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The Good War

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"The Good War" by Studs Terkel is an oral history of World War Two, capturing personal stories and experiences from a diverse range of individuals involved in the war. Through interviews with Americans from different walks of life, the book provides a unique and humanizing perspective on the various aspects of WWII, including the impact of the Atomic bomb, the social history of the war, and the personal struggles and triumphs faced by those caught up in the conflict. Terkel's writing style allows the reader to delve into the intimate details of wartime experiences, shedding light on the lesser-known narratives that often go untold in traditional historical accounts.

Characters:

The characters represented are a mix of famous individuals and ordinary people, each sharing unique experiences that contribute to a broader understanding of the war.

Writing/Prose:

The style reflects a careful compilation of firsthand accounts, maintaining the individual integrity of each interviewee while creating a cohesive narrative.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative includes a diverse array of personal testimonies from individuals of varying backgrounds, illustrating the multifaceted experiences of World War II.

Setting:

The setting revolves around the World War II period, with insights from various global participants and those affected on the home front.

Pacing:

The pacing accommodates both in-depth engagement with the material and the option for readers to digest it in smaller sections.
A huge man, built along the lines of a sumo wrestler. He manages a complex of apartment buildings in Los Angeles. He could quite easily 6e the bouncer, too. He is resigned to the assortment of illness...

Notes:

Studs Terkel interviewed over 120 people for The Good War, an oral history of World War II.
The book won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1985.
Most interviews happened about 40 years after the war, primarily in the 1980s.
Terkel edited the interviews, which raises questions about bias and representation.
Unlike Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation, Terkel also highlights the dark sides of the war, such as racism and the Cold War's emergence.
The title 'The Good War' is often presented in quotation marks to stress the irony of the term.
Many interviewees expressed regret over the war's lives lost and destruction, reflecting on its complexities.
Terkel's interviews include a diverse range of voices, from soldiers to civilians, and even some from opposing nations like Japan and Germany.
The book covers 22 aspects of the war, shedding light on less frequently told stories.
Terkel's oral history style aims to preserve the integrity of each person's voice, making each account unique.
Common themes include fear of nuclear war and strong anti-war sentiments among many speakers.
Terkel's work often prompts readers to question why perceptions of war change over time, notably between WWII and Vietnam.
The book contains stories from both well-known figures and everyday people, highlighting a broad spectrum of experiences.
Some of the experiences detailed include those of nurses, prisoners of war, and even the families left behind.
Terkel’s interviews offer insight into how Americans viewed the war twenty to forty years later, often contrasting their youth enthusiasm with later regrets.
The Good War serves as a counter-narrative to glorified portrayals of war, focusing instead on personal and often painful stories.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book has high content warnings as it addresses themes of war, violence, trauma, death, and the psychological effects of combat.

From The Publisher:

"The Good War", for which Studs Terkel won the Pulitzer Prize, is a testament not only to the experience of war but to the extraordinary skill of Terkel as interviewer. As always, his subjects are open and unrelenting in their analyses of themselves and their experiences, producing what People magazine has called "a splendid epic history of World War II." With this volume Terkel expanded his scope to the global and the historical, and the result is a masterpiece of oral history.

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About the Author:

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) was an award-winning author and radio broadcaster. He is the author of Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession; Division Street: America, Coming of Age: Growing Up in the Twentieth Century; Talking to Myself: A Memoir of My Times; The Good War: An Oral History of World War II; Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do; The Studs Terkel Reader: My American Century; American Dreams: Lost and Found; The Studs Terkel Interviews: Film and Theater; Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression; Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith; Giants of Jazz; Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Troubled Times; And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey; Touch and Go: A Memoir; P.S.: Further Thoughts from a Lifetime of Listening; and Studs Terkel's Chicago, all published by The New Press. He was a member of the Academy of Arts and Letters and a recipient of a Presidential National Humanities Medal, the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, a George Polk Career Award, and the National Book Critics Circle 2003 Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award.

 
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