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Battle Stations: True Stories of Men in War focuses on true stories of American military men in World War II covering the sea, land, and air services. These are sometimes told by the hero of the story but most are told by others. They are inspiring stories and form an important part of really understanding World War II history. One can memorize maps and the movements of armies, navies, and air forces in battles, but without knowing the personal aspect of the men fighting in the war, one lacks a full understanding of the conflict. Margaret Scoggin (1905 to 1968) has collected and edited these stories. She has done similar collections for true humorous stories (Chucklebait) and stories of adventure (The Lure of Danger). She was a librarian who was a driving force for inspiring public libraries in the United States to reach out more to, and have more resources for, young adults. I guess she might have been at home in the Plumfield Libraries!
American Heroes All by Albert R. Tibbets (editor) collects true stories of American soldiers from the American Revolution up to the Korean War. Each section deals with a different war and has quotes from presidents or commanding generals giving the historical context for the stories to be presented in that section of the book. I’ll repeat myself as to why reading such stories is so important: One can memorize maps and the movements of armies, navies, and air forces in battles, but without knowing the personal aspect of the men fighting in the war, one lacks a full understanding of the conflict. Many of these wars are far from us in time, even though they each had a profound effect on the history of our country. These stories serve to bring these conflicts closer to our awareness. Albert Tibbets (1889 to 1971) was born in Nebraska, served in the Nebraska legislature, then spent the rest of his life as a journalist and writer in New York. Besides editing short story collections, he wrote The First Book of Bees, one of the famous First Book series.