The American People in World War II by David Kennedy - Book Report/Review Example

Book Review of The American People in World War II by David Kennedy Human beings have engaged in war for as long as they have existed. War can be described as the state of armed conflict between autonomous entities or coalitions of such parties. War is often associated with extreme collective aggression, destruction of structures and property, and high mortality. Even though some scholars assert that war is universal as well as an ancestral component of human nature, others posit that warfare is only attributed to the certain socio-cultural or ecological situations. War has been reported as the sixth biggest problem that faces humanity. In this regard, the paper will discuss the trials as well as victories through which the modern United States of America was formed. The book, American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear by David Kennedy illustrates the manner in which the modern America agonized over its role in the Second World War, the way the war was fought, and the reasons the U.S came out as victors. All these facets develop a narrative that flows logically and succinctly explaining its major talking points. The authors clearly state an explicit thesis and have a specific point of view; the tests and triumphs through which the modern U.S was formed. David Kennedy, a historian authors a very valuable literature adding to the literature relating to the role of America in the Second World War. As the Americans were battling with a severe economic downturn, a conflict had developed that resulted in a global destruction of humanity, environment, and property, as well as infrastructure. The Second World War altered the manner in which the American people lived and how they interacted with the outside world. I agree with author’s arguments because the global conflict destabilized governments, economies, and whole countries across the globe, including Germany, U.S, and U.K. For example, a measure of the impact of the depression was unemployment. Hamilton (106) notes that the rate of unemployment increased from 13.3 percent in 1929 to 31 percent in the summer of 1940. The author recognizes that the U.S faced serious economic and social problems throughout the 1920s. The author commences from the vantage point of the Hoover’s administration partially rehabilitating Herbert Hoover’s historical image. I agree with the author that Hoover did not do enough to fight the Great Depression, even though he tried to fight agricultural depression by turning towards communal organizations together with voluntary cooperation. In 1932, Roosevelt was elected as president. Hebert Roosevelt came up with various projects and policies that were collectively aimed at addressing the economic downturn both in the short-run and long-term. Kennedy (31) asserts that Roosevelt’s actions are not supposed to be underestimated. The discussion of Roosevelt's policies in the New Deal program is sprinkled with interesting insights and asides. However, the author is a bit scornful of some policies. For example, Kennedy (46) posits that the National Recovery Administration that was the face of the New Deal was an awkward bureaucratic nightmare, which rested on a leadership that was bungled and mercantilist-driven. More to the point, the author shares the view that the Agricultural Administration was misguided and ended up overprotecting the large-scale commercial farmers at the cost of the broader rural population. However, I disagree with the author because the Agriculture Adjustment Act ensured that farmers were paid and destroyed the surplus produce that was holding down prices. This not only assisted in the increase the prices, but also encouraged soil conservation. The farmers were also given loans to buy equipment and gave financial support to the indebted farmers. In fact, by 1934 the income for the farmers was increasing. This shows the positive effect of the program that empowered the farmers economically. As cited Kennedy (21), I agree with the author that in spite of the limitations of the New Deal, its major contributions were its inclusivity as well as its ability to enact deep structural reform together with experimentation within the existing framework of American democracy. This articulated the new 20th century liberalism. The author's tone is objective since he uses facts and reasonable explanations. For example, the U.S taxes provided an estimated $136.8 billion of the war’s total cost of $304 billion (Kennedy 145). The author argues that the tax was a tool used by the Department of Treasury so as to generate money to pay for the war. This makes the article to be persuasive. In the same way, all the facts in the article have been cited. The war-related production increased from just 2 percent of the gross national product in 1941 to 40 percent in 1943 (Milward 63). The other strength of the book is that to the readers, especially the civilians; the book offers a revealing look at what it really means to when a nation goes to war. Therefore, the audiences for the article include economists, the general public, students, historians, and war researchers. The general reader may find the book interesting and absorbing to read about the fascinating era in American history. Historians may find it a balanced review of current research and scholarly evaluations. Proceeding further, the other strength of the book is that the might of the United States in World War II is evidenced. Kennedy (167) outlines that Japan made a critical mistake by not totally crippling the Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. The U.S responded by emerging victorious in the Battle of the Midway, where Japan could not match the U.S manpower and industrial production. I agree with the author that the U.S entered the war after the Japanese bombed the American fleet at the Pearl Harbor, in the Hawaii naval base. To that effect, many people remember the Second World War as a time of national unity, when all Americans worked together in harmony in order to defeat the nations that American sovereignty. The author seems to have approached the topic from a relatively objective point of view when he describes the complex background of the Second World War in rich detail. One weakness of the book is that it fails to give a conclusive remark if the New Deal was a success or not in the tackling of the Great Depression. This is because since he scorned and praised some of the Roosevelt’s policies aimed at addressing the economic depression, he should have come up with a conclusive remark regarding the effectiveness of the policies. In my view, the war not only resulted in the end of the economic downturn, but also more than 50,000 allied soldiers died in combat. The author fails to note this major effect of war, which is loss of human lives. The other weakness of the book is that it is an emotional book particularly for the light-hearted persons since the author effectively plies the complexities of war. Lastly, even though Kennedy makes a few overarching interpretations, he does not chart a shift from an earlier emphasis on security towards the global goal of optimistic expansion. However, the book is excellently organized and author concludes by explaining the effects of the war victory to the people giving the book a happy ending.. Partly because of the war, President Franklin Roosevelt won an unprecedented third term in 1940 and was re-elected for a fourth term in 1944. By 1945, the unemployment rate had reduced to 1.2%. From the war, America not only gained comparative advantage in production but also reoriented the domestic sphere. Works Cited Hamilton, Cravens, Great Depression: People and Perspectives, ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print. Kennedy, David. The American People in World War II: Freedom from Fear. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print. Milward, Alan S. War, Economy, and Society, 1939-1945. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979. Print. Read More