This history is essential for anyone needing to research the lives of WWII-era American soldiers and the conditions they faced both in Europe and in the Pacific. I've used it both in my writing and in the classroom. Photographs and quotes from the soldiers themselves and wartime correspondents (from letters and diaries) help round out the usefulness of this book. You will definitely feel the humanity of these men and the grim situation they faced. ( )

This is a seriously interesting work that surveys the American experience in WW II. It does not glorify the participants but allows them to speak for themselves in an unvarnished manner. McManus reveals that most often the combat soldier did not fight for lofty ideas or ideals but more directly for their own and their fellow combatants benefit. The enemy was viewed as the enemy and with little sympathy or understanding. The average troop despised the Japanese more than the Germans though as combatants they did not underestimate either enemy. It is based on memoirs, diaries, and letters and allows the reader to view the human side of American combat troops. The citizen soldiers reflect the strength of America when the average person was expected to pick up a gun and fight the enemy. It sounds simple; it sounds extraordinary.