The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945
by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns
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Book Reviews of The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945
Book Review: Less can be more
Summary: 5 Stars
Ken Burns revolutionized the television documentary. First it was "The Civil War," then "Baseball" and "Jazz." Each of these topics had been adequately covered in the past, but never to the extent of what has come to be known as the "Burnsian style." For each project, he and his dedicated staff painstakingly assembled hundreds of still photos, which they made come alive through careful camera movement. He gathered letters and other documents and engaged dozens of familiar performers to act as "agents," reading from these materials to dramatically present the smaller stories that pieced together the larger fabric of his chosen topic.
Burns and his writing partner, Geoffrey C. Ward, have combined to once again take a familiar theme --- in this case THE WAR: An Intimate History, 1941-1945 --- and transform it into an emotional reading, as well as a viewing, experience.
In interviews about their project, the authors have noted that Americans of that "greatest generation" are dying at the rate of almost 1,000 a day. Anxious to tell their stories before it is too late, Burns, Ward and company once again performed Herculean research to acquire such knowledge.
The end result is another superb published representation of the 15-hour, seven-part series that airs on PBS from September 23rd thru October 2nd. One can almost hear the background music (the soundtrack to "The Civil War" was a bestseller after the PBS miniseries aired) and see the images move as the veterans, their families and other civilians tell their harrowing stories.
A core of "main characters" takes readers from the "day of infamy" --- December 7, 1941, when Japan's forces bombed Pearl Harbor --- to VJ Day some four years later. The shock and anger build slowly over the course of the program/book as America is pulled deeper and deeper into the fracas. These fighting men recall the intensity of battle, the overwhelming fear for their own lives and those of their comrades in far-off places like Bataan, Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Bulge and, of course, D-Day. But the horrors of war were also felt at home as families had to deal with the absence of their loved ones and the constant fear of receiving the telegram that bore the news of death, injury or, perhaps worse, someone missing in action.
Other books about WWII concentrate on individual battles, but in their effort to cover so much territory in such a compact space, the authors of THE WAR have to economize; it is of no major consequence, as the accompanying photos and other illustrations prove that less can be more. Ward and Burns pull no punches, as they edit their data to describe the perilous fighting that constantly plagued America's forces (the project is almost exclusively presented through an American point of view).
After reading so many accounts of "snafus," it seems a wonder that the Allied forces ultimately were able to defeat their enemies. THE WAR is at times almost too graphic in its presentation, but it serves as an excellent lesson in sacrifice, patriotism and a lost innocence that was irretrievable for millions of Americans and their progeny.
--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan
Book Review: Humbling and Inspiring
Summary: 5 Stars
Ken Burns' "The War" dramatically communicates the intensity and savagery of WWII. This includes the sacrifices, worries, and involvement by civilians (fortunately much less in the U.S., but impressive here nonetheless), as well as those on the front lines. One also gets a sense of how lucky America was, having to throw our almost non-existent military immediately into total conflict against fully mobilized Japan, Germany, and Italy - yet managing to hold on until our military could be built up. And then there is also the incredible story of how our industrial resources (factories, design and planning skills, workers) combined to produce the countless planes, rifles, tanks, ships, and other armaments necessary for those on the front lines to overcome the enemy.
WWII took place in thousands of locations, and involved millions of contributors' stories. "The War" tells it's story primarily through a limited number of individuals coming from four small towns across America in Alabama, California, Connecticut, and Minnesota. The focus is on "regular people," not the high level generals and political leaders. Both the narrative and photos are compelling.
Readers become haunted by a number of tragic questions: Why didn't Germany (Hitler) give up when it was obvious they would lose and were subjecting civilians to massive fire-bombing casualties? Similarly, why did the Japanese choose to organize a massive "fight to the bitter end" civilian defense of Japan, despite enormous fire-bombing losses and the almost total loss of their former armed might? Why were some incompetent American generals not relieved?
Readers also learn that Hitler had people training to administer America, Germans had much better winter uniforms (warmer, and better camouflaged - a shortcoming that would be repeated in the Korean War vs. the Chinese), and experience the horror of Japanese POW and civilian internment status.
In addition, "The War" provides factual perspectives supporting the controversial decision to use atomic bombs on Japan: 1)The Japanese usually fought to the last man, rarely surrendering. 2)Preparations were beginning on the mainland to do likewise, involving civilians as well as the military. 3)Estimated U.S. casualties from invading Japan were 500,000.
As one of the participants aptly phrased it, "We (were) all casualties" in WWII - even those not wounded and those at home. The WWII generation is fast fading from the scene. We owe an enormous debt to them for their sacrifices and achievements, and to Ken Burns as well for reminding us of what was required and contributed.
