Thomas F. (hardtack) -
During World War II, the people of New York City rallied around a cause, supporting the country and its military forces. What a shame they don't do that anymore (Covid for example). Lots of photographs enhance the text. The author does a good job covering all aspects of the support, the good as well as the bad (racism, for example), as well as its famous mayor going overboard with his fear of German planes bombing the city.
Two small problems I saw: She has New York Mayor La Guardia fearing Japanese kamikaze pilots "aiming their planes' noses at his city" in 1942. However the Japanese didn't begin using kamikaze tactics until 1944. Then she states that from two locations in the city 100,000 servicemen left every day for Europe and Africa. Well, the fact is once the Allies landed in Europe, troops weren't leaving for Africa any more. And I really can't believe one million troops left for the European Theater of War every ten days. At that rate, there wouldn't be anyone left in the United States after six months, as the population of the U.S. then was 150 million.
Still the personal remembrances of many adults and children she includes more than makes up for these errors. While I wasn't born yet I remember being told of my grandmother's reaction, she lived in Brooklyn, during early 1945, when on two consecutive days she received MIA telegrams from the War Department concerning her two sons. Fortunately, my father and his brother both came back alive.
Two small problems I saw: She has New York Mayor La Guardia fearing Japanese kamikaze pilots "aiming their planes' noses at his city" in 1942. However the Japanese didn't begin using kamikaze tactics until 1944. Then she states that from two locations in the city 100,000 servicemen left every day for Europe and Africa. Well, the fact is once the Allies landed in Europe, troops weren't leaving for Africa any more. And I really can't believe one million troops left for the European Theater of War every ten days. At that rate, there wouldn't be anyone left in the United States after six months, as the population of the U.S. then was 150 million.
Still the personal remembrances of many adults and children she includes more than makes up for these errors. While I wasn't born yet I remember being told of my grandmother's reaction, she lived in Brooklyn, during early 1945, when on two consecutive days she received MIA telegrams from the War Department concerning her two sons. Fortunately, my father and his brother both came back alive.
