World War II - 9780195161762

World War II: A History in Documents illustrates the major themes and issues of the Second World War, including its causes, course, and consequences. Paying attention to both the European and Pacific Theaters--as well as to homefront and battle front issues--author James H. Madison blends discussions of diplomacy and strategy with insights into the lives of ordinary people around the world, including factory workers, soldiers, mothers, propagandists, political leaders, and survivors.

Set in thoughtful contexts, these powerful and telling documents encourage students to compare different nations and cultures at war and to think critically about twentieth-century history. The documents include such diverse items as political cartoons, combat memoirs of American GIs, a call for Canadian women war workers, popular American songs, an interview with a Tuskegee Airman, Eisenhower's D-Day message, a German police chief's description of Allied bombing, a British ambulance worker's account of the Blitz, Churchill's call for British sacrifice, Russian propaganda posters, the diary of a German teenager, a memoir of Japanese-American internment, newspaperman Ernie Pyle's reports to the home front, the last letter from a Japanese kamikaze pilot, and testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

World War II: A History in Documents also includes a picture essay on propaganda posters and numerous photographs, graphics, and artifacts, such as maps, advertisements and even a Japanese lunchbox, which also serve as documents. Offering a global and multifaceted perspective on World War II, this diverse collection of textual and visual documents is ideal for undergraduate courses in World War II and military history.