Book Review: Unusual and Unique perspective!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ken Burns seems to pick his projects with more heart than many documentarians, and always brings something special to the work. "The War" is even more unique than usual. This is a must read book and if possible the PBS series (or DVD) should be viewed to be even more fully appreciated.
"The War" is not narrated by generals or politicians but told from the viewpoint of the common soldier and the sense of purpose they brought to the project is striking. The homefront is given a large part, and that too adds to the specialness of the documentary. The melding of the two theaters of conflict, the homefront efforts and the honesty with which it is told raises it above the average war story.
Those of us whose fathers (uncles, grandfathers, etal,) went off to war as foot soldiers - my father spent 34 consecutive months in the Pacific theater in places like Guadacanal, Leyte Gulf, Mindinao and Tarawa and never talked about it, and he passed in 1996 without our ever knowing what he knew and it haunts us. We are told that every day 1000 veterans pass and their experiences are going with them. This records some of them for posterity. Ken Burns has brought back some of the "reality" of war without the glamor, and that is what war is: horrible, dirty, painful, frightening and sheer chaos. WWII was perhaps a necessary war, but it can never again be said it was a good war. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who worked researching, interviewing and putting together this project before it fades even more.
Some critics feel that it is not complete, or that the repeated use (in the videos) of repeat footage took something away, but seen as it is there is still so much we never knew, and still more we no doubt will never know, but that is history, sometimes glamorized, sometimes re-written but seldom "real." "The War", for any real or imagined flaws is unique and full of truths, and visions that define the horrible uselessness of war, all war, necessary and those that are not is all examined here.
Book Review: Like the miniseries, a unique way to view the war to end all wars...
Summary: 5 Stars
I started reading Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns' book, The War, after I had started viewing the companion miniseries, and I finished it before the miniseries was concluded. They are, in every sense, two peas in a pod. The book has more material, and the miniseries, of course, has the video clips. However, the stories told by the townspeople in America, and the soldiers from those towns, is consistent.
The War is not like the majority of other nonfiction accounts of WWII. Lacking are the meticulously researched campaigns, descriptions of weapons, and lists of... everything, from casualties to cannons. Instead, this is a story of the war from the perspectives of common soldiers. Not the generals. Not the journalists. And not the politicians. What do you experience when you surrender in the Philippines, get forced into the Bataan Death March, and get shipped over to Japan to be a slave worker in a factory. Then you get home, but your parents had been told you were dead. What is it like to be a sergeant, shot in the abdomen, and still kill German soldiers with a machine gun and grenades, until only you are standing, gun in your left arm, and your right arm destroyed?
What are those perspectives in the war?
These perspectives are THE perspectives in The War, by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns.
You are lulled into a sense of peacefulness, with Americana of the 1930s and 40s, then you turn the page, and are shocked with the horrors of war. The soldiers comment not on the victories ( and losses), but on the shock to the senses, the decomposing and putrid bodies, and the loss of their friends and acquaintances. They remember how tired they were, and wet, and dirty.
You really get a feel, I believe, of the immensity of this war. It was a colossus of a war.
It shook the world. It will shake the reader.
It will make you humble... the men (and many women) who served gave so, so much. And that becomes obvious in The War.
Book Review: A Compelling Account of the Second World War
Summary: 5 Stars
Following in the tradition his previous books on the Civil War, Jazz, and Baseball, Ken Burns has written another compelling and informative volume, this time on the Second World War.
This book is loaded with photographs, maps, and testimonials from civilians and service people alike. It encompasses both the European and Pacific theaters of war, as well as the home front. The narrative is rich and easy to read, and the photographs show just what it was like to be in battle or work on an assembly line back home. The personal accounts from the front add an element of actually being in the fighting to the book. Of particular interest to me was the story of the Army's 442nd infantry. This unit was composed entirely of Japanese-Americans who fought in the European theater. Other points of interest include an informative section on the movement of Japanese-Americans to relocation camps inside the United States, war bond drives conducted throughout the war, and, mainly, the brutality of combat in both the European and Pacific theaters.
I've read Burns' books on Baseball and the Civil War, and I've seen the companion video series to them as well. Burns has a knack for bringing out the "human" side to a particular event or situation, and he maintains this quality with the personal stories and historical narrative contained in this book. The excellent photographs and maps add a true sense of what it was really like at home and overseas during World War II.
I give this fine book my highest recommendation. Ken Burns has written a terrific piece of military history which will remain a staple of the genre for years to come. This book is a must read for World War II readers.