Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph [Paperback]

Geoffrey, PERRETT (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1985

First published in 1973, Geoffrey Perrett’s portrait of war-time America was immediately hailed as a major retrospective. Perret vividly describes the social, political, and economic fabric of American domestic life from 1939 to 1945, and argues that the World War II years precipitated a crucial, if silent social revolution at home—one that continues to reverberate today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Geoffrey Perrett holds a master’s degree from Harvard University. He is the author of five books, including Between Two Worlds: America in the Twenties.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press (November 15, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299103943
• ISBN-13: 978-0299103941
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptionally good find., July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph (Paperback)

In doing research on life in the United States and events leading to World War II, I stumbled upon this book. The details and the varied information in this book leaves me thinking that Mr. Perrett's work is a marvelous achievement. I was between 8 and 12 during World War II, and no work I have seen better covers these war years on the homefront.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive AND engaging!, June 25, 2001

By 

Andrea Rasmussen (Logan, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph (Paperback)

This is one of the best WWII social histories I've read (and I've read a few since I am grad student studying society during WWII). It is thorough, covers a variety of topics, and is engagingly written. A must for any history buff or student of WWII.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Remaking a Country Through War, June 5, 2007

By 

Nicholas E. Sarantakes (Newport, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph (Paperback)

Permit me to offer a more critical view than other reviewers have offered of this study of the American home front that covers 1939-1945. Geoffry Perret argues: "That the closest thing to a real social revolution that the United States has known in this century came during those years" (p. 10). This sentence is an example of both Perret's greatest strength and weakness--his language. He is clearly capable of writing smooth, engaging prose. The problem is that his preference for action verbs and an even flow causes him to misstate, mislead, and ignore important facts. His use of economic data is quite selective, and he ignores statistics that challenge his argument.

It is clear that he was writing for an audience among the general public, and the fact that this book is still in print nearly 40 years later, is proof that he enjoys a wide readership. People interested in looking at how this conflict affected American society and the lives of average citizens can find better books. John Morton Blum's "V was for Victory" and Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time" come instantly to mind.

In short, in refusing to write lines and paragraphs that offer important qualifications and exceptions, he produces absolute statements that that read well, but cannot stand up to close scrutiny. Perret's form comes at the expense of substance.