Sometimes I learn things that astound me. During World War II the U.S. government provided books to American soldiers. The program started out with 50,000 copies of each of 30 titles. As the war continued, hundreds of titles were added. The books included mysteries, classics, plays, poetry, humor, biographies, science. Books were flown to the Anzio beachhead, dropped on remote Pacific islands, shipped to staging grounds for D-Day.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of the most popular. Plato’s Republic was one. The Grapes of Wrath was one. Oliver Twist was one.
I cannot imagine a program like this today. I think we were once a far better country than we have become.
I leaned about this in a review article entitled “Torn Pages” by Claudia Roth Pierpont in The New Yorker, (Feb. 26, 2024), pp. 68-73.
When I lived I Ewing, NJ, I sent books to his my auto mechanic's son in Afghanistan. The books are still being sent.
ReplyDeleteYes, but not by the thousands, and not by the government. Unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteApparently, the Dod will still provide books to soldiers on active duty: https://www.dodreads.com/2021a-navy-reading-list-eight-ways-to-request-free-books-for-your-command/#:~:text=Books%20for%20Troops%20provides%20books,want%20from%20an%20online%20library.
ReplyDeleteWe occasionally get one donated to the library for our book sale
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