Under Fire Women And World War Ii

Since the 1970s, when the dominance of military histories of the World Wars ended, and social historical histories of conflict rose to prominence, women have come to play an increasingly important role in mainstream stories about the Second World War. Although this is undeniably a valuable development, the perspectives on women that arose have in many respects remained limiting – although in new ways. Women have been portrayed as carers, as victims (notably of sexual violence), but rarely as agents of their own fate. This volume focuses on this last group. In spite of the undeniable suffering and victimization that befell so many women during the war, for others the war also opened opportunities and awakened ambitions. The articles in this volume, which cover both Europe and Asia, bring together some of the women who took initiatives, of which they sometimes suffered the dire consequences, sometimes enjoyed the fruits.

During World War II, as the United States called on its citizens to serve in unprecedented numbers, the presence of gay Americans in the armed forces increasingly conflicted with the expanding antihomosexual policies and procedures of the military. In Coming Out Under Fire, Allan Berube examines in depth and detail these social and political confrontation--not as a story of how the military victimized homosexuals, but as a story of how a dynamic power relationship developed between gay citizens and their government, transforming them both. Drawing on GIs' wartime letters, extensive interviews with gay veterans, and declassified military documents, Berube thoughtfully constructs a startling history of the two wars gay military men and women fough--one for America and another as homosexuals within the military. Berube's book, the inspiration for the 1995 Peabody Award-winning documentary film of the same name, has become a classic since it was published in 1990, just three years prior to the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which has continued to serve as an uneasy compromise between gays and the military. With a new foreword by historians John D'Emilio and Estelle B. Freedman, this book remains a valuable contribution to the history of World War II, as well as to the ongoing debate regarding the role of gays in the U.S. military.

As World War II raged, millions of men and women confronted injury, destruction, separation from home and loved ones, chaos, and death. These challenges and traumas and many others forced an entire generation of everyday heroes to take stock of their lives. And in the process, many turned to God in ways they never had before. In Faith Under Fire, you'll experience scenes of astonishing bravery, moments of heart-breaking loss, and a pervasive sense of love for God, neighbor, and country that was strong enough to transcend denominational and national differences, inspiring selfless acts of courage and compassion under the worst of circumstances. From the Catholic chaplain who offered mercy among the carnage of Iwo Jima, to the Pentecostal boy who was saved from an incoming shell by the voice of God calling his name, to the young wife praying that her husband would survive life in a concentration camp, to the Tuskegee Airman who fought both totalitarianism and racism, these stories reveal the power of faith that sustained these heroes when there was nowhere else to turn. Award-winning author Steve Rabey presents more than twenty firsthand accounts of faith under pressure, many of them illustrated with war-time photos, letters, and journal entries. At a time when many who lived through these trying times are dying, their stories live on, passing on a legacy of faith and fortitude to future generations.

Rose Justice is a young pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. On her way back from a semi-secret flight in the waning days of the war, Rose is captured by the Germans and ends up in Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi women's concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous and celebrated French detective novelist whose Jewish husband and three young sons have been killed; a resilient young girl who was a human guinea pig for Nazi doctors trying to learn how to treat German war wounds; and a Nachthexen, or Night Witch, a female fighter pilot and military ace for the Soviet air force. These damaged women must bond together to help each other survive. In this companion volume to the critically acclaimed novel Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein continues to explore themes of friendship and loyalty, right and wrong, and unwavering bravery in the face of indescribable evil.

Using a very wide range of detailed sources, the book surveys the many different experiences of women during the Second World War.

World War II was the quintessential “good war.” It was not, however, a conflict free of moral ambiguity, painful dilemmas, and unavoidable compromises. Was the bombing of civilian populations in Germany and Japan justified? Were the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes trials legally scrupulous? What is the legacy bequeathed to the world by Hiroshima? With wisdom and clarity, Michael Bess brings a fresh eye to these difficult questions and others, arguing eloquently against the binaries of honor and dishonor, pride and shame, and points instead toward a nuanced reckoning with one of the most pivotal conflicts in human history.

Experience the incredible determination, resilience and sacrifice of Canadian women during the First and Second World Wars. War brought enormous changes to Canadian women's lives. They adapted to the conditions of total war in practical terms ? working, volunteering and serving in uniform. In the wake of war's inevitable tragedies, they also faced other challenges. The contributions made by women to the Canadian war efforts were crucial, and their experiences forged a new understanding of women's capabilities both within themselves and within society. Through photographs, artwork, diaries and mementoes, including a Memorial Cross presented to the mother of a fallen soldier, this souvenir catalogue reveals deeply personal stories of life in service and on the home front.

During the 1930s, war with Germany became increasingly likely. The British Government believed that it would start with massed ranks of enemy planes, dropping bombs and poison gas on civilians in major towns and cities, terrifying them into surrendering. When war broke out, preparations to protect the population were piecemeal and inadequate. As anticipated, people were shocked by the first raids and the response of rescue services was chaotic. But far from breaking morale, the Blitz galvanised public opinion in support of the war. Soon people became hardened by their experiences and attacks from the air became a normal, albeit terrible, part of daily life.Blitz Diary tells the story in a remarkable series of eyewitness accounts from the war’s earliest and darkest days through to the end, when the V-2 rockets brought devastation without warning. Preservation of such first-hand accounts has become increasingly important as the Blitz fades from living memory. This expanded edition includes new chapters and new accounts from key eyewitnesses.