G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II [Paperback]

Lee Kennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1997

Lee Kennett provides a vivid portrait of the American soldier, or G.I., in World War II, from his registration in the draft, training in boot camp, combat in Europe and the Pacific, and to his final role as conqueror and occupier. It is all here: the "greetings" from Uncle Sam; endless lines in induction centers across the country; the unfamiliar and demanding world of the training camp, with its concomitant jokes, pranks, traditions, and taboos; and the comparative largess with which the Army was outfitted and supplied. Here we witness the G.I. facing combat: the courage, the heroism, the fear, and perhaps above all, the camaraderie - the bonds of those who survived the tragic sense of loss when a comrade died. Finally, when the war was over, the G.I.’s frequently experienced clumsy, hilarious, and explosive interactions with their civilian allies and with the former enemies whose countries they now occupied.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based partly on interviews, letters and memoirs, G.I. is a group portrait of an army that was "in a sense the nation itself, an authentic slice of American society with all its many layers." Kennett, history professor at the University of Georgia, offers an accurate description of the soldiers' experience, from induction and training, the journey to the combat zone and baptism of fire, their attitudes and behavior as liberator, conquerer and, finally, as tourist. The U.S. Army in World War II was the best-fed, best-dressed, best-equipped army in the world, and Kennett describes in detail the G.I.'s reaction to C-rations, uniform dress and the M1 rifle. He also discuses such broader issues as combat fatigue, segregation and the effect of the G.I. on Europe's shattered economy. As Kennett points out, G.I. Joe was a different breed from the doughboy of the First World War. Readers will find no better portrait of the new breed than in these pages. Photos.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

World War II's battles and tactics have been analyzed over and over, but few authors have devoted much attention to the everyday American citizen-soldier. Historian Kennett has produced a serious and entrancing study of the average G.I. from the arrival of his "Greetings" through training camp and combat. He focuses more on the draftee than the regular, and clearly favors the infantry, but his book does justice to all U.S. fighting men. Although replete with polls and sociological data to satisfy the scholar, the book makes for lively and anecdotal reading. A fine, complementary volume to John Ellis's more specialized The Sharp End: the fighting man in World War II ( LJ 2/15/81). Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (March 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806129255
• ISBN-13: 978-0806129259
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #610,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have For Anyone Interested In WWII, December 15, 1999

By 

Scott Kleeman (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II (Paperback)

This book is a true must have for anyone interested in what a GI went through in preparation for WWII. Kennett covers such topics as the draft, boot camp, combat, discharge and even the emotional and mental states of the GI. Such details as what kind of food the GIs ate and how they stacked up as soldiers against the Axis powers is provided.

This book would really make an excellent companion or first read for anyone interested in the WWII genere.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overview of the Life of the WW2 Soldier, February 9, 2008

By 

Andrew Hall (Maine) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II (Paperback)

I enjoy reading American military history, from works in the easy-going oral history tradition of Stephen Ambrose, to the much more detailed multi-volume histories by such authors as Bruce Catton and S.E. Morrison. In the course of my reading, I came to realize there were huge gaps in my understanding of what life was like for the typical serviceman in the Second World War. Though I'd learned a great deal about the US serviceman, a lot of what I thought I knew was based on assumptions, logical deductions, or was limited to writings about combat experiences alone. I'd not read much about what the whole experience of life in in the wartime armed services was like, from induction to discharge. What was the process that turned the ordinary mechanic or factory worker into a soldier, able to put his life on the line when his whole life lay before him? I'm in the process of remedying those gaps in my understanding, and the first work I chose was Lee Kennett's "G.I."

Kennett has produced a fine work for the general reader with a working knowledge of World War II history who wants to know what it was like the be drafted and absorbed in the US Army. It's not an exhaustive account of the life of a soldier, yet it isn't a lighthearted dance down memory lane, either. Kennett admits it is impossible to pin down an "average" soldier of the period, simply because the army was made up almost exclusively of draftees (an example of something I did not know), reflecting the diversity of the society they were drawn from. Instead, he seeks to show us typical soldiers, with sprinklings from the extremes, and he does an admirable job. He begins with a hstory of the draft and how it worked to draw in selectees. Then he continues along a logical, sequential review of how a civillian became a soldier (and he goes to some pains to point out the typical soldier felt he was in the service, but not truly a part of it as the old Regulars were -- civillians at heart). Then he takes us through his training and actual combat experiences. He makes extensive reference to personal interviews and personal letters, as well as government documents, presenting two views of a given subject.

Kennett's work is thorough and generally well-written in an easy-going style (he has a few stylistic habits I found annoying and pretentious). Anyone who is familiar with the classic "Billy Yank" and "Johnny Reb" studies of the lives of Civil War soldiers will find a somewhat less detailed though similar style in this book. My own personal military history is limited to peacetime service in the Navy, but Kennett has shown that some habits and feelings among servicemen are universal across braanches and long spans of time. I was particularly impressed at how similar Civil War soldiers were to World War II soldiers in how they regarded rank, obedience to military rules, and sense of being in the service, not of it.

This is a very good, well-written and researched overview of life in the US Army during WWII. It walks a nice balance brevity and detail (I personally wish he had written at much greater length, but that's just me), perfect for a general reader. He doesn't write with the passion of the brilliant but often cynical Paul Fussell in his essays on WWII soldiers and combat, but he gives a good place for the interested reader to start.

A final note: In deciding to buy this book, I was very put-off by the cartoonish artwork on the cover. It suggested a juvenile, romantic, "GI Joe" book. I think the publisher did the book a misservice here, but don't let it cloud your decision. The old saying, "You can't tell a book by its cover" is literally true here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm surprised this one's still in print..., December 27, 2003

By 

R.B. "packsoldier" (Ogden, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II (Paperback)

...but I'm happy, because I've read my original copy (purchased 15 years ago) to tatters. This should be a fascinating book for general readers and serious World War II buffs alike. It recounts various experiences of American GIs from induction through boot camp and battle to liberation and victory. The book is well-researched and chock-full of interesting anecdotes. I highly recommend it.