In this fine volume, Mark Parillo succeeds in capturing the spirit and flavor of the World War II experience for Americans, both civilian and military. We Were in the Big One is an excellent addition to our knowledge of World War II. It benefits from an obviously sagacious editor who understands the era quite well. Parillo deserves congratulations for an ... Read moreoutstanding job of editing these first hand, documentary sources. His colleagues are now much the richer for his efforts.
The Journal Of Military History
H. P. Willmott deserves great credit for depicting a momentous period of World War II in such an easily understood format.
Military History Of The West
Professor Parillo has assembled an exceptional sample of personal perspectives on World War II. The testimony of American military personnel, war workers, families, and overseas observers provides a well-rounded view of the wartime experience. These are people you will care about.
Allan R. Millett, Eisenhower Center for American Studies and The Ohio State University We Were in the Big One is a well-organized, thoughtfully edited collection or original documents that provides a good sense of the impact of World War II. Many of the documents come from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and have not been widely seen. These and other materials together illuminate the various ways Americans responded to the war.
Allan M. Winkler, distinguished professor of history, Miami University of Ohio The GIs all claimed that letters from home made the best morale boosters. This book demonstrates how well the letters written home by the GIs boost our historical insight. World War II was a 'people's war' and these letters tell us what the people who fought it really were like.
Richard Jensen, University of Illinois This is a welcome contribution to the literature on the war because it helps the reader appreciate the human dimension of the conflict and because it draws attention to sometimes underemphasized aspects of the war's impact on American society as a whole.
Donald Detwiler, Chairman, World War II Studies Assoc. Show Less