The Good War
Encyclopedia
"The Good War": An Oral History of World War Two (1984) is a telling of the oral history
of World War II
written by Studs Terkel
. The work won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
. It is a firsthand account of people involved before, during and after the war.
The book mainly consists of interviews with people who lived the events that went from the beginning of America's involvement in World War II, Pearl Harbor, to the end.
said that The Good War inspired him to write his novel World War Z
. Brooks stated: "It's an oral history of World War II I read when I was a teenager and it's sat with me ever since. When I sat down to write World War Z, I wanted it to be in the vein of an oral history."
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
written by Studs Terkel
Studs Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War, and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.-Early...
. The work won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction has been awarded since 1962 for a distinguished book of non-fiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in another category.-1960s:...
. It is a firsthand account of people involved before, during and after the war.
The book mainly consists of interviews with people who lived the events that went from the beginning of America's involvement in World War II, Pearl Harbor, to the end.
Book One
- Sunday Morning
- A Chance Encounter
- Tales of the Pacific
- The Good Reuben James
- Rosie
- Neighborhood Boys
- Reflections on Machismo -
Book Two
- High Rank
- The Bombers and The Bombed
- Growing Up: Here and There
- D-Day and All That
- Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Book Three
- Sudden Money
- The Big Panjandrum
- Flying High
- Up Front with Pen, Cameria, and Mike
Book Four
- Crime and Punishment
- A Turning Point
- Chilly Winds - Section with Telford TaylorTelford TaylorTelford Taylor was an American lawyer best known for his role in the Counsel for the Prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, his opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s, and his outspoken criticism of U.S...
among others. - Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? - This section has an excerpt from a conversation with a family of survivors from the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiAtomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiDuring the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
. - Remembrance of Things Past
Literary significance and reception
Max BrooksMax Brooks
Maximillian Michael "Max" Brooks is an American author and screenwriter, with a particular interest in zombies. Brooks is also a television and voice-over actor.- Early life and education :...
said that The Good War inspired him to write his novel World War Z
World War Z
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a 2006 post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks. It is a follow-up to his 2003 book The Zombie Survival Guide. Rather than a grand overview or narrative, World War Z is a collection of individual accounts in the form of first-person anecdote...
. Brooks stated: "It's an oral history of World War II I read when I was a teenager and it's sat with me ever since. When I sat down to write World War Z, I wanted it to be in the vein of an oral history."