GI Jive : An Army Bandsman in World War II [Paperback]

Frank F. Mathias (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2000

"Frank Mathias was a teenager in a small town when the draft swept him into the army and then halfway around the world to the jungles of the South Pacific. He served in the huge invasion force in the Battle of Manila, the deadliest single battle of the Pacific War. As an army musician attached to the 37th Infantry Division, Mathias saw the war from the bottom of the heap, where young privates lived and died. In his best selling book The GI Generation, Mathias tells of growing up in small-town America between the wars. In GI Jive he recalls the gritty experience of combat as well as the music and the homefront pleasures the GIs fought to preserve."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fascinating account of one soldier's adventures in the Pacific." -- American Studies

"A minor masterpiece that tells how things really were in those days." -- Army

"The musicians played as important a role as any machine-gunner, for they kept hope alive in the war-weary infantrymen." -- Asiaweek

"A very readable account of a naïve young man from a small Kentucky town thrust like millions of his peers into a worldwide conflict." -- Cincinnati Enquirer

"Has recaptured what it was like to make war in the 40's -- a G.I.'s frank fear, his innocence and naivete, his uncertainties and ignorance, his excitements, his sense of being a helpless, even meaningless pawn of the generals, and his ultimate sense of growth and achievement." -- Journal of Philippine Studies

"Will surely stand as one of the best war memoirs written by a Kentuckian." -- Lexington Herald-Leader

"Mathias has recreated the experiences of a small town boy who became a man under the stress of war." -- Military History Review

"A true gem among works of its kind and belongs in every serious World War II collection." -- Ohio History

"A well-written and unusual account of the latter part of the war in the Pacific, combining the reminiscences of a participant with the sensitivity of a historian." -- Ohioana Quarterly

About the Author

Frank F. Mathias, professor emeritus of history at the University of Dayton, tells of growing up in smalltown America in his best-selling book The GI Generation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (October 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813190096
• ISBN-13: 978-0813190099
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,699,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Memoir, March 9, 2010

By 

Chad M. Hill (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: GI Jive : An Army Bandsman in World War II (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book. Mr Mathias gives an excellent portrayal of his time as a bandsman in the Army in WWII, not only while playing in the various bands (there were ALOT of them) but in combat as well as they fought to retake the Philippeanes. Definitely worth adding to your collection.