{"product_id":"when-books-went-to-war-the-stories-that-helped-us-win-world-war-ii","title":"When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e BESTSELLER. While the Nazis were burning hundreds of millions of books across Europe, America printed and shipped 140 million books to its troops. The \"heartwarming\" story of how an army of librarians and publishers lifted spirits and built a new democratic audience of readers is as inspiring today as it was then (\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks for troops to carry in their pockets and rucksacks in every theater of war. These Armed Services Editions were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoldiers read them while waiting to land at Normandy, in hellish trenches in the midst of battles in the Pacific, in field hospitals, and on long bombing flights. They helped rescue \u003cem\u003eThe Great Gatsby\u003c\/em\u003e from obscurity and made Betty Smith, author of \u003cem\u003eA Tree Grows in Brooklyn\u003c\/em\u003e, into a national icon. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhen Books Went to War\u003c\/em\u003e is the inspiring story of the Armed Services Editions, and a treasure for history buffs and book lovers alike. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A thoroughly engaging, enlightening, and often uplifting account . . . I was enthralled and moved.\"--Tim O'Brien, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Things They Carried\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA cultural history that does much to explain modern America. --\u003cem\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 0544570405\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9780544570405\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Manning, Molly Guptill\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Mariner Books\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback (Oct 2015)","offer_id":46080636584133,"sku":"9780544570405","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9780544570405.jpg?v=1776039191","url":"https:\/\/www.inveni.store\/products\/when-books-went-to-war-the-stories-that-helped-us-win-world-war-ii","provider":"Inveni","version":"1.0","type":"link"}