American Experience in WWII

American Experience in WWII - A Nine-Part Book Discussion Series

In-Person & on Zoom: Mondays from 3:15 - 4:15 PM

World War II is often remembered through the stories of battles, generals, and soldiers, but the war transformed nearly every aspect of American life. This book series explores World War II through the experiences of the American people - soldiers and civilians, Black and white Americans, women and men, workers and families, immigrants and refugees. Through a selection of acclaimed works of history and narrative nonfiction, we will examine how Americans experienced the war, from the shock of Pearl Harbor and the internment of Japanese Americans to the struggles for racial equality, the mobilization of American industry, the experiences of combat troops, the development of the atomic bomb, and the challenges faced by veterans returning home.

Rather than providing a traditional military history of World War II, the series asks a broader question: What did the war mean for Americans? How did it change the way Americans worked, lived, fought, thought, and understood their country and its place in the world? Each month's selection offers a different window into the American experience, providing opportunities to consider both the enormous sacrifices of the war and the profound social, political, and cultural changes it set in motion. Together, the books will tell the story of a nation at war - and the America that emerged when the fighting was over.

Peter Vermilyea teaches history at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, CT and at Western Connecticut State University. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he serves as the scholarship director of his alma mater’s Civil War Institute. He is the author or editor of five books and fifteen articles, most on aspects of Civil War history. Both his grandfathers served in World War Two, one as a Navy Seabee on Tinian Island, and the other with the US Army Air Force.

Part 3 - American Experience in WWII

Book to be discussed:

Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose

In-Person & on Zoom:

Monday, December 7 from 3:15 - 4:15 PM

Registration is required to attend In-Person. Register here

Zoom link: click here at 3:15 PM on December 7

Band of Brothers tells the remarkable true story of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from their rigorous training in Georgia through the major battles of World War II in Europe. Drawing on interviews with surviving soldiers, letters, diaries, and personal accounts, Ambrose brings to life the courage, hardships, fears, and extraordinary bonds formed among these young American men.

This book offers a deeply personal look at the American soldier's experience during World War II. It explores camaraderie, leadership, sacrifice, patriotism, the emotional toll of war, and the challenges of returning home. Through the stories of Easy Company, readers gain a greater understanding of what the war demanded of those who fought it and how their experiences shaped a generation.

Physical books are available now to borrow! E-books & e-audio will be available one month before the discussion to OWL cardholders.

Dates & Books in the Series:

Part 1 - October 19: Franklin and Winston by Jon Meacham

Part 2 - November 9: Infamy by Richard Reeves

Part 3 - December 7: Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose

Part 4 - January 11: Half American by Matthew Delmont

Part 5 - February 8: The Unwanted by Michael Dobbs

Part 6 - March 8: Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie

Part 7 -  May 10: Girls of the Atomic City by Denise Kiernan

Part 8 - June 7: Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace

Part 9 - July 19: Soldier from the War Returning by Thomas Childers