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ISBN: 9781459408722

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The Myth of the Good War

America in the Second World War

Was the role of the United States in the Second World War an essentially idealistic one, a crusading struggle to conquer the dark forces of German fascism and Japanese militarism? Was it an unequivocally "good" war? Historian Jacques Pauwels questions this orthodox view of America’s participation in World War Two. In his view, the United States was not the disinterested champion of democracy in the face of dictatorship: its role in the war was determined, rather, by the interests of its corporations and of its social, economic and political elites. His analysis explicitly addresses many of the myths that have since been fostered about the U.S. decision to enter the war alongside the Soviet Union, the U.K. and Canada, and against Nazi Germany.

The Myth of the Good War offers a fresh and provocative look at the role of the USA in World War Two. It spent four months on the nonfiction bestseller lists in Europe in 2000, and has since been translated into German, Spanish and French.

Contributors

Jacques R. Pauwels

JACQUES R. PAUWELS is an independent scholar who has a special interest in 20th-century history. He has taught European history at the University of Toronto, York University, and the University of Waterloo. The first edition of this monumental work, published in 2000, has also been published in German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch and has been on several national bestseller lists. This new edition has been revised and updated to incorporate new research on the war published since then.

Chapter Title Contents Contributors Pages Year Price

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Outlines the approach to WWII taken in this study, develops his methodology and describes the work as a synthesis. 12 $1.20

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Outlines how America has gained history about the war through Hollywood and not in the classroom. Delves into the ides of Democracy for a few and outlines how the process of deciding to go to war … 11 $1.10

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Analyzes how before and even after the outbreak of war in Europe Hitler and his National Socialism, and fascism in general, enjoyed a disproportionate amount of sympathy within the ranks of the … 16 $1.60

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Analyzes how the American Power elites were against communism and Bolshevism and therefore liked European facism and Hitler’s Nazism. 13 $1.30

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Analyzes the divided opinions in America and how they were tied to economic interests at the beginning of the war 12 $1.20

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Anaylzes Germany turning on Moscow in 1941 and how this was the turning point of the war. It was in front of Moscow, in December 1941, that the tide turned. Indeed, it was there that the … 13 $1.30

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Analyzes how the attack on Pearl Harbour was the strong turning point in america’s decision to go to war against Germany. The power elite wanted a war with Japan and the American People … 12 $1.20

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Analyzes who profited on the homefront during the war; unemployment was low but big businesses profited most from the war-time boom. 10 $1.00

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1942. Analyzes why the decision not to open a second front was made by the British and American forces 14 $1.40

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Focuses particular on 1942-43 to analyzes the Soviet Union’s contribution to the war and although opinions about the Societ Union were negative they proved to be extremely useful 10 $1.00

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Looks at the liberation of Italy in 1943 and how this process set a precendent for other liberation efforts. 9 $0.90

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Looks at Operation Overload and landing in Normady in the summer of 1944 as a race for Britain and America to beat the Soviets to Berlin. Also looks at liberation in that summer and trying to … 10 $1.00

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Looks at the success of the Soviet forces in their liberation efforts and analyzes the Yalta Agreement for Europe’s post-war reorganization. 12 $1.20

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Looks at the triple raid bombing of Dresden as intimidation for Stalin. 17 $1.70

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Looks at the difference of the presidential stance towards Stalin from Roosevelt to Truman. 8 $0.80

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The so-called German Option, the possibility of an alliance between the Americans and the British on the one side and the Germans on the other, thus constituted an important element of the hard … 13 $1.30

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The confusing end of the war and the multiple surrenders and days of commemoration based on which country you ask. 7 $0.70

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Contemplating the future in the post war world has both elements of confidence and concern for America which are analyzed in this chapter which concludes that there is no room for communism in … 10 $1.00

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Eastern vs Western front post war reorganization and the road to the Cold War. 14 $1.40

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Analyzing how the Cold War was useful to the American Power elite. 10 $1.00

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Analyzes how aspects of Nazism were not removed as they were classified by big business as good for business. 19 $1.90

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Looks at the end of the war and the process of downsizing. As wages declined in Germany profits went up. Also mirrors it in what happened in Japan after the war. 13 $1.30

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Looks at the difficulty and complexity of dealing with post-war Germany and how it was not as simple as other texts and resources have made it out to be. 21 $2.10

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Analyzes who this was a good war for as it has been exemplified in history showcasing that it was good for a select few and brings the analysis an what it means today with regards to the war … 15 $1.50

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- 14 $1.40