From the Editors

<p>The vivid voices that speak from these pages are not those of historians or scholars. They are the voices of ordinary men and women who experienced—and helped to win—the most devastating war in history, in which between 50 and 60 million lives were lost.<br><br>Focusing on the citizens of four towns— Luverne, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama;—<i>The War</i> follows more than forty people from 1941 to 1945. Woven largely from their memories, the compelling, unflinching narrative unfolds month by bloody month, with the outcome always in doubt. All the iconic events are here, from Pearl Harbor to the liberation of the concentration camps—but we also move among prisoners of war and Japanese American internees, defense workers and schoolchildren, and families who struggled simply to stay together while their men were shipped off to Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa.<br><br>Enriched by maps and hundreds of photographs, including many never published before, this is an intimate, profoundly affecting chronicle of the war that shaped our world.</p>
Product Description

Customer Response

Remembering Opa
Our family members are all proud owners of this magnificent book. What makes it especially momentous is the photo of Henry Von Hollen Jr. on page 159.(soldier on the left) Despite being wounded in battle, he was very proud of his service for his country. Dad was a terrific man, father, grandfather and soldier.

Compelling; well written
Compelling and well written; very good research and pictorial history of the war. This is a comprehensive view of the war.

For a personal view of World War II, I would also recommend Arvy Geurin's WALKING THROUGH FIRE: AN IWO JIMA SURVIVOR'S REMEMBRANCE which follows a young man's journey from idealistic young boy to seasoned veteran. Very well done.Walking Through Fire, An Iwo Jima Survivor's Remembrance

More than just a coffee-table movie companion, has weight and worth of its own
Book accompanying Ken Burn's PBS series on World War II focuses on a small set of men and women from Sacramento, Mobile, Luverne, MN, and Waterbury, CT. This focus on personal stories and pictures, both at home and at war, makes an indelible emotional impact as it is layered on top of the main events of The War.

The book is a heavy and visually appealing book, with great pictures, but never seems like just a coffee-table movie companion. It has weight and worth of its own that marks it as classic, while the frequently-quoted words of the key participants have the unscripted feel of a camera recording history.

For the love of History
This is a book that is for the man or woman who loves to read and learn about the history of any war. This is a great Christmas gift that will keep him busy for hours.

Well done! One of the best on war
This is one of the best books on the WWII. I love it. It's stripped off the hollyweirdish heroics and thats why this is great. It's real and sticks well. I can't get enough of it. The War and the companion book do make me appreciate the United States and its people's sacrifices during the war. This is a great collection!

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