The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 96, July 1992 - April, 1993 Page: 304
681 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
troops recruited by Federal authorities from Lousiana's occupied areas. A use-
ful appendix provides biographical information on several dozen persons, ar-
ranged alphabetically, mentioned in the text.
Considering the recent explosion of popular fascination with the Civil War,
the Portraits of Conflict series will surely find a large and sustained audience. For
the serious scholar and casual reader alike, authoritative, handsome volumes
of this kind are a pure delight.
Austin T. MICHAEL PARRISH
1941: Texas Goes to War. Edited by James W. Lee, Carolyn N. Barnes, Kent A.
Bowman, and Laura Crow. (Denton: University of North Texas Press,
1991. Pp. vii + 244. Foreword, introduction, index, photographs. $19.95,
paper.)
In this animated collection of ten essays by as many authors the chapter titles
indicate much of the scope and purpose of the book. "Remember Pearl Har-
bor" notes that far more Texans served in the armed forces than were required
by the number of eligible men in the state. "Gearing Up for Total War" esti-
mates that perhaps a third of all Texans had never seen a modern airplane, but
Texans adapted rapidly to the massive industrial and agricultural build-up.
Over 500,000 relocated from rural communities to cities. Chester Nimitz,
Claire Chennault, and Audie Murphy are among numerous Texas heroes cited
in "Texans in Combat." "Use It Up-Wear It Out" chronicles the effects of
rationing and scrap drives. "The Words and Pictures of War" describes docu-
mentary and action films and a few Texan correspondents. Doris Miller and
Cleto Rodriguez are among winners of medals in "Texas Minorities Wage
War." "Women at War" notes the adventures of Lucy Wilson and others in
the Red Cross, WACS, WAVES, etc. "Love, Marriage, and the Family" were
strained by the distances and terrors of war, though "Entertainment at Home
and Abroad" on the part of such Texans as Harry James and Gene Autry
helped relieve spirits. Finally, "Coming Home" released the pent-up feelings
that had accumulated during the dramatic era.
While the authors obviously utilize newspapers and interviews, there is no
documentation of sources. On rare occasions, such as the three pages devoted
to the Tuskegee airmen, the Texas connection is not very clear. Bob Wills and
Jeanette Rankin are geographically misplaced. To assert that Texans did not
complain about rationing may be a bit overstated, given Sen. W. Lee O'Daniel's
public whining on the matter. Also, the broiler industry became a big new
business in Texas, overshadowing the alleged new tastes in mutton and turkey.
Other than the lack of documentation, however, these are all minor points.
The book reads easily. Certainly the reader does not sense that there are ten
authors. It is enlivened by many short individual reminiscences and pictures.
As popular social history it is an exemplary effort and deserves a wide reader-
ship during these fiftieth anniversary years of World War II.304
University of Texas at Arlington
GEORGE GREEN
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 96, July 1992 - April, 1993, periodical, 1993; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101215/m1/348/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.