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Florida in World War II: Floating Fortress
Few realize what a vital role World War II and Florida played in each other's history. The war helped Florida move past its southern conservative mentality and emerge as a sophisticated society, and thousands of military men were trained under Florida's sunny skies. Here are stories from some of the one hundred military bases, including Tyndall Field, where Clark Gable trained, and Eglin Air Force Base, where Doolittle planned his raid on Tokyo. Read about Camp Gordon Johnston, referred to as "Hell by the Sea," built in a swampy, snake-infested subtropical jungle, and uncover the secrets of "Station J," a base that monitored the transmissions of German U-boats prowling off the coast. This fascinating collaboration between historians Nick Wynne and Richard Moorhead reveals the lasting impact of World War II on Florida as the United States heads into the seventieth anniversary of its entry into the war.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 7, 2017
This is a broad history of Florida in World War II (as the title suggests). Florida was the home of numerous training camps (which helped prompt a postwar population boom) so it played a significant part in the war, even the only combat involved submarine attacks offshore.
Somehow in 250 pages this book still manages to repeatedly wander off course, delving into broad aspects of the war. Other times the book seems to be wading through bullet points, reeling off names of bases and brief information. When this book touches on the subject of women and blacks it usually sounds too much like the writing of a 21st century liberal.
The author is a Florida university professor and a former executive director of the Florida Historical Society so quite frankly he really could have done better. For a book like this, an Index is crucial for those wanting to check on what is said about some local base they heard of or that their grandfather was stationed at. There are also no citations and no real bibliography, only a "Recommended Reading List". (This might have been a restriction imposed by the publisher.)
While I feel very critical about this book, it does have some stronger chapters. Camp Blanding and Camp Gordon Johnston each get a chapter. The chapter about the problems with prostitution and VDs was surprisingly interesting (it's not a topic that I would expect to interest me). There are many good photos in the book.
This is just an odd book: an academic writing for very general audiences about events during a war while seeming rather uninterested in military operations. It seems fine for readers who know almost nothing about the subject, especially those that want an emphasis on the social/cultural aspects of the home front. Those already moderately knowledgeable about the subject or military history will probably find it frustrating.
Somehow in 250 pages this book still manages to repeatedly wander off course, delving into broad aspects of the war. Other times the book seems to be wading through bullet points, reeling off names of bases and brief information. When this book touches on the subject of women and blacks it usually sounds too much like the writing of a 21st century liberal.
The author is a Florida university professor and a former executive director of the Florida Historical Society so quite frankly he really could have done better. For a book like this, an Index is crucial for those wanting to check on what is said about some local base they heard of or that their grandfather was stationed at. There are also no citations and no real bibliography, only a "Recommended Reading List". (This might have been a restriction imposed by the publisher.)
While I feel very critical about this book, it does have some stronger chapters. Camp Blanding and Camp Gordon Johnston each get a chapter. The chapter about the problems with prostitution and VDs was surprisingly interesting (it's not a topic that I would expect to interest me). There are many good photos in the book.
This is just an odd book: an academic writing for very general audiences about events during a war while seeming rather uninterested in military operations. It seems fine for readers who know almost nothing about the subject, especially those that want an emphasis on the social/cultural aspects of the home front. Those already moderately knowledgeable about the subject or military history will probably find it frustrating.
December 31, 2022
Despite its title, Florida in World War II spends a fair amount of time talking about more general aspects of the war...and then just reciting a litany of military base names. Only Camp Blanding and Camp Johnston get what might be considered the full treatment, and while these chapters (and the one on Florida's wartime epidemic of venereal disease) are excellent, they're not quite enough to compensate for the overall generic content.
Probably best used for providing a broad overview for those not already familiar with the topic, and for enjoying the admittedly fantastic collection of historical photos featured in the text.
Probably best used for providing a broad overview for those not already familiar with the topic, and for enjoying the admittedly fantastic collection of historical photos featured in the text.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews