How America's GI Journalists Battled Censorship and Propaganda to Help Win World War II
by Molly Guptill Manning
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Publishes
Sep 26, 2023
274 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
From New York Times bestselling author Molly Guptill Manning comes The War of Words, the captivating story of how American troops in World War II wielded pens to tell their own stories as they made history.
At a time when civilian periodicals faced strict censorship, US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall won the support of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to create an expansive troop-newspaper program. Both Marshall and FDR recognized that there was a second struggle taking place outside the battlefields of World War II—the war of words. While Hitler inundated the globe with propaganda, morale across the US Army dwindled. As the Axis blurred the lines between truth and fiction, the best defense was for American troops to bring the truth into focus by writing it down and disseminating it themselves.
By war's end, over 4,600 unique GI publications had been printed around the world. In newsprint, troops made sense of their hardships, losses, and reasons for fighting. These newspapers—by and for the troops—became the heart and soul of a unit.
From Normandy to the shores of Japan, American soldiers exercised a level of free speech the military had never known nor would again. It was an extraordinary chapter in American democracy and military history. In the war for "four freedoms," it was remarkably fitting that troops fought not only with guns but with their pens. This stunning volume includes fourteen pages of photographs and illustrations.
"Manning's vital study draws liberally and poignantly on soldiers' own words. It's an essential contribution to the history of WWII." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Molly Guptill Manning has written a remarkable book: one that is memorable, inspiring, and very timely. She tells the fascinating story of how our fighting men in World War II, armed with weapons and typewriters, freely disseminated their knowledge, expressed diverse opinions, and wrote immediate accounts of life and loss, even in the heat of battle. Manning's important book gives fresh meaning to the notion that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Highly recommended." —Susan Eisenhower, author of How Ike Led
"American troops fought World War II with both the sword and the pen, and it's high time that the latter got its due. In The War of Words, acclaimed author Molly Guptill Manning asks all the right questions about American soldier-journalists and explains why it mattered so much to our GI grandparents and great-grandparents to face the truth even when it hurt." —Daniel P. Bolger, Lieutenant General, US Army (ret.), and author of The Panzer Killers
"Molly Guptill Manning's compelling, conversational storytelling and thorough research pack a one-two punch that distinguishes The War of Words as one of the best reads of the year. As newspapers and free speech continue to face a barrage of attacks, it also serves as a timely reminder that both are cornerstones of the democracy these men fought so hard to protect. Sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, other times achingly tragic, this book is hopeful first and foremost, making it an absolute must-read for anyone who believes in the power of words to act as a light even in our darkest days." —Brianna Labuskes, author of The Librarian of Burned Books
This information about The War of Words was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Molly Guptill Manning grew up in Latham, New York. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta from the University at Albany and went on to earn a master's degree in American History. In 2002, she moved to Manhattan to attend the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Presently, she is an attorney at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
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