G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II

by Lee B. Kennett

Book Overview

Lee Kennett provides a vivid portrait of the American soldier, or G.I., in World War II, from his registration in the draft, training in boot camp, combat in Europe and the Pacific, and to his final role as conqueror and occupier. It is all here: the "greetings" from Uncle Sam; endless lines in induction centers across the country; the unfamiliar and demanding world of the training camp, with its concomitant jokes, pranks, traditions, and taboos;...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806129255
• ISBN13: 9780806129259
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.8" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Overview of the Life of the WW2 Soldier

I enjoy reading American military history, from works in the easy-going oral history tradition of Stephen Ambrose, to the much more detailed multi-volume histories by such authors as Bruce Catton and S.E. Morrison. In the course of my reading, I came to realize there were huge gaps in my understanding of what life was like for the typical serviceman in the Second World War. Though I'd learned a great deal about the US serviceman, a lot of what I thought I knew was based on assumptions, logical deductions, or was limited to writings about combat experiences alone. I'd not read much about what the whole experience of life in in the wartime armed services was like, from induction to discharge. What was the process that turned the ordinary mechanic or factory worker into a soldier, able to put his life on the line when his whole life lay before him? I'm in the process of remedying those gaps in my understanding, and the first work I chose was Lee Kennett's "G.I." Kennett has produced a fine work for the general reader with a working knowledge of World War II history who wants to know what it was like the be drafted and absorbed in the US Army. It's not an exhaustive account of the life of a soldier, yet it isn't a lighthearted dance down memory lane, either. Kennett admits it is impossible to pin down an "average" soldier of the period, simply because the army was made up almost exclusively of draftees (an example of something I did not know), reflecting the diversity of the society they were drawn from. Instead, he seeks to show us typical soldiers, with sprinklings from the extremes, and he does an admirable job. He begins with a hstory of the draft and how it worked to draw in selectees. Then he continues along a logical, sequential review of how a civillian became a soldier (and he goes to some pains to point out the typical soldier felt he was in the service, but not truly a part of it as the old Regulars were -- civillians at heart). Then he takes us through his training and actual combat experiences. He makes extensive reference to personal interviews and personal letters, as well as government documents, presenting two views of a given subject. Kennett's work is thorough and generally well-written in an easy-going style (he has a few stylistic habits I found annoying and pretentious). Anyone who is familiar with the classic "Billy Yank" and "Johnny Reb" studies of the lives of Civil War soldiers will find a somewhat less detailed though similar style in this book. My own personal military history is limited to peacetime service in the Navy, but Kennett has shown that some habits and feelings among servicemen are universal across braanches and long spans of time. I was particularly impressed at how similar Civil War soldiers were to World War II soldiers in how they regarded rank, obedience to military rules, and sense of being in the service, not of it. This is a very good, well-written and researched overview of life in the US Army durin

I'm surprised this one's still in print...

...but I'm happy, because I've read my original copy (purchased 15 years ago) to tatters. This should be a fascinating book for general readers and serious World War II buffs alike. It recounts various experiences of American GIs from induction through boot camp and battle to liberation and victory. The book is well-researched and chock-full of interesting anecdotes. I highly recommend it.

A Must Have For Anyone Interested In WWII

This book is a true must have for anyone interested in what a GI went through in preparation for WWII. Kennett covers such topics as the draft, boot camp, combat, discharge and even the emotional and mental states of the GI. Such details as what kind of food the GIs ate and how they stacked up as soldiers against the Axis powers is provided.This book would really make an excellent companion or first read for anyone interested in the WWII genere.