The Great War and Americans in Europe, 1914-1917 / Edition 1

by Kenneth Rose

Overview

This book examines the experiences of Americans in Europe during the First World War prior to the U.S. declaration of war. Key groups include volunteer soldiers, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, reporters, diplomats, peace activists, charitable workers, and long-term American expatriate civilians. What these Americans wrote about the Great War, as published in contemporary books and periodicals, provides the core source material for this volume. Author Kenneth D. Rose argues that these writings served the critical function of preparing the American public for the declaration of war, one of the most important decisions of the twentieth century, and defined the threat and consequences of the European conflict for Americans and American interests at home and abroad.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138241855
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/23/2017
Pages:	388
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Kenneth D. Rose teaches history at California State University, Chico. He is the author of Unspeakable Awfulness: America Through the Eyes of European Travelers, 1865-1900 (2014), Myth and the Greatest Generation: A Social History of Americans in World War II (2008), One Nation Underground: The Follout Shelter in American Culture (2001), and American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition (1996).

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. American Witnesses: Europe Goes to War

2. Wartime Atrocities

3. Militarism

4. Men at War

5. Women at War

6. Reporters

7. Diplomats

8. The Peaceful Americans

Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"The Great War and Americans in Europe, 1914–1917 dispels the longstanding myth that Americans waited until 1917 to join the Great War. Eager to be part of the greatest event in their lifetimes, American journalists, humanitarians, nurses, and volunteers rushed into hair-raising adventures throughout war-torn Europe. Rose’s riveting stories, many told for the first time, transport readers to the front-lines of history."

Jennifer D. Keene, author of Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America.

From the Publisher