Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

". . . 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!

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.

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.

Osgood has sifted through the mountains of GI books and papers, such as "Stars & Sripes" and "See Here, Private Hargrove," to find some of the funniest bits from WWII. There are the famous cartoons by Bill Mauldin, short pieces by celebrities, but most of all, humor written by the men at war.

As Osgood says:

"War is hell, but it can also be hilarious. And in no war was this more true than World War II. While there is nothing remotely funny about the war itself, it's clear that some of the hardship endured in that conflict was made more bearable by generous doses of humor."

I really enjoyed this little book.I was only 10 at the end of WW2;but remember a lot of what went on.I was growing up in Nova Scotia at the time.At school, each of us had our own personal gas mask hanging on a hook in our classroom.We had drills and everyone got into their masks.I shudder to think what an outcry would be made today if such a program was instituted.Everyone just got on board and no,the kids didn't have physiological problems or nightmares.We all brought anything made of aluminium to school and threw it at effigies of Hitler and Togo hanging from trees.After; the pots ,pans, etc were collected up and sent off to be mented down to use in making airplanes to help beat the enemy.Unlike today;there was no doubt by anyone who the enemy was.Every kid in the class brought their quarter to school to buy War Savings Stamps.At home, in the evenings, there would be Air Raid Blackout Drills.I lived in a town with a nearby Army Camp,an Airforce Base about 30 miles away in one direction and several Navy Baseswithin less than 80 miles.Needless to say,there were military personnel everywhere and Troop Trains with windows covered passing through our town.Airplanes were seen daily practicing manouvers overhead and endless army vehicles going through town.I even remember sitting on my steps and hearing the Army firing big guns only a few miles away.On Saturday afternoons we went to the movies and watched the newsreels showing the real war.Was it scarry being a kid at that time?No,not that I remember,we all believed we were going to win in the end.Thanks to the author for bringing back a lot of those memories at the beginning of this book.
As the years went on, I spent quite a few years in the Army Cadets,Militia the Officer Training Corps;fortunately none of it in active warfare.
However;the humor Osgood brings to us reminded me of the humor that sustains one whenever involved in military life.Without humor, a sane person would be driven to madness;and this would be particularly true in wartime. Humor,trickery,cunning,subterfuge,chicanery,deception,circumvention,friendships,loyalty,and most of all,living by one's wit are all important in any area of life;but in the military are practiced as a fine art.
It was also good to see the Bill Mauldin's drawings again.They brought to me two other good books that anyone who liked "Kilroy Was Here";should also enjoy namely;"The Brass Ring" and "Up Front", both by Mauldin.
I highly recommend it to anyone who has spent any time in the military.To someone who has not,they probably wouldn't believe how things were.

The book was written in the type of language that the G.I's used during that time period. I think it would be of particular interest to the enlisted service members of WW2 and Korea through Vietnam. It is characteristic of the way G.I's would take distasteful or uncomfortable circumstances surrounding details and theirliving conditions and turn them into humor. It was a well written book, I enjoyed it.

The book "Kilroy Was Here" is a great insight into what went on behind the scenes during World War Two. Charles Osgood has done a spectacular job collecting different stories from so many sources; it's unbelievable! I loved how he focused on the humorous aspect of the war because it really gives you a first-hand glance at the determination of these soldiers and their strong will. They always managed to see the best of everything, even in the most trying times. I really liked the Dictionary of American Military slang at the beginning of the book. There were so many words in there that i had never heard of before, and it helped to keep me on track as i read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and who knows any history about World War Two or fought in World War Two. Some of the stories might be hard to understand if you don't have any knowledge of the war. Being able to see the optimism in our war heroes first-hand made me appreciate them even more.

Summary: This book has to be the best resource available for G.I. humor. Charles Osgood has put together a compendium of stories, jokes, one-liners, and cartoons that capture the military experience from boot camp through to going home. The stories capture a variety of perspectives from those in various branches of the military to the U.S.O. entertainers. The most humorous ones are the views of bureaucratic idiocy from the perspective of those in the foxholes. The collection is well edited, balanced, and contains an interesting memoir of Mr. Osgood's experiences as a youngster at the time. The book's main drawback is that much of the material is very long, and is takes awhile to get to the point.

Review: The most outstanding work in this book are the Bill Mauldin cartoons. They are laconic and to the point. "Try to say sumpin' funny, Joe" is the invocation while heading off to fight. I also liked the Sad Sack cartoon where he builds an outdoor shower. Having finished and returning to take his shower, he finds a sign that says "Officers Only." I hope Mr. Osgood will consider doing a whole volume of such cartoons. They are wonderful!

The subjects for the humor are most often spam (the food, not Internet junk mail), k.p. duty, sex, war bonds, ration coupons, fat cans, and the drawbacks of everyday military service. The humor is couched in a variety of ways, but dialects are used well. As Mr. Osgood writes, "The more ferocious and threatening the situation, the more we need a sense of humor to keep going and hang on to our sanity." Clearly, these stories and jokes helped.

I was impressed that many stories that I always thought were old chestnuts, are even older than I thought. An officer is told to look up and describe what he sees. "I see millions of stars." The NCO replies, "Well, sir, it tells me that somebody stole our tent."

Situations also provide the humor. "We're torpedoed! . . . You can't leave me now, I've got four aces!" "It's kind of hard to get credit for standing at attention because my uniform is all-ways [sic] at ease." A straw bed evokes this comment: "Its [sic] a matter of midn [sic] over mattress."

The jokes about the officers are the best. "Apprehensive means I'm scared with a college education."

Food is a good subject, as well: "Synthetic lemonade -- a mixture of carbolic acid with ersatz lemon powder"

Be sure to read The Craven, which is a satirical poem based on Poe's, The Raven. "Private practice? NEVERMORE!"

The only drawback is the book contains many long stories that develop slowly. Although most are fine in the end, they would have benefited from more editing. I graded the book down one star for this quality.

Overall, the humor probably gives you a sense of what World War II was like more than any history.

After you finish this book, ask people who lived at that time what their favorite funny stories are. You will probably add to your collection, and will also encourage veterans to talk about what is often a time of many painful memories.

Honor the laughter of the human spirit that cries out to banish horror!

I gave this book to my cousin who was an Army hero during WWII. He had been in the hospital with a heart problem, and this book brightened his spirits. He told me he enjoyed the book very much and it brought back memories of some of the fun that went along with being a infantryman in 1944/45.

Worth it for the 11 page intro-"Dictionary of US Military Slang",*(reprinted) i.e.: "armoured cow" is canned milk, 'Meat Wagon'..ambulance, 'gashouse gang'...chemical warfare instructors,..but alternative for S.O.S. is not 'Same old Stew',all vets know that from chowline.