Because December 7th is “a date that will live in infamy”, December of 1941 is a month that warrants much detailed study. I found Craig Shirley’s book “December 1941” to be an excellent resource for just such study. It’s the only book of its kind, going beyond the attack on Pearl Harbor to cover both before and after that fateful day.
There are 31 chapters, one for each day of the month, in which is recorded cultural facts and trends of America in the 40s, random quotes or newspaper reports, as well as little-known political, and pre-war articles. Follow along with America as she progressed from peace to world war.
Most of Shirley’s research is based on newspapers from the times, and personal diaries, not other historian’s books. This massive book has a center section of pictures of Pearl Harbor, the White House, war effort posters, and more.
What I like about this book is that it’s much more than what happened one Sunday morning in 1941; it’s the before and after accounts, reports and rumors that America was soaking in. It’s like taking a step back in time for a brief moment. Well, probably more than brief, since the book is 650 pages.
Well-researched and well-written. Great book for history buffs, military campaign enthusiasts, or your average American. I guess that covers everybody!
I received a free copy of this book from Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.
I am reading the same book and about to dp a blog post about it!
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