John Strausbaugh (The Village, City of Sedition) captures important and formative years of New York City in his sweeping historical account, Victory City: A History of New York and New Yorkers During World War II.
With lively prose, Strausbaugh sets the scene, both intimate and vast, of the city before, during and after the war. The book features notable historical figures like Franklin Roosevelt and Fiorello LaGuardia, but also looks at broader movements. As Nazism spread in Europe before American involvement, New York was a hotbed of Hitler and Mussolini sympathizers, Communists, pacifists, isolationists and even spies. In addition, Strausbaugh sheds light on various marginalized groups, including blacks, who were discriminated against in the armed forces, and women, who became essential in the war effort.
When the United States entered the war, New York became a crucial location. Strausbaugh paints an eerie picture as the city's lights were dimmed to deter German U-boats off the Atlantic coastline. But the city itself was bustling. A little slow to reap the benefits of mass mobilization, New York eventually transformed into a powerhouse of wartime industrialization. Besides factories, it contributed in other ways. Scientists in the aptly named Manhattan Project met there to begin research on atomic weapons. Madison Avenue ad men prepared pitches for war propaganda to boost morale. The new United Nations headquarters was located there. By the time the war ended, New York was christened the "world capital," as many other major cities around the world had been destroyed.
Victory City thoroughly illuminates New York's role during a pivotal moment in world history. Highly recommended for history buffs. --Scott Neuffer, writer, poet, editor of trampset