{"product_id":"a-religious-history-of-the-american-gi-in-world-war-ii-hardback-9781496226839","title":"A Religious History of the American GI in World War II (Hardback) 9781496226839","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eA Religious History of the American GI in World War II\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eG. Kurt Piehler (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781496226839\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 1 December 2021\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e416 pages, 25 photographs, 1 illustration, index\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm, 0.778 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eA Religious History of the American GI\u003c\/i\u003e is a welcome addition to the growing literature on lived religious experience in wartime.\"-Brad Carter, \u003ci\u003eJournal of Church and State\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e\"Kurt Piehler's examination of religion and the World War II GI is exceptionally well researched and written. His extensive use of archival and secondary sources, including soldiers' memoirs, oral histories, and letters, strengthens his argument and takes the reader into the lived religious lives of American soldiers during World War II. Piehler's work will appeal to both scholars and the general public, as well as anyone interested in the intersection of religion and war during the Second World War.\"-Steve R. Waddell, \u003ci\u003eJournal of Arizona History\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e\"For readers interested in the experiences of the men and women who served, \u003ci\u003eA Religious History of the American GI in World War II\u003c\/i\u003e offers a tremendous collection of revealing anecdotes, accounts, and analyses of how religion was lived and felt during the war; and for those interested in the many ways that war and religion have intersected throughout American history, Piehler's study will prove a valuable resource and a useful point of departure for future studies.\"-Jessica Cooperman, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Jewish Archives Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e\"I heartily and unconditionally recommend \u003ci\u003eA Religious History of the American GI in World War II\u003c\/i\u003e as the best book available on World War II's chaplain service and the challenges US forces faced in trying to maintain their faith.\"-MM Gibson, \u003ci\u003eChristian Century\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e“Deftly combining cultural, social, and military history, G. Kurt Piehler gives us a sophisticated understanding of the role of religion at the national and individual levels during World War II. This book should become the standard treatment on the topic.”-Michael S. Neiberg, author of \u003ci\u003eDance of the Furies: Europe and the Outbreak of World War I\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e \u003cdiv\u003e“Why did GIs fight? When did America become a ‘tri-faith’ nation of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews? These seem to be separate questions, but G. Kurt Piehler’s insightful reevaluation of World War II shows how they and other questions are connected. By examining the spiritual lives of ‘the greatest generation’ in unprecedented depth, Piehler offers a new perspective on changing religious cultures and how they fit in American society.”-Andrew Preston, author of \u003ci\u003eSword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Religious History of the American GI in World War II\u003c\/i\u003e breaks new ground by recounting the armed forces’ unprecedented efforts to meet the spiritual needs of the fifteen million men and women who served in World War II. For President Franklin D. Roosevelt and many GIs, religion remained a core American value that fortified their resolve in the fight against Axis tyranny. While combatants turned to fellow comrades for support, even more were sustained by prayer. GIs flocked to services, and when they mourned comrades lost in battle, chaplains offered solace and underscored the righteousness of their cause. This study is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the social history of the American GI during World War II.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Drawing on an extensive range of letters, diaries, oral histories, and memoirs, G. Kurt Piehler challenges the conventional wisdom that portrays the American GI as a nonideological warrior. American GIs echoed the views of FDR, who saw a Nazi victory as a threat to religious freedom and recognized the antisemitic character of the regime. Official policies promoted a civil religion that stressed equality between Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, and Judaism. Many chaplains embraced this tri-faith vision and strived to meet the spiritual needs of all servicepeople regardless of their own denomination. While examples of bigotry, sectarianism, and intolerance remained, the armed forces fostered the free exercise of religion that promoted a respect for the plurality of American religious life among GIs.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eList of Illustrations\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Introduction: Promoting the Free Exercise of Religion\u003cbr\u003e 1. Mobilizing a Faithful Nation for War\u003cbr\u003e 2. Mobilizing Chaplains and Building Chapels\u003cbr\u003e 3. Turning Civilians into GIs\u003cbr\u003e 4. Pilgrims to the Four Corners of the World\u003cbr\u003e 5. Religion and the Ethical Conduct of War\u003cbr\u003e 6. Fear, Faith, and the Will to Fight\u003cbr\u003e 7. The Question of Race and Religion\u003cbr\u003e 8. Patriarchy and the Religious Life of Military Women\u003cbr\u003e 9. The Wounded\u003cbr\u003e 10. The Dead\u003cbr\u003e 11. Prisoners of War\u003cbr\u003e 12. Religion and Reconciliation with Enemies\u003cbr\u003e Conclusion: Legacies of War\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography\u003cbr\u003e Index\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52744285749528,"sku":"9781496226839","price":42.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/a-religious-history-of-the-american-gi-in-world-war-ii-hardback-9781496226839","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}