As they lived through the cataclysmic events of World War II, Americans both in the service and on the home front found a safe harbor, emotionally, in the buoyant sounds of popular music. Classic titles from The Great American Songbook served, with the highest distinction, as an indispensable part of the war effort, lightening the burden of sacrifice as well as giving voice to the deepest feelings of loneliness, sorrow and anxious hope. From the breezy bounce of  Little Brown Jug  to the aching romance of  I ll Be Seeing You,  these are the songs   in these unforgettable recordings   that built the confidence of a nation in its darkest days.