The G.I. and the Paperback: A World War II Love Story
GlobeAlert Desk · curated from War on the Rocks · global
On June 5, 1944, as soldiers lined British shores, preparing for their perilous journey to the beaches of Normandy, Special Services units handed out comfort items, from packs of cigarettes to candy. But one item was more sought after than any other: books. Crouched on the crowded decks awaiting Eisenhower’s call to launch, the men clasped their standard-issue rifles and clutched their standard-issue paperbacks. They were armed with stories: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Robe, all printed to uniform-pocket size and stamped “Armed Services Edition.
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