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The Darkest Year: The American Home Front 1941-1942

af William K. Klingaman

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592439,574 (3.79)6
"The Darkest Year is acclaimed author William K. Klingaman's narrative history of the American home front from December 7, 1941 through the end of 1942, a psychological study of the nation under the pressure of total war. For Americans on the home front, the twelve months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor comprised the darkest year of World War Two. Despite government attempts to disguise the magnitude of American losses, it was clear that the nation had suffered a nearly unbroken string of military setbacks in the Pacific; by the autumn of 1942, government officials were openly acknowledging the possibility that the United States might lose the war. Appeals for unity and declarations of support for the war effort in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor made it appear as though the class hostilities and partisan animosities that had beset the United States for decades -- and grown sharper during the Depression -- suddenly disappeared. They did not, and a deeply divided American society splintered further during 1942 as numerous interest groups sought to turn the wartime emergency to their own advantage. Blunders and repeated displays of incompetence by the Roosevelt administration added to the sense of anxiety and uncertainty that hung over the nation. The Darkest Year focuses on Americans' state of mind not only through what they said, but in the day-to-day details of their behavior. Klingaman blends these psychological effects with the changes the war wrought in American society and culture, including shifts in family roles, race relations, economic pursuits, popular entertainment, education, and the arts."--Provided by publisher.… (mere)
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This book was phenomenal. I have been reading a lot about World War II and many books told me information that I had never heard and others clarified details for me, however, this book was filled with details of what my parents and others of their generation went through after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the steps that were made by the government to fight in the war.

The Home Front was almost immediately changed by the entry into the war - the general population appeared stunned by the attack and the immediate declaration of war but since Christmas was so close and the attack so far away for those on the east coast, no immediate changes were made to people's actions. Still, the government set to work to get our armed forces in fighting stance.

Schools, housing, manufacturing, were prompted to prepare for the changes in society. School Administrators accelerated curriculum so that undergraduate degrees were 3 years instead of four, sometimes 2, so that students would stay in school. But enrollments declined up to 20% in 1942 when the draft age was lower to 20. Professional schools were also sped up - Medical Colleges changed from 4 years to 3, law schools from 3 to 2. Lower grades had their summer vacations changed to run from May to November so teenagers could help out on the farms with the harvest. One downfall of the shorter education time was disqualification of recruits for lack of arithmetic skills. Teachers were also in short supply having been drafted.

Because of the draft, there was an increase in marriages (originally married men were not classified as 1A but as 1B). Men who were recruited to work in the defense industry, found that when they moved to the cities that there was little housing for families in the area of the factories.

Seattle put workers into boats, trailers, garages, chicken coops, attics, and basements. Brooklyn Navy yard workers were housed in tenement barracks, Norfolk-Portsmouth sheltered 7,000 families in 100 trailer camps. Other workers slept in their cars, armchairs at boardinghouses. Frequently, factories would hire new workers only to lose more because of housing conditions.

But the home front had even more difficulties with supply chains (sound familiar?).

Due to the need for metal and rubber - once store shelves were empty of items they would not return until after the war. Refrigerators, radios, mixers, radiators, lawn mowers, toasters, dishwashers, percolators, phonographs, Xmas tree bulbs, electric razors, TVs, zippers, sewing machines, flashlights, irons, vacuum cleaners, plastic or metal ashtrays, coat hangers, playground equipment all became hot commodities after Pearl Harbor as items were added to the rationing list.

Beer was moved to Quart glass bottles to save metal on bottle caps.
Razor blades were restricted to 1 blade per adult male per week.
Panic buying showed a 25% increase in department store sales and some merchants actually asked shoppers to stop buying so much.

Clothing manufacturers made changes - eliminating pleats, trouser cuffs, shoulder pads, shortened suit coats, narrowed collars and lapels, and did away with the 2nd pair of pants.

Gasoline and tire rationing - nearly all the gas stations in the gas-rationed areas were dry; drivers stalked gasoline delivery trucks to follow them to their station of delivery so as to be first in line to fill up. Rubber was the main reason for gas rationing. Rubber tires were in short supply and even when the nation was informed about the shortage and the need to reduce non-essential travel, people still drove their vehicles for pleasure. By rationing gas, it was hoped that the tires that were currently on the vehicles could be maintained for the duration of the war.

