The "War to End All Wars" did not begin as a popular cause. Americans were reluctant to get involved in what they viewed as Europe's war and reelected Woodrow Wilson on his promise to keep this nation out of it. When war became inevitable, public opinion had to be turned around. To do this, the government mobilized the talents of an incredible cadre of artists to create "pictorial publicity" for all aspects of the war effort - from recruiting to war relief to food and fuel conservation. Artists of the calibre of James Montgomery Flagg, Howard Chandler Christy, Charles Dana Gibson, J.C. Leyendecker and N.C. Wyeth produced an impressive -even magnificent - body of art, yet all but a handful of these posters have been almost totally forgotten. In this volume, historian Walton Rawls combines a stirring popular history of America's role in World War I with a remarkable collection of posters that boldly demonstrate their artistic worth. The text, while providing ample art-historical background, concentrates on the all-absorbing historical and political context in which the posters were created. The result is a fascinating look at these artifacts, which can be appreciated today both as graphic masterworks and as illustrations of a tragic historical episode.
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
World War I coincided with a golden age of achievement in the art of poster design, and all sides in the conflict employed the best talents to make maximum use of the poster's ability to stir emotions. This book tries to re-create a more innocent era in which a poster could be used to "sell" a war. While the book is undeniably attractive, it covers too much ground and is too unfocused (despite the title, posters from many countries are illustrated; further, too many nonposter forms of propaganda are considered.) Instead of offering insights, the text simply rehashes popular World War I history adequately covered elsewhere. The general reader will find this sprawling study more confusing than enlightening. Stephen Rees, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Levittown, Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"A totally original way to document a dynamic period in our history...adds a new dimension to our understanding of the events." --Americana
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A patriotic exploration of the WWI poster's contemporary context,
By Ryan C (TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wake Up, America. World War I and the American Poster. (Hardcover)
While Rawls takes a somewhat naive approach to the motives and methods behind America's actions leading up to and during the First World War, his book incorporates the history of the propaganda poster into a readable, highly useful examination of WWI phenomena including the Committee on Public Information, the Liberty Loans and the US Food Administration.
Essential reading for students of American military poster propaganda and the circumstances on the home front during the Great War, though I'd recommend getting your political interpretation of this period from other sources (for instance, "The Politics of War" by Walter Karp -- quite a different take on the same period, particularly on Wilson's motives).
0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Rather boring presentation of what should've been an exciting subject.,
By Cerberus "Cerberus" (Paris,France) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wake Up, America. World War I and the American Poster. (Hardcover)
Another example of a bargain table book in a Barnes & Noble or Borders. Not much good to say for it.
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