Kilroy Was Here: The Best American Humor From World War II [Hardcover]

Charles Osgood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 23, 2001

War is hell, but it can also be hilarious. Now, inspired by a ubiquitous piece of graffiti that servicemen left behind during World War II, Emmy Award-winning television journalist Charles Osgood has collected an assortment of classic stories and comic tales that celebrate the good humour that buoyed spirits throughout the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originating as a chalked inspection notice in a Quincy, Mass., shipyard, the sketch of bald-headed Kilroy launched a thousand ships and eventually became the most familiar globe-trotting graffiti of World War II. The ubiquitous Kilroy was "a joke that everybody was in on," notes Osgood, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning broadcast journalist-anchor on CBS Radio (The Osgood Files) and TV (CBS Sunday Morning). Selecting Kilroy as an icon emblematic of the humor that surfaced during the war, lifting spirits in the midst of tragic events, Osgood has assembled a barrage of WWII's amusing essays, stories, jokes, cartoons, poems and short satires. Selections range from heavy artillery (Reader's Digest's "Humor in Uniform" and Bob Hope's I Was There) to the small-arms fire of lesser-known writers. The opening salvo, "A Dictionary of Military Slang: 1941-1944" (compiled from Harold Hersey's More G.I. Laughs and Paris Kendall's Gone with the Draft), is followed by a parade of thematic chapters. Drinking from the same canteens, Osgood repeatedly excerpts from the same handful of mid-1940s publications. Oddly, he ignores the great Dave Breger of the Army weekly Yank, who coined the term G.I Joe for a cartoon series so popular it ran simultaneously in that outlet and in American newspapers. Osgood offers a half-dozen of Bill Mauldin's famed "Willie and Joe" cartoons but only a single George Baker "Sad Sack" strip and one cartoon by the stylish Irwin Caplan, a prolific contributor to the slick postwar magazines. Still, Osgood's book makes good on its effort to remind readers that humor was one of the leading boosters to troops' morale and deserves recognition. With the Osgood name behind it, it may march onto some bestseller lists.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Award-winning radio and television journalist Osgood (See You on the Radio) is better known for the CBS radio program The Osgood File and his CBS TV program Sunday Morning than for his books. "When we think of the Second World War, the word 'humor' is not exactly the first thing that springs to mind," he says here. Yet he has assembled an appealing collection of stories and anecdotes that present the "funny" side of war, from army slang to Bill Mauldin cartoons and veterans' stories the humor that helped many Americans cope with the tragedy of world conflict. In addition, he has compiled a hilarious assortment of magazine and newspaper coverage of GI humor. The title comes from the James J. Kilroy character made famous by GI graffiti. Those who lived through the war years might find this book a more pleasant way to remember their experiences. Osgood's introductory essay is worth reading, and "The Dictionary of Military Slang" is a gem. The stories of "secret weapons" are witty and entertaining, as are the collected thoughts and stories of Bob Hope and other celebrities. Recommended for all public and general collections. David Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (May 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786866616
• ISBN-13: 978-0786866618
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,033,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing GI humor, May 5, 2001

By 

Patrick A. Tillery (Pensacola, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kilroy Was Here: The Best American Humor From World War II (Hardcover)

". . . Dogface infantryman digging in with battle sounds of shells and grenades exploding around them and bullets whizzing overhead. The field telephone rings and a helmeted GI reaches for it, picks it up the receiver and answers: `WORLD WAR TWO.'" Charles Osgood starts his introduction with this story which, in my mind, typifies the absolutely amazing GI humor that was a part of WWII! There are also quotes from entertainers of that era: "I've learned to say Kaopectate in nine languages . . . ," Bob Hope; ". . . and it was also how anxious all of us were to laugh," Ritz Brother, and "If they have the strength to smile, they smile. It makes a guy proud," Humphrey Bogart while visiting a hospital in Naples. Even Banzai charges and "Dear John letters" were not spared. "Jilted GIs in India organize the FIRST BRUSH OFF CLUB." We has often taken note of this humor. Now, to my delight, so has Charles Osgood (and who could do it better!) GIs during periods of great stress, that we can only imagine, managed to find humor wherever they found themselves. Charles Osgood refers to this directly in the dedication.

All in all, this is my kind of book. It kept me rocking back and forth between amusement, amazement and outright thigh slapping. At last, another recognition of the amazing humor that came out of GIs during that time. Don't miss this one!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for World War II Veterans, August 28, 2001

By 

Joann Fantina "Three Nephews" (Bernardsville, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kilroy Was Here: The Best American Humor From World War II (Hardcover)

Every story in here is a gem. A great gift for any history fan. Lots of World War II details come to light here. A fun read. Get this gift for you Dad or Grand Dad for Christmas.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kilroy, September 20, 2005

By 

David D. Fleming (Monmouth, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kilroy Was Here: The Best American Humor From World War II (Hardcover)

This is an excellent collection of World War II humor and pathos, and should be of interest to most of the dwindling group of veterans of that war who are still alive.