Distilleries that could turn grain into 190 proof ethyl alcohol were ordered to make nothing else shutting down production of bourbon, rye, and gin.

War isn't cheap and FDR asked Congress to set a 100% levy on all individual incomes over $25,000 and on married couples over $50,000. This would have effected about 11,000 people including FDR and would only have generated about $200M revenue.
$25,000 in 1942 had the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $456,611.96 in 2022.

But the most demoralizing aspect on the home front was the lack of information as to the events of the war. Dangerous to the nation's morale was the military's inability to tell the public the truth.
CA congressman accused the War Dept of issuing "fake reports" (sound familiar?)

Newspapers, radio stations, and TV weren't permitted to give any "bad news" because the government didn't think the public could handle it. They weren't even allowed to give a weather report because spies might be able to use that information.

As more and more men went into the armed forces, the labor shortage became acute and the employment of women and Negros became a necessity that factory owners were not happy about. Unions frequently would not permit women members.

"Once women starting working at defense plants, aircraft executives acknowledged that their female employees required less supervision, suffered fewer accidents, inflicted less damage on tools, increased productivity, and were less likely to quit then men."

"Automakers, however, resisted as long as possible preferring qualified male workers but as the draft impacted the labor available, they were forced to consider other options." Labor unions were afraid that women workers would reduce the wage scales. Ford kept women away from the assembly lines until they were ordered by the War Dept to hire 12,000 women for the bomber plant in Willow Run but Ford fought its order because of inability to "define acceptable attire" for them.

Shipyards were no easier. The Intl Brotherhood of Boilermakers (union) did not accept women members. Union leaders said shipyards were too dangerous for women. As resistance lessened, most employers still refrained from hiring women over 25.

FDR in a fireside chat noted that businesses had no choice "In some communities, employers dislike to employ women. In others, they are reluctant to hire Negroes. In still others, older men are not wanted. We can no longer afford to indulge such prejudices or practices." Interesting that 80 years later we still have prejudices against women, blacks, and the elderly.

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to talk to either of my parents about their experiences during the war. I know that my father and several of his brothers worked at the shipyard in Baltimore. My parents were married during the war but because my father enlisted in the Merchant Marine, they were not living on their own, my mother was with her parents while my Dad was at sea. This book was tremendous at bringing to light the hardships and fears that civilians had to handle.

Seems like a book that should be read by the younger generations so that they could better understand deprivation. ( )
  cyderry | Dec 21, 2022 |
People who think that Americans were united behind the war effort during World War 2 will be set straight by this fascinating, eye-opening look at the American home front during the first year of the war. Focusing on the year from Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, to December 7, 1942, the author examines all aspects of American life and how they were impacted by the war, with a particular emphasis on areas where the populace disagreed with, or went even further, such as rationing and hoarding.

However, the best parts of this highly readable and always compelling book focused on the little things a reader might not think of. How weather forecasts were vague, so as not to give information away to the enemy. Even sports announcers could not say that a ballgame had been rained out.

This riveting, outstanding, well-written book will hold a top place on my list of favorite books of 2019. It's one I'd highly recommend to those who love to read about American history.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )
1 stem lindapanzo | Feb 23, 2019 |
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"The Darkest Year is acclaimed author William K. Klingaman's narrative history of the American home front from December 7, 1941 through the end of 1942, a psychological study of the nation under the pressure of total war. For Americans on the home front, the twelve months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor comprised the darkest year of World War Two. Despite government attempts to disguise the magnitude of American losses, it was clear that the nation had suffered a nearly unbroken string of military setbacks in the Pacific; by the autumn of 1942, government officials were openly acknowledging the possibility that the United States might lose the war. Appeals for unity and declarations of support for the war effort in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor made it appear as though the class hostilities and partisan animosities that had beset the United States for decades -- and grown sharper during the Depression -- suddenly disappeared. They did not, and a deeply divided American society splintered further during 1942 as numerous interest groups sought to turn the wartime emergency to their own advantage. Blunders and repeated displays of incompetence by the Roosevelt administration added to the sense of anxiety and uncertainty that hung over the nation. The Darkest Year focuses on Americans' state of mind not only through what they said, but in the day-to-day details of their behavior. Klingaman blends these psychological effects with the changes the war wrought in American society and culture, including shifts in family roles, race relations, economic pursuits, popular entertainment, education, and the arts."--Provided by publisher.

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