Customer Reviews

The Forgotten War, Vol. 4: A Pictorial History of World War II in Alaska and Northwestern Canada

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The history of the Second World War in Alaska has been something of a neglected subject among professional historians. The gap has been filled by some self taught historians such as Brian Garfield, who produced 1969's superb "The Thousand Mile War", and more recently, Stan Cohen, who has provided four volumes of his pictorial history, "The Forgotten War."

This is volume two of "The Forgotten War" series. It supplements the basic history of the fighting between Japanese and Canadian-American forces, found in Volume One, with a series of pictorial essays on selected aspects of the US experience in Alaska and Northwest Canada. Topics include the CANOL Project, intended to bring oil to the battle front; the Russian Lend-Lease System of flying fighters and bombers through airfields in Canada and Alaska to Siberia; the adventures of the Alaska Territorial Guard; and essays on a number of bases in Alaska that played key roles in the fighting, including Dutch Harbor, and the islands of Attu, Kiska, and Shemya, which were used by both sides.

Cohen has the useful gift of assembling pictures, letters, and documents on a topic, and letting them tell their own story with minimal narrative. There are lots of pictures of period figher and bomber aircraft, anti-aircraft artillery, military trucks, and soldiers in various uniforms trying to make sense of the Far North. The effect is to take the reader back to a time and place where there was very little infrastructure in the Alaska Territory that wasn't built by the military in support of the war. A remarkable amount of that infrastructure is still visible and in some cases, still in use.

"The Forgotten War: Volume Two" is very highly recommended to fans of the series, who will find more interesting essays in this book on the war in Alaska.

Having purchased Volumes I and III of Stanley Cohen's The Forgotten War during my infrequent travels to Sitka, I was eager to fill the gap by adding Volume II to my collection. The collection of photos, letters, articles, journal entries and stories drawn from that period of history weave a tale the needs to be understood and appreciated by all who have ever journeyed to Alaska or plan to do so. I now more fully appreciate how Alaska became the state it is and the price paid to complete the journey.

As with all of Cohen's books the pictures are worth the price of admission. His outstanding text is an added bonus. If you want to learn about a too much ignored campaign on the North American continent, you should really consider adding this to your collection. If nothing else, it would make an interesting addition to your coffee table.