America Goes to War 1941 (World War II Series)

Grade 7 Up-- Condensing the events of 1941 into one compact volume is not an easy task, but Devaney achieves his purpose. Through short, snapshot-like entries, he presents month-by-month, almost daily, accounts of the events in Europe, Asia, and the U. S. leading up to and including America's entry into the Second World War. An informative prologue sets the stage by covering Germany's 1939-40 attacks on Poland and Western Europe; this segues into a personal view of the Battle of Britain as seen by war correspondent Quentin Reynolds during the first days of January 1941. Devaney draws not only upon Reynolds but also on many different sources to give an informed view of those events that would have such far-reaching consequences on our nation. Attention is paid to the average civilians and service people caught up in the drama as well as to the politicians and military leaders who made the decisions; this is what makes the book real and relevant. An unremarkable set of historical photographs accompany the text, but the other strengths, as well as the inclusion of short sketches of eight world leaders, more than offset this minor flaw. While Devaney makes no new historical revelations, his book deserves a place in most collections. --David A. Lindsey, Lakewood Junior/Senior High School, WA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

First in a projected five-volume series. Unlike Dolan's more traditional World War II: 1941 (1991), this takes an anecdotal approach, inviting readers to witness pivotal moments: Hitler's decision to postpone the invasion of Britain for a Russian campaign; FDR reassuring Churchill (``Hitler first, Japan second''); Rommel's retreat from Tobruk (``Tobruk is relieved, but not as relieved as I am,'' said a British commander); and, of course, Pearl Harbor. There are also more private incidents: an American mother getting a letter from her son several days after receiving news of his death, or Stalin despairingly shouting, as German armies sweep toward Moscow, ``No! All that Lenin created we have lost.'' The vignettes are chronological; readers whose grasp of history is weak can turn to the back, where maps and a chronology summarize the war's progress and where eight capsule biographies introduce major players (but not Mussolini). Though Devaney does point up individual and collective instances of Allied heroism, in general he refrains from value judgments; he also introduces some major themes: racism on both sides, Japanese economic imperatives, etc. Excellent background reading. Bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 11-15) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.