A Democracy at War: America's Fight at Home and Abroad in World War II
This account of the U.S. in WW II focuses on the waste and confusion that accompanied belated national mobilization. O'Neill argues the thesis that the U.S. never developed a coherent, integrated war effort, and that it should have attained a more total mobilization of people and resources, including the conscription of women. A history professor at Rutgers, he points out that the U.S. was able to fight a total war with a limited commitment because allies and geography shielded the country from direct military threats. An overview of the war effort and the home front details rationing restrictions, victory gardens and the increased importance of the media. O'Neill's argument about waste in war theaters overlooks the fact that for most of the war, limited shipping resources dictated the number of troops that could be moved to, and supported in, Europe and the Pacific. A comprehensive, well-documented chronicle.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.