Dr. Seuss Goes to War: The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor Seuss Geisel | 
 enlarge | Authors: Richard H. Minear, Art Spiegelman
Creator: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: New Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 29418
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 8.8 x 0.8
ISBN: 1565847040
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.5400207
EAN: 9781565847040
ASIN: 1565847040
Publication Date: September 2001
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Condition: No writing or highlighting. Cover dirty and scratched. Please select expedited shipping for Priority Mail delivery. We ship daily!
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Amazon.com Review
Before Yertle, before the Cat in the Hat, before Little Cindy-Lou Who (but after Mulberry Street), Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) made his living as a political cartoonist for New York newspaper PM. Seuss drew over 400 cartoons in just under two years for the paper, reflecting the daily's New Deal liberal slant. Starting in early 1941, when PM advocated American involvement in World War II, Seuss savaged the fascists with cunning caricatures. He also turned his pen against America's internal enemies--isolationists, hoarders, complainers, anti-Semites, and anti-black racists--and urged Americans to work together to win the war. The cartoons are often funny, peopled with bowler-hatted "everymen" and what author Art Spiegelman calls "Seussian fauna" in his preface. They are also often very disturbing--Seuss draws brutally racist images of the Japanese and even attacks Japanese Americans on numerous occasions. Perhaps most disturbing is the realization that Seuss was just reflecting the wartime zeitgeist. Dr. Seuss Goes to War marks the first time most of these illustrations have appeared in print since they were first published. Richard H. Minear's introduction and explanatory chapters contextualize the 200 editorial cartoons (some of whose nuances might otherwise be lost on the modern reader). Those who grew up on Seuss will enjoy early glimpses of his later work; history buffs will enjoy this new--if playful and contorted--angle on World War II. --Sunny Delaney
Product Description
The bestselling treasure trove of World War II political cartoons by Dr. Seuss. For decades, readers throughout the world have enjoyed the marvelous stories and illustrations of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. But few know the work Geisel did as a political cartoonist during World War II, for the New York daily newspaper PM. In these extraordinarily trenchant cartoons, Geisel presents "a provocative history of wartime politics" (Entertainment Weekly). Dr. Seuss Goes to War features handsome, large-format reproductions of more than two hundred of Geisel's cartoons, alongside "insightful" (Booklist) commentary by the historian Richard H. Minear that places them in the context of the national climate they reflect. Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Spiegelman's introduction places Seuss firmly in the pantheon of the leading political cartoonists of our time. 200 black-and-white illustrations.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 A differnet view of Seuss October 9, 2008
I was unaware of Dr. Seuss other than through children's books until an art exhibit arrived at a gallery in my city. It exposed me to the full life of Dr. Seuss and how he got started. This book provides both a narrative of his formative years and lots of political art he did in the editorial section of newspapers. It gives you an interesting and fuller view of the man and his life. I enjoyed it.
If you think you know Seuss -- but haven't read this -- think again! February 25, 2008
If you think you know Dr. Seuss, but haven't looked into his earlier career as a talented political cartoonist -- then you don't know the full range of the Dr.'s work!
Baby Boomers who memorized Seuss' poetry more completely than almost any other texts on which we were raised will enjoy seeing how Seuss spent his "war years" in the 1930s and 1940s.
His sharp-edged sense of satire skewered the rising Fascist tide in Europe -- and he threw a number of well-aimed darts at the handful of Americans who were in sympathy with early Fascist aims.
Now that this book is in paperback, which means it's a little less expensive, it's a great choice for fun reading about "our past," it's great as a gift -- and it's great for discussion groups to read, especially if you like to chew over global issues in your group.
Although the subject matter often is dark -- this is not a heavy book and it's vividly illustrated with Seuss' cartoons!
Another viewpoint of history May 14, 2007
This book is an amazing part of history. Few people would have guessed that the famed and loved childrens story teller Dr. Seuss would have been a major force for WWII political cartoons. The books is sectioned by times and people and there is a description (both historical and chronological) for every cartoon. The images are moving and the book is a must for any collector of Seuss or lover of history.
feedback February 3, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I recieved my book quickly and in excellent condition. I'm very pleased with this service. I will continue to order from amazon.
A different view of the good doctor October 8, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Long before he started writing children's books, Theodor Geisel did advertising ("Quick Henry, the Flit!"), and even editorial cartooning. This book collects a large number of his WWII cartoon, and offers a fascinating commentary on those cartoons and on the man who drew them.
The militancy of these cartoons stands in stark contrast to the gentle goofiness of, for example, "One Fish, Two Fish." Of course, he took on Hitler, Mussolini, and other Axis leaders, using ridicule as his weapon against them. Other cartoons blast the appeasers and not-our-problem isolationists of the time. Interestingly, other cartoons came out with strongly anti-racist themes - a bit radical for the time, but he treated exclusion of blacks from wartime industry as a form of sabotage or treason. Minear's commentary offers helpful insight into the times in which the cartoons arose, and into some of the controversy they engendred, making its points with clear cross-references to specific cartoons.
It's hard to see these today as serious political statements. Too many of us grew up on The Cat in the Hat and other of Geisel's later work. When we see his distinctive lines and style, they can no longer carry the adult clout that they did in the 1940s. It's hard to see his artwork through the eyes of these cartoons' original readers, and to see the outrage that Seuss both satirized and ignited. It's worth the effort, though. WWII was a very different time than today, and did a lot to shape what today has become. Minear's book examines a unique facet of that time.
//wiredweird
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