William M. Christie

1941: The America That Went to War by William Christie is a well-researched and cleverly presented glimpse at the specific period just before America's entry into the war.

The book is arranged thematically, yet presented as a calendar of sorts. Each month highlights an event that occurred that month in one of twelve topical areas, then uses that chapter to expand on that theme. This both walks the reader through the year while going into more detail about each topic.

While there are plenty of books that discuss the American home front during the war, usually with reference to what was different from before the war, the emphasis is on the wartime home front. Pre-war is used to highlight changes so examples may well be cited from any time from the mid-1930s until December 1941. This book is about a very specific time, the year preceding the US entry. As such it is a better glimpse of pre-war America than the comparative books.

While very well researched this is not an academic volume so is accessible to anyone with an interest in the period. This is that wonderful blend of historically rigorous while being more of a narrative than an academic argument. If you have read some books about the war itself, both military and home front, then this book will drive home some of the points those other books likely touched on.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.… (plus d'informations)