposed to prior to reading "Freedom from Fear" gave me the context and an over-all understanding of the issues and obstacles that decision-makers faced during the Great Depression, the lead-up to WW-II, and the conduct of that war as have these wonderful two volumes. Even though I know full well how these matters played out, it was fascinating to learn how they came to be, and to realize that their outcomes were by no means foreordained nor inevitable. It is said about travel: "Getting there is half the fun;" in that sense, Kennedy is a marvelous tourguide to history.

One minor quibble: In true scholarly fashion, Kennedy
identifies sources for his many assertions and quotations in
footnotes; only a few footnotes contain additional explanatory
material that adds to the story. I would have preferred that the
many footnotes that merely give sources had been made into end
notes, available to those who want to check them but not
taking space on the pages of the narrative.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Be Confused, April 17, 2010

By 

Jeffrey Swystun (Ottawa & New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear, Part Two (Oxford History of the United States) (Pt. 2) (Paperback)

Don't be confused like I was. I bought and read Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War 1929-1945 and thought it great. I then mistakenly thought this entry was a deeper dive into the Second World War but it is actually the latter half of a two volume set dividing the original book. I suggest you purchase the original single volume version as I was more impressed with Kennedy's work on the Great Depression. If interested I reviewed the single volume and awarded it five stars. His work on the Second World War did not compare and that is why this particular work receives three stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the price, but..., February 24, 2011

By 

Barbara A. Barnett (Browns Mills, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear, Part Two: American People in World War II Pt. 2 (Kindle Edition)

This volume is well worth the price - but don't buy it if you already have Freedom From Fear - this book is the second half of that volume. Who needs two?