The Good War: An Oral History of World War II

I bet you have seen videos of battles, wars, or how about historical videos. If you have, you have an idea what this book is about. I like this book but at the same time I kind of dislike it. I like it because of the straight details that the stories have, giving you details to have an exact picture in your mind. Lowell Steward is one of his stories that I really like, maybe because he is a pilot that I am interest to do in my future life. He is one out of 405 black pilot that help too win the skies during the war. His story is interesting, earning respect during his mission of flight. In the beginning, they're were only white pilots so as you can see Lowell didn't have respect. He and some of his black pilots were called "lonely eagles" because on their mission with white pilots they flew alone having no respect with the white pilots. Well as the time move on, he and his group got their respect and were joined by the white pilots to fly every mission. Being an unstoppable group. Lowell destroyed and damages 409 enemy aircraft. Stories like this make me be awake and keep on reading. I like how he describes the skies at night, flying through the clouds, can really see nothing, then in a mile away In front of him, fireworks start lighting up in the sky, a tremendous show but all the same color, but once you fly it, it is not fire works it is life. A little rephrases that he was trying to say so that u can understand his views.

Maybe you have relatives that tell stories about the war but have you herd a story from a news reporter in the front lines. Many reporters where in the front lines and many stories but putting it all together becomes a breath taking picture in your mind. Being in the line at night lying down on the floor, looking up then seeing flashes of light flying by, not knowing who is who. It will stop for a little while but as soon as the American troop order to light up the sky, the flashes happen again. You can say that these reporters were stupid, dumb, ignorant, but that is their job to let the people know what is happening in the war, without them we would not know if America would be winning or losing.

What about the wife's? Well they were back home doing the mens work, earning money to support their children. Their life is in this book. Also describing the their emotion every time, the mail man came. Knowing to see if it is for them or not. As the ladies staying home, they did all what they can do to move on with their life.

You have heard the exciting, fearsome little parts of some stories. But what I dislike but at the same time I understand why, is the sad part of the book. It's there to add some emotions, and feeling to the soldiers who have died to remember them of their service to the United State. Also there are stories of sadness, but not as a lot. There is a story in the book about the remembering the past, giving their views on what they saw in the battle fields, like brining back memories that don't want to talk about.

Back to the wife's at home becomes a sad scene too. Mail man brining the letter to a mother of two children, receiving and knowing what it is, this is a tragic crying sad moment. The children probably one and not getting to know their father. Well this is how it was in America. Every day in everybody life there is sadness, happiness, joy, anger, fear. Now take this image and put it in a heavier emotion and u will feel the same as the wife's.

Some people don't realize on the events that Planet earth has had. Some hear it but don't care. Now what would. They do if this would happen, would they care or just don't care. Yea they would care because they would be going to the war.

This book change a little bit of my view on soldiers, like memorial day has past, and people left their homes to pay respect on those soldiers, this is why America is number one. I don't have a relative that I know off that was in the war but I do have friends that have a relative that died in the war, and now I know how they feel when that day comes. To my knowledge that I have learned in my life, this book is an emotional, change points of view. Knowing the past can help and change something in the future, but what I do know is that America winning the war made the U.S. the powerful nation that it is today because of the soldiers that made it to be like this, because of their service their family friends are free.


"There's no such thing as a good war or a bad peace"   April 15, 2004
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

The above quotation was on the quote page of Studs Terkel's 1984 book "The Good War." "The Good War" is an oral history of World War II. That's something Mr. Terkel excels at. His other oral histories include Hard Times and
Working. This is a must for anyone's World War II bookshelf.
Don't give it away no matter what. Keep it under lock and key
because it's so precious. If you read only one book on World
War II, make it this one. Unlike Band of Brothers, which is about a company in a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, this book wasn't made into an HBO miniseries. Buy it now. There are fewer World War II veterans now than there were twenty years ago. Once they're all dead, it's a lost
resource.