A Mouthful of Rivets: Women at Work in World War II (Jossey Bass Social and Behavioral Science Series) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Christy Wise (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

By 1943, two million American women had replaced WWII's fighting men in blue- and white-collar jobs. Freelance writer Nancy Wise, who held a variety of office positions during that era, and her daughter, a freelance journalist, record the contributions of these women to the war effort, the "brief point in history when women rose to unexpected and surprising heights of achievement, then returned to more traditional roles, usually without protest." First-person narratives recount the home front's social upheaval and vividly portray the often difficult job conditions-including sexual harassment-women faced. Their occupations ranged from welder to personnel administrator. Although men displaced them at war's end, the authors posit that these women paved the way for their offspring in the workplace. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

These upbeat books focus on the many ways women served during World War II, which gave them opportunities to make real contributions and to show themselves and others that they were capable of doing anything that was necessary to keep the homefront running. Without their participation in nontraditional jobs, this country could not have won the war. Mother Was a Gunner's Mate is a detailed and personal account of Wingo's years as a WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). In a straightforward and entertaining manner, Wingo includes all the details that make this account a highly personal one, beginning with her family's farewell party, her training at Hunter College, and her departure for California, where she served as a gunnery instructor until the end of the war and the beginning of a new life for her. The mother-daughter Wise team has collaborated to bring together the stories of dozens of women who filled in for the men who left their jobs to serve in the Armed Forces. A Mouthful of Rivets carries the strong message that these women were happy to be working, proud of their accomplishments and independence, and aware that they were equal to the men they replaced. They delivered milk and worked in factories and gas stations to keep the country moving. The book concludes with a list of the women interviewed and an update on their status today. Readers will learn a great deal about history by reading these books. For public libraries.
Dorothy Lilly, Grosse Pointe North H.S., Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 283 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (October 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555427030
• ISBN-13: 978-1555427030
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #535,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #27 in	Books > History > Military > World War II > Women
  #75 in	Books > Business & Investing > Economics > Unemployment

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Approach, July 30, 2000

By A Customer

The authors of this book took an interesting approach to writing this historical book. It is written as an oral narrative of the women who lived and worked during World War II. Each chapter begins with some comments and clarifications from the authors describing a following short conversation from the women that they talked to in researching the book. These narratives were helpful with understanding what the women were talking about. "A Mouthful of Rivets" takes the reader from the beginning of World War II, until after the war ended and the women were faced with unemployment. The trials and tribulations each woman and her family faced were beautifully reconstructed in their own words. We learn what is was like for these young, courageous women to bravely enter a predominantely male work force; and we watch them suffer the humiliation of having to step aside from their jobs to go back to the kitchen once the soldiers returned from war. It was neat to read the stories that they had to tell. They were very compelling and put life in a different perspective from the way we live today. The reason that I only gave this book 3 stars was because it was a bit difficult for me to read. It took me awhile to muddle through the unfamiliar writing styles of these two authors because it doesn't read like a novel at all. Just as I was really getting into the story a woman was telling, the chapter was through and I was plunged into a different topic altogether. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of time, but it does take some patience to adjust to this form of writing.