Voices of War: Stories of Service from the Home Front and the Front Lines

by Tom Wiener (Editor), Veterans History Project (US), Chuck Hagel (Afterward)

The experience of war has affected every generation in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and every soldier has a story to tell. Since the year 2000, the Veteran's History Project, a new permanent department of the Library of Congress, has been collecting and preserving the memories of veterans. In addition to more than 50,000 recorded oral histories, the Veteran's History Project has amassed thousands of letters, photographs, scrapbooks, and invaluable mementos from nearly a century of warfare. In the first book to showcase the richness and depth of this collection, Voices of War tells a compelling, emotional, history of the experience of war, weaving together veterans' stories from in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. The stories are organized thematically into sections-from signing up to coming home, generations of veterans recall individual experiences that together tell the extraordinary story of America at war. Letters, photographs, sketches and paintings enrich the compelling oral history. Voices of War is sure to provoke memories and reflection and truly honor the sacrifices made by millions of veterans who have fought to defend our freedom. Introduction by former Senator Max Cleland and an Afterword by Senator Chuck Hagel, both of whom are Vietnam veterans.

Genres: American History, Nonfiction, History, World War II, Military Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done book chronicling the history of US vets. It’s an early version of books that were to come later, like the highly successful “The Rifle”. There are a few drawbacks, such as the book is mostly made up of ww2 interviews, and there are no records for US conflicts earlier than ww1. However, overall the book is a great piece of historical preservation and is organized and published in a compelling fashion. It is definitely a book I’m proud to own and the veteran experiences within are touching and invaluable for our understanding of what they went through.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really moving book. I appreciate the time that was taken to gather the stories for this book. I also want to thank all of the Veterans that have served our country.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first-hand accounts of multiple wars gave me a new perspective on what it means to serve. Well worth exploring.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good collection of individual stories of those who fought in World War 2.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of letters and interviews from soldiers, nurses, and those involved in the war efforts from WW I on. It is published by National Geographic. The Veterans History Project began this in hopes that the stories of those involved could be saved for future generations. The stories were selected from different phases of their service from how they enlisted or were drafted, to boot camp, battles, and the coming home and after effects.

[Ted Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voices of War is a wonderful tribute to our service men and women including many heartfelt memoirs of those who protected our freedom. Thanks to the Library of Congress and National Geographic for providing this well deserved documentation. Thank you to those veterans who shared their stories. I completed this read over many months.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always liked books about WWII - this had first person accounts of soldiers and people on the home front, mostly from WWII but also from WWI, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War. It was interesting. It's not the best book I've ever read about WWII, but it was OK.