The Last Days of Innocence: America at War, 1917-1918

Harries, Meirion; Harries, Susie

ISBN 10: 1441709592 ISBN 13: 9781441709592

Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2013

Synopsis

In just a few years early in the twentieth century, the federal government grew from one tiny cog in the machinery of American life into a colossus, controlling the behavior of every individual. Paranoia, suspicion, and hatred of foreigners took hold, forming the mind-set with which the nation made its first acquaintance with communism in 1918. It was a seminal period in the history of the United States and the world, but the American side of the story has remained largely untold. The Great War was the gateway through which our ancestors passed from the relative innocence of the nineteenth century into our own troubled, uncertain age. The Last Days of Innocence explores this huge mobilization during America's nineteen months of war with Germany in 1917 and 1918, including its corrosive effects on daily life at home.

About this title

Review:

In The Last Days of Innocence Meirion and Susie Harries describe World War I as the portal through which the United States stepped into the 20th century. As a relatively naive and still young nation, the United States entered the European war to defend ideals of democracy and self-determination. It emerged from the conflict not as a clear victor but as a nation transformed: militarized, nationalistic, rife with a hatred of "foreigners," and saddled by class and racial divisions. The Harries illustrate how mobilization for "total war" altered America, placing great emphasis on the growth of the federal government's role in American society and the often maligned sacrifices made by Americans. Five million men were conscripted and $33 billion dollars spent for a war that did little to promote American ideals or interests. The authors examined archival material from American, British, and French sources, and this lends complexity and originality to their work. The Last Days of Innocence is a challenging, at times controversial, revisionist account of America's involvement in the Great War and its lasting effects on American government and society.

From the Inside Flap:

nths, the U.S. federal government grew from one cog in the machinery of American life into a colossus. The Great War proved to be the gateway through which our grandparents passed from the relative innocence of the 19th century into our own troubled, uncertain era. The Last Days of Innocence combines archival material to present a fresh and modern evaluation of America's performance. Photos.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1441709592
• ISBN 13: 9781441709592
• Binding: Audio